Is Jordan Rudess Under-used in DT

[Prog Snob]

Dream Theater does not need another musician on stage. I've seen them live a ridiculous number of times and I've never felt like the sound was missing something or that they weren't able to convey the album's music properly.  They've always had a tight sound live when I've seen them.

[SuperTaco]

"Yeah, I wish DT had a 2nd guitarist sometimes"

Ah, hell no!

In fact, I really like those moments when they don't put rhythm guitar underneath the guitar solo and let the bass/keys breathe. I was really surprised to hear that in the As I Am solo, given the nature of that song and album. It works well, they should do it more often.

I should have elaborated on that thought more. I was thinking primarily about live performances, and playing songs they've already made with greater impact. I don't mean altering songs, just playing those extra parts as they appear on record. Me saying all this really doesn't matter though, since Dream Theater will always be a 1 guitar band, and I'm quite happy with that.

I concur with you on the As I Am solo. The bass and subtle keys underneath are just as interesting to me as the guitar, sometimes even more so.

[FracturedMirror]

Watching LALP and thinking - why can't Jordan play rhythm guitar under some of these solos? Why doesn't he sing back-ups with John so they can ditch the canned vocals?

I know MP was against this with both DS and JR (the guitar) thing, saying, "None of that pussy Winger shit," (or something like that) -

I  thought that one of the things MP really liked about when Charlie was in DT was that he played keys and guitar.

I think it would be cool if they added some jamming with Jordan on guitar, like this from LTE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-gcWMjotgE

[mikeyd23]

I get what you are saying, but I don't think it really would be weird.  I think itt seemed a bit odd to a lot of people at first when Gildenlowe toured with Transatlantic.  Granted, they didn't have the established tour history of DT, but it was still a situation where you had 4 guys that had written 100% of all of the music, and then you have this guy who had nothing to do with any of that join them onstage.  It's odd for maybe the first 5 minutes.  But after that, I think an audience quickly gets over that and is able to just appreciate what is going on up onstage and appreciate that this additional player is adding to what is going on rather than taking away from it.

Weird isn't the right word, and I'm not sure what the right word is... DT performing with someone else on stage just wouldn't sit right with me.  I think the reason this concept worked for Transatlantic is just like you said, they hadn't established a 30 year touring career like DT has.

Since the band is playing to a click track now for what seems like most songs and they are already running some background vocal loops with the click track, I think I would rather them add a backing guitar part under JP's solos on the loop than bring in another musician.  I mean if they are already playing strictly to a loop track to keep the looped vocals on spot, it would be easy to loop other instruments as well.  Overall though, their live performances sound fine to me, so I'd prefer them to just continue to do what they have been doing, but if forced to choose, I'd rather just have them loop in a few background instruments here and there when needed than add a touring member.

[Setlist Scotty]

One further detail regarding who didn't want the second guitarist: MP actually mentioned that when they were rehearsing for the Waking Up the World tour, they actually tried out Lie with Derek playing rhythm guitar instead of keyboards, but JP put a stop to that.

Where he would have been useful there is during some of the covers. TNotB and MoP are two glaring examples (and don't tell me he can't play Het's rhythm parts). I thought the keyboards were the week link in To Tame a Land, honestly. Ironically now that Portnoy's no longer there, I doubt the cover songs will be much of an issue anymore.

I get what you're saying, but hoenstly, I'm glad he did stuff on the keys. It may not have sounded the same as the original, but I don't want it to sound like the original anyway (or else I'll listen to the original version). To me, him doing it on keys made it more of a proper DT-interpretation of said cover songs, rather than if JR would've played guitar just for those songs (and never at any other time).

[Prog Snob]

I know MP was against this with both DS and JR (the guitar) thing, saying, "None of that pussy Winger shit," (or something like that) - which to me is stupid because Paul Taylor filling both instruments gave Winger a huge sound similar to what DT has on tape. What would be wrong with it?

Here we go with blaming MP again. I would be curious to know where that quote you attribute to MP came from - it's quite possible that MP said it, but I would like proof that he actually said it, and I'd like to know exactly the context.

As for MP being against Derek or Jordan playing guitar, I seriously question it. If there is anyone in the band that is against them playing rhythm guitar, it's JP! In fact, MP mentioned that when they were rehearsing for the Waking Up the World tour, they actually tried out Lie with Derek playing rhythm guitar instead of keyboards, but JP put a stop to that.

So please make sure you have your facts straight before making such claims.

Furthering your proof of JP's issue with a second guitarist, they made a mention of a second guitarist in one of the commentaries and it was blatantly obvious by JP's response that it was unnecessary and would just never happen. 

[Setlist Scotty]

....That said, I wish they would bring a touring member along when they are on the road.  Someone like Tony McAlpine who is competent to play just about anything thrown his way no matter the complexity, but who is content to be in the background most of the time, and who can also jump behind the keys when needed to add another layer there.  I understand why they don't add a touring member.  But I think doing so would take their live sound up a notch.

Yeah I hear what you are saying in regards to the touring member idea, but how weird would it be to see another musician on stage during a DT show? DT have built their empire around the live performances of, instrumentally speaking; one guitar player, one keys player, a bassist and a drummer.  I'm not saying a touring member would be a bad idea, because if it was the right person (someone like McAlpine like you mentioned) and they utilized that person in the right way, it could be really great.  It would just be really weird and odd and take a little getting used to.

I get what you are saying, but I don't think it really would be weird.  I think itt seemed a bit odd to a lot of people at first when Gildenlowe toured with Transatlantic.  Granted, they didn't have the established tour history of DT, but it was still a situation where you had 4 guys that had written 100% of all of the music, and then you have this guy who had nothing to do with any of that join them onstage.  It's odd for maybe the first 5 minutes.  But after that, I think an audience quickly gets over that and is able to just appreciate what is going on up onstage and appreciate that this additional player is adding to what is going on rather than taking away from it.

Please no! I HATE it when bands bring along "touring" members. If they're so important for the live presentation of the songs, then make them a part of the official band - including Transatlantic. I think having Daniel as a part of the actual band and the writing would be great. Just having him as a "touring" member is really lame.

The same would be true if DT were ever to do the same (heaven forbid). Their live show does not suffer and the last thing I'd want to see is someone on stage with them that is not an integral part of the actual band.

[bosk1]

Really?    I didn't know anyone "hated" that idea.  Just out of curiosity...why do you hate it?

[KevShmev]

I don't see the beef with that either.  Plenty of great bands have done it - Rush, Queen, Muse, Pink Floyd, Transatlantic, DMB, Porcupine Tree, etc.

[JayOctavarium]

Right now it wouldn't make any sense... (even though It would be cool to see a guest musician play with them for a song or two... Like when the did the Beyond This Life jam with Vai in 09 in LA... but have him finish out the song with them?)


I can see it making sense if it were something they picked up in the 90's with Derek and then a side guitarist (like MacAlpine was mentioned)... but not with JR.

[kirksnosehair]

I like how Jordan is currently being utilized and don't see any reason to change it.

[Perpetual Change]

I can't fathom why DT would want to bring another guy in at this point. There's just no real need for it.

Rudess playing guitar WOULD be cool, though.

I'm just saying that because JP has already given us so much of a good thing, that I sometimes feel like I'm too familiar with his playing and I predict where he's going to go. JP is rarely surprising to me.

Some Rudess lead/rhythm playing could go a long way in mixing up the sound of the band.

I'm also not opposed to Rudess writing more in general. Some of his solo albums are really nice. I have always felt like he has much more to offer than he typically brings to DT.

[metrojam]

He may or may not be under-used but he is certainly under- HEARD on the new CD and the LALP release, due to the dreadful lead guitar heavy mix employed by JP..er..I mean the band, on both those releases.

[Setlist Scotty]

Really?    I didn't know anyone "hated" that idea.  Just out of curiosity...why do you hate it?

For me, it's like the band can't manage to play the material themselves - that they are half-assing it in the live setting and need others to help out. If you can write it and record it in the studio, then you should be able to play it live - that's what a band is supposed to do.

And yes, I have an issue with the fact that Daniel is only a live member - he could bring so much to Transatlantic in terms of writing and recording. Same is true of PT not having Wes as a full-time member of the band.

I'd also say the same thing about bands like Genesis or Bon Jovi who never replace members that leave, so that they are now a "trio" (Genesis) or "quartet" (Bon Jovi) which is a lie. If you need Darryl Stuermer, Chester Thompson or Hugh McDonald, make them a friggin' member of the band!

To me, what Rush did (and by extension, what DT did with the string quartet) are exceptions. They are clearly not part of the band, nor are they needed at all. They just were brought along to add something different to songs that can easily be performed (and in many cases have been) without them.

What Queen, Pink Floyd, Iron Maiden, KISS, Muse, Bon Jovi and all these other bands with additional members playing their music, to me is a sham (especially those who play hidden off-stage). It's not truly them (the band) in concert. It's the band with a whole bunch of other people that are necessary to bring along cuz the band can't perform the songs properly by themselves.

Thankfully Rush saw thru this fallacy early on when they started to add keyboards and other stuff, and always stuck with it - never adding "touring" members, but rather learning to replicate things live on their own. I wish the other bands (above) would've done the same thing.

[Samsara]

Going back to the original post and giving my opinion, for his talent level, yes, Jordan is underused, creatively, in my opinion.

The man is a multi-instrumentalist and can also play guitar. Give him that opportunity. Let him write lyrics (I heard he is quite a good lyricist somewhere out there on the Web). Everyone should be contributing everything they can. But DT seem to have very defined roles which prevent that.

I believe JP (forgive me, I don't have a link) has said in the past that having a keyboardist come out on guitar make them like "Winger' or some such nonsense. An attitude like that is what makes things stale, IMO. Arguably, Jordan is the most innovative and talented musician in Dream Theater. And the fact all he does is help JP compose the songs and play his keyboards is a little silly to me.

Now, on the flip-side, I happen to dislike Jordan's playing style and don't like what he does musically within Dream Theater. So giving him further action might result in me disliking DT more (I'm not overly thrilled with what they have done in recent years, although the last two albums have been BETTER).

But yes, given Jordan's abilities as a musician and songwriter, he is underused in the band.

[Perpetual Change]

Going back to the original post and giving my opinion, for his talent level, yes, Jordan is underused, creatively, in my opinion.

The man is a multi-instrumentalist and can also play guitar. Give him that opportunity. Let him write lyrics (I heard he is quite a good lyricist somewhere out there on the Web). Everyone should be contributing everything they can. But DT seem to have very defined roles which prevent that.

I believe JP (forgive me, I don't have a link) has said in the past that having a keyboardist come out on guitar make them like "Winger' or some such nonsense. An attitude like that is what makes things stale, IMO. Arguably, Jordan is the most innovative and talented musician in Dream Theater. And the fact all he does is help JP compose the songs and play his keyboards is a little silly to me.

Now, on the flip-side, I happen to dislike Jordan's playing style and don't like what he does musically within Dream Theater. So giving him further action might result in me disliking DT more (I'm not overly thrilled with what they have done in recent years, although the last two albums have been BETTER).

But yes, given Jordan's abilities as a musician and songwriter, he is underused in the band.

Agreed with all of this.

As a caveat, I wouldn't say DT12 was really "better". I'm really feeling the staleness from so much JP leading the band. MP's contributions were always real hit and miss with me, but I'm starting to miss the variety the band had when there was another major lyricist and creative director in the band. Seems like it's just John P now.

[KevShmev]

Really?    I didn't know anyone "hated" that idea.  Just out of curiosity...why do you hate it?

For me, it's like the band can't manage to play the material themselves - that they are half-assing it in the live setting and need others to help out. If you can write it and record it in the studio, then you should be able to play it live - that's what a band is supposed to do.

And yes, I have an issue with the fact that Daniel is only a live member - he could bring so much to Transatlantic in terms of writing and recording. Same is true of PT not having Wes as a full-time member of the band.

I'd also say the same thing about bands like Genesis or Bon Jovi who never replace members that leave, so that they are now a "trio" (Genesis) or "quartet" (Bon Jovi) which is a lie. If you need Darryl Stuermer, Chester Thompson or Hugh McDonald, make them a friggin' member of the band!

To me, what Rush did (and by extension, what DT did with the string quartet) are exceptions. They are clearly not part of the band, nor are they needed at all. They just were brought along to add something different to songs that can easily be performed (and in many cases have been) without them.

What Queen, Pink Floyd, Iron Maiden, KISS, Muse, Bon Jovi and all these other bands with additional members playing their music, to me is a sham (especially those who play hidden off-stage). It's not truly them (the band) in concert. It's the band with a whole bunch of other people that are necessary to bring along cuz the band can't perform the songs properly by themselves.

Thankfully Rush saw thru this fallacy early on when they started to add keyboards and other stuff, and always stuck with it - never adding "touring" members, but rather learning to replicate things live on their own. I wish the other bands (above) would've done the same thing.

What if a band member plays two instruments or more in the studio, ala Geddy Lee, but is unable to play them all live at the same time, and triggering them is not an option?  They should add another member, whom they have to pay more since they are a regular member instead of a touring only member, just for that reason?  I totally disagree.

Take Muse for example.  In several songs on the last tour, Matt Bellamy took just the mic out on the walkway to work the crowd while he was singing, while the extra guy they bring along was playing his guitar or piano parts.  What is wrong with that? Bellamy is connecting more with the audience and making it more of show, instead of being stuck behind the piano or on stage with his guitar, where it is far more difficult to get the intimate feel of that song in connecting with the audience.  Make sense?

Same thing with Queen back in the day where Freddie Mercury would work his magic while that 5th guy they brought along would play some of his piano or keyboard parts.  It had nothing to do with Freddie being unable to play the parts, but everything to do with making the show better and Freddie working the crowd always make Queen concerts better.  Should he have stayed up there and played every single part just they could say, "See, we did it all ourselves?"  No way.  But hey, that's just me.

[Setlist Scotty]

What if a band member plays two instruments or more in the studio, ala Geddy Lee, but is unable to play them all live at the same time, and triggering them is not an option?  They should add another member, whom they have to pay more since they are a regular member instead of a touring only member, just for that reason?  I totally disagree.

I get what you're saying, but I still disagree with it. If they need to have both instruments represented in a particular song and therefore have to have another person play said parts live, then have them a part of the band. Just because they are a regular member of the band doesn't mean that they're gonna be paid anymore than someone who is touring only. All depends on the agreement.

Take Muse for example.  In several songs on the last tour, Matt Bellamy took just the mic out on the walkway to work the crowd while he was singing, while the extra guy they bring along was playing his guitar or piano parts.  What is wrong with that? Bellamy is connecting more with the audience and making it more of show, instead of being stuck behind the piano or on stage with his guitar, where it is far more difficult to get the intimate feel of that song in connecting with the audience.  Make sense?

Same thing with Queen back in the day where Freddie Mercury would work his magic while that 5th guy they brought along would play some of his piano or keyboard parts.  It had nothing to do with Freddie being unable to play the parts, but everything to do with making the show better and Freddie working the crowd always make Queen concerts better.  Should he have stayed up there and played every single part just they could say, "See, we did it all ourselves?"  No way.  But hey, that's just me.

Again, I follow what you're saying, but disagree with it. I guess Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and any other number of bands with frontmen who play instruments should bring along touring members so that they can better work the crowd, because they can't do it well enough behind their instrument. I'm sure that would go over just as well as a fart in church.

Sorry, but the whole idea of "working the crowd" at the expense of playing your instrument is rather lame. Many bands have shown that it can be done, and done well, so it's not necessary.

[KevShmev]

Okay, but not all bands are created equal, and not all front men are created equal, without a doubt.  Is anyone in Metallica, Slayer, etc. nearly as good as front man as Freddie Mercury?  Highly doubtful.  Besides, those are metal bands, and metal concerts are more about loudness and fury and whatnot, and the music speaks for itself when it comes to getting a crowd worked up.  Not the same for rock bands like Queen or Muse, who, sure, could do a good job of it with the music alone, but guys like Mercury and Bellamy were/are capable of taking it to the next level. 

To me, this comes down to the matter of playing vs. entertainment.  As a music fan, I am there for the show and everything that comes with it, bells, whistles, kitchen sink and all.   I am not there to make sure that the band members on stage are playing everything just right, playing it themselves, and not using any extra members.  I am there to be entertained, and if said band does everything in its power to make the show as good and entertaining as possible, more power to 'em.

[Prog Snob]

I'm with Scotty on this one.  Besides, who needs extra musicians when you have Jordan Rudess on stage.  Look at what he did when playing with RMP.   

I never understood a band writing music then needing to bring along a few extra guys just so you can hear the actual music in a live setting.  It's not like your Paul O'Neill putting together TSO.  It's obvious Dream Theater has a certain dignity for their music and the fans which prevents them from composing music that they wouldn't be able to handle themselves.  I would feel ripped off to find out they had to use backing tracks throughout a show because they couldn't play their own songs.

[Tick]

My thought is...

Jordan isn't going to sing backup if he isn't capable of it and apparently he isn't.

[Ben_Jamin]

I would feel ripped off to find out they had to use backing tracks throughout a show because they couldn't play their own songs.

How do you feel about Devin Townsend live?


JR is not under-used. Its the way he's mixed is what's the problem.  ToT really shined live due to his keyboards being audible and not buried like in the studio.

[KevShmev]

  I would feel ripped off to find out they had to use backing tracks throughout a show because they couldn't play their own songs.

Why? 

Do you feel ripped off that they never play the beginning of Metropolis live?  If not, why not?  Same goes for the intros to A Change of Seasons, New Millennium, etc.

What about the beginning of The Count of Tuscany?  Do you feel ripped off that JP cannot keep playing the acoustic intro once his electric solo comes in?

[Prog Snob]

I would feel ripped off to find out they had to use backing tracks throughout a show because they couldn't play their own songs.

How do you feel about Devin Townsend live?


JR is not under-used. Its the way he's mixed is what's the problem.  ToT really shined live due to his keyboards being audible and not buried like in the studio.

I've never heard his live material.  Does he use extra musicians?  Backing tracks?

[Setlist Scotty]

Do you feel ripped off that they never play the beginning of Metropolis live?  If not, why not?  Same goes for the intros to A Change of Seasons, New Millennium, etc.

What about the beginning of The Count of Tuscany?  Do you feel ripped off that JP cannot keep playing the acoustic intro once his electric solo comes in?

For the most part, yes. The intro to Metropolis might be a bit more hard to pull off, but definitely PMU, ACoS, NM and TCoT should be performed live without using an intro tape. That's one thing that always irked me, especially songs that they have performed at times without using an intro tape. Regarding TCoT - as far as I'm concerned, JR could play the acoustic part on his keys so that JP could play the electric. In fact, the harpejji that JR had touted for some time (but I don't think has ever taken on the road) would be perfect for this situation. So yes, I do feel ripped off when they do this.

[Ben_Jamin]

I would feel ripped off to find out they had to use backing tracks throughout a show because they couldn't play their own songs.

How do you feel about Devin Townsend live?


JR is not under-used. Its the way he's mixed is what's the problem.  ToT really shined live due to his keyboards being audible and not buried like in the studio.

I've never heard his live material.  Does he use extra musicians?  Backing tracks?

He uses a lot. For the choirs, extra guitars, and backing vocals.

[Prog Snob]

I would feel ripped off to find out they had to use backing tracks throughout a show because they couldn't play their own songs.

How do you feel about Devin Townsend live?


JR is not under-used. Its the way he's mixed is what's the problem.  ToT really shined live due to his keyboards being audible and not buried like in the studio.

I've never heard his live material.  Does he use extra musicians?  Backing tracks?

He uses a lot. For the choirs, extra guitars, and backing vocals.

Yeah....I don't like that.      I understand that he is a solo artist and if he is writing everything himself he obviously can't reproduce that live by himself.  However, if he is using all of the extras that you say he is using, I would feel ripped off as a fan going to a show only to realize that half of the music isn't being played/sung live. 

[JayOctavarium]

I would feel ripped off to find out they had to use backing tracks throughout a show because they couldn't play their own songs.

How do you feel about Devin Townsend live?


JR is not under-used. Its the way he's mixed is what's the problem.  ToT really shined live due to his keyboards being audible and not buried like in the studio.

I've never heard his live material.  Does he use extra musicians?  Backing tracks?

He uses a lot. For the choirs, extra guitars, and backing vocals.

Yeah....I don't like that.      I understand that he is a solo artist and if he is writing everything himself he obviously can't reproduce that live by himself.  However, if he is using all of the extras that you say he is using, I would feel ripped off as a fan going to a show only to realize that half of the music isn't being played/sung live. 

Don't see Roger Waters live then

[bosk1]

@Scotty:  Well...okay.  We'll just have to disagree, I guess.  We just have completely different perspectives on that issue.  What I feel adds something of value, you feel detracts and takes value away.  So, okay, agreed to disagree.  :shrug:

Let him write lyrics (I heard he is quite a good lyricist somewhere out there on the Web). Everyone should be contributing everything they can. But DT seem to have very defined roles which prevent that.

I get your opinion, but just to provide some clarification on this particular issue:  There is nothing that prevents Jordan from writing lyrics.  The only thing someone could potentially raise is that for a while, when Mike Portnoy was in the band, they requested that if someone write lyrics, that they also write at least a basic vocal melody to provide a framework for those lyrics.  That was contrary to how John Myung would write lyrics, so he stopped for awhile.  But as far as I know, that NEVER prevented Jordan from writing.  Jordan is fully capable of writing melodies and is pretty prolific in terms of providing instrumental melodies, so I don't think that would have been an impediment whatsoever for him even if that "rule" was still in place (which it isn't, as far as I know).  Jordan has himself said that he doesn't write lyrics simply because he doesn't want to.  A lot of us wish he would, but he doesn't.  But that is his choice.  It isn't that the band is preventing him.

[Prog Snob]

*snip*

  Jordan has himself said that he doesn't write lyrics simply because he doesn't want to.  A lot of us wish he would, but he doesn't.  But that is his choice.  It isn't that the band is preventing him.

After seeing the iWood commercial, I would love to see the type of lyrics of which Jordan is capable.     

[425]

What Queen, Pink Floyd, Iron Maiden, KISS, Muse, Bon Jovi and all these other bands with additional members playing their music, to me is a sham (especially those who play hidden off-stage). It's not truly them (the band) in concert. It's the band with a whole bunch of other people that are necessary to bring along cuz the band can't perform the songs properly by themselves.

I do want to say, for Iron Maiden:

What else would you have them do but have Michael Kenney play the synth parts? Those parts were written by the band, usually by Steve Harris or Adrian Smith, who have instruments of their own on stage. They are not very complex parts. Bruce Dickinson COULD play them, I suppose, but he had already established a frontman style by the time they began using synths that would be inhibited by his having to play a keyboard.

Michael Kenney is not a keyboardist by profession. He is literally Steve Harris's bass tech. He did not write the parts, he just plays them live because Steve can't while playing bass. There would be no point in making him a full member of the band, since he wouldn't add anything to writing music with the band and all he plays is basic synth parts. And there wouldn't even really be a point in making him visible, since, again, most of the stuff he does is very simple and also because his presence wouldn't really fit in with Maiden's stage show (I'd be afraid of Bruce, Steve or Janick Gers running into a keyboard).

So I'm not sure why they should feel the need to do something that would detract from their live show just for the sake of authenticity in regard to a few synth parts. I'm not sure about most of the other bands on that list, but if it's the same basic thing, my point still applies. It's not even like the synthesizer parts are programmed, educated concertgoers know full well that there's a guy backstage playing them.

[Setlist Scotty]

What Queen, Pink Floyd, Iron Maiden, KISS, Muse, Bon Jovi and all these other bands with additional members playing their music, to me is a sham (especially those who play hidden off-stage). It's not truly them (the band) in concert. It's the band with a whole bunch of other people that are necessary to bring along cuz the band can't perform the songs properly by themselves.

I do want to say, for Iron Maiden:

What else would you have them do but have Michael Kenney play the synth parts? Those parts were written by the band, usually by Steve Harris or Adrian Smith, who have instruments of their own on stage. They are not very complex parts. Bruce Dickinson COULD play them, I suppose, but he had already established a frontman style by the time they began using synths that would be inhibited by his having to play a keyboard.

Michael Kenney is not a keyboardist by profession. He is literally Steve Harris's bass tech. He did not write the parts, he just plays them live because Steve can't while playing bass. There would be no point in making him a full member of the band, since he wouldn't add anything to writing music with the band and all he plays is basic synth parts. And there wouldn't even really be a point in making him visible, since, again, most of the stuff he does is very simple and also because his presence wouldn't really fit in with Maiden's stage show (I'd be afraid of Bruce, Steve or Janick Gers running into a keyboard).

So I'm not sure why they should feel the need to do something that would detract from their live show just for the sake of authenticity in regard to a few synth parts. I'm not sure about most of the other bands on that list, but if it's the same basic thing, my point still applies. It's not even like the synthesizer parts are programmed, educated concertgoers know full well that there's a guy backstage playing them.

Use the guitar synths like they did on Somewhere on Tour. Having 3 guitarists in the band, there's no reason why one of them couldn't do that, especially considering the fact that only the last 4 albums actually feature 3 individual guitarists.

Besides, if Michael Kenney is Steve's bass tech, shouldn't he be worrying about Steve's basses and his rig during the show instead of playing keyboards?   

[bosk1]

...or they could...I dunno...maybe just keep doing it the way they are doing it, and let people continue to react like this:

[TAC]

This is a great thread! Well, except for the Winger part!

Regarding the Cover albums, I like the Osaka 04 performance of TNOTB. It feels like it has more developed keyboard parts than the 02 versions.

I have always been a little surprised that a musician of Jordan's caliber would remain with DT . He obviously has great respect and personal relationships with the band. I've always thought that, they make such ad big deal about the eye. Contact with MM in the luna Park documentary, but watching Live Aat Budokan, you can feel the creative respect that JR and MP have for each other.
He obviously wouldn't be there if he wasn't happy.

I'm satisfied with the keyboards in the band and I don't really feel that he is underutilized. Seems to be playing a new gadget eon each new album.

I do wish, however, that he would bust out the Zen Riffer more than the one novelty spot during the show.  It's a cool visual.

[wolfking]

Also, is a very mediocre band that doesn't deserve a lot of the praise they get.

This is absolute bullshit.