What's your ideal Dream Theater concert?

[orphaeusest]

A two hour show is enough and satisfying at the moment. It doesn't matter the setlist, I only want them to change. Nothing else.

[Setlist Scotty]

Considering how many times I've managed to see the band, the only things that I'd really say would be included in my ideal DT concert would be:
• an Evening With (preferably 3 hours of music or more, not including intermission)
• whatever new songs I haven't seen yet
• 2 or 3 older songs I have yet to see live (any of the Majesty demos other than Another Won, Don't Look Past Me, You Not Me, Hell's Kitchen, Repentance, Wither, The Best of Times, The Bigger Picture, Behind the Veil, Surrender to Reason)
• a new Instrumedley consisting of song bits not in the first one (perhaps based around the 12SS)
• several of the other songs altered to varying degrees in comparison to the album versions (my biggest issue with DT live since MP's left, besides the static setlists)

[Grizz]

Give MM credit. He deviated from the album version of Schizoid Man, killing all the energy of the instrumental section.

[Setlist Scotty]

Give MM credit. He deviated from the album version of Schizoid Man, killing all the energy of the instrumental section.

I'm assuming your post is in reference to my complaint about the lack of variation in the songs post-MP, correct? If so, according to your comments, you're speaking about what MM did (not the band as a whole) on a song that was performed one time and with guest musicians - and one that I might add that I haven't heard yet. And in hindsight, admittedly there have been a few other things, such as the mini-improv at the end of Metropolis on L@LP, the 8v ending tacked on to TRoAE and the improv they added to the beginning of ToT on the 2014 tour. But, such things were not played at all the shows (none of the 6 post-MP shows I've seen) and in the case of Metropolis and ToT, were only added at the end of the tour.

I'm talking about stuff like the reworked versions of Surrounded (in 2007) and Caught in Alice's Nine Inch Tool Garden, the A Crack in the Mirror intro to The Mirror, the extended versions of The Killing Hand and Hollow Years, the Tool jam in Lie, the different/additional instrumental sections added to Metropolis and Learning to Live, etc. That is what I'm speaking of - it's one of the things that I loved about DT, spicing up older songs so that they weren't just being performed exactly as they always had previously. That's what's missing. Hopefully on future tours there will be some of that sort of thing, but I'm not holding my breath.

[TAC]

Hopefully any future performances of Hollow Years resemble the "live" vesrion, and do not revert back to the studio version. That would be a travesty.

[?]

I came up with this setlist for a hypothetical 30th anniversary tour and DVD/Bluray - I think it's a good mix of "hits", fan-favorites and a few rare treats:

False Awakening Suite
1. The Enemy Inside
2. Panic Attack
3. Don't Look Past Me
4. In the Presence of Enemies Pt. 1
5. Another Hand/The Killing Hand
6. Wither
7. Take the Time
8. Home
9. The Bigger Picture
*intermission*
10. The Glass Prison
11. On the Backs of Angels
12. Voices
13. Hollow Years
14. Stream of Consciousness
15. Learning to Live
encore:
16. A Change of Seasons

I included OTBOA and TEI due to the Grammy nominations, but for the most part I tried to avoid songs that have appeared on recent live releases.

[GasparXR]

I would probably replace OTBOA with something like Honor Thy Father or Behind the Veil, but I would keep TEI for sure since it's such a great opener.

[tnphelps]

It's official. No more "Along for the Ride" tour dates...No Florida dates.. No Texas dates.. No dates in the south at all....I guess it was more important to tour some 3rd world country's than to tour Florida and Texas....No smart.. You have pissed off a very large and loyal fan base here in Florida. Next album better be very good..

[Grizz]

No Florida dates.. No Texas dates.. No dates in the south at all....I guess it was more important to tour some 3rd world country's than to tour Florida and Texas....No smart.. You have pissed off a very large and loyal fan base here in Florida. Next album better be very good..

This made me vomit a bit in my mouth.
I would be really pissed off if DT skipped my region entirely, but... really?

[Laughingplace56]

No Florida dates.. No Texas dates.. No dates in the south at all....I guess it was more important to tour some 3rd world country's than to tour Florida and Texas....No smart.. You have pissed off a very large and loyal fan base here in Florida. Next album better be very good..

This made me vomit a bit in my mouth.
I would be really pissed off if DT skipped my region entirely, but... really?

Yeah I live in Florida and I agree that was a little uncalled for. Every fan deserves to see a band they like, no matter where they live. And that's just disrespecting all the countries they toured in last year.

[Didu]

Set I:

False Awakening Suite
1. The Enemy Inside
2. Beyond This Life
3. Misunderstood
4. Endless Sacrifice
5. These Walls
6. 6:00
7. Under A Glass Moon
8. The Ytse Jam
9. Hell's Kitchen
10. Lines In The Sand
11. Scarred
12. To Live Forever

Set II:

that final long note from Losing Time / Grand Finale
1. As I Am
2. Breaking All Illusions
3. Surrounded
4. Overture 1928
5. Strange Deja Vu
6. Pull Me Under
7. Another Day
8. Wither
9. The Ministry Of Lost Souls
10. Take The Time
11. Metropolis
12. In The Name Of God


Encores:

1. Illumination Theory
2. Wait For Sleep
3. Learning To Live
Eve outro

EDIT: I forgot to add Take The Time lol

[krands85]

Damn, I wish they'd played a set half as good as that on the occasions I saw them!  5 of my top 7 DT songs in there 

[wantija]

Even though they announced they were working on a new album I ay as well take a stab at this

Set I

False Awakening Suite
The Enemy Inside
Don't Look Past Me
Another Day
Hells Kitchen
Lines in the Sand
The Looking Glass
The Ministry of Lost Souls
The Bigger Picture

-Intermission-

Set II

The Glass Prison
This Dying Soul
Wither
Behind The Veil
Surrender to Reason
Illumination Theory/Octavarium

-Encore-

A Change of Seasons
Eve? (or something that would be easy on James while keeping the crowd entertained because the next song is...)
Take the Time (Full, non abridged)

No idea how long it would be, I slightly based it off of this tour's setlist. I also think I could fit a ADTOE song in there somewhere...

[The Paddies]

Hi there,

I've been lurking around a while. Good to see an active DTF. Ideal or not, but considering the last few tours, the set list flow, James' stamina and even 'musiciany' things like guitar tunings and stuff: I'd like to see something like this right now. Tomorrow it might be different though. With the new album it will change again as well. But whatever DT comes up with will be fine. So, for what it's worth, my two cents!

An Evening With (without album #13, about 174 minutes)
1. A Nightmare To Remember 16:10
2. Behind The Veil 6:52
3. Innocence Faded 5:42
4. Erotomania 6:44
5. Voices 9:53
6. These Walls 7:36
7. Beyond This Life 11:22
8. Wither 5:25
9. Lost Not Forgotten 10:11
10. Surrender To Reason 6:34
11. Take The Time 8:21
--------------------------
12. The Glass Prison 13:52
13. This Dying Soul 11:27
14. Misunderstood 9:32
15. Home 12:53
16. As I Am 7:47
--------------------------------
17. A Change Of Seasons 23:09

Festival Set (about 101 minutes, headlining set 132 minutes)
1. As I Am 7:47
2. This Dying Soul 11:27
3. The Enemy Inside / New Song /  Under A Glass Moon  6:17 / around the 6 or 7 min. mark / 7:03
4. Innocence Faded 5:42
5. Erotomania 6:44
6. Voices 9:53
7. These Walls 7:36
8. Behind The Veil 6:52
9. Wither 5:25
10. Home 12:53
11. Breaking All Illusions 12:25
12. The Bigger Picture (if headlining) 7:40
13. Take The Time 8:21
14. A Change Of Seasons (encore: if headlining) 23:09

I put in The Enemy Inside because I think the kinda 'have to' play it (commercial/record company wise). I'd rather see a new song or Under A Glass Moon though. To me this is a feisty little set, with lots of energy and enough gentle spots. Also, I'm really into Wither these days. A really good song, with nice hooks, good short guitar solo, an overall cohesive sound and very suitable for James voice. Hope they'll pull that one out. As well as Take The Time which I haven't heard live in a while. Cheers!

[Prog Snob]

I am basing my dream concert around the Dance of Eternity show from the Limelight back in 1993 with some changes here and there. That's one show I wish I had the pleasure of seeing.

I hope the guys drink their rock juice beforehand for this one!

Metropolis Part 1
Mission:Impossible Theme/Afterlife (instead of AFiL)
Voices
Under A Glass Moon
Surrounded
Instrumedley (instead of Ytsejam, new and improved)
To Live Forever
Take the Time
The Great Debate
Breaking All Illusions
Learning to Live

In The Presence of Enemies I & II
Keyboard solo/Lines in the Sand
A Crack in the Mirror/The Mirror/Lie
The Bigger Picture
Surrender To Reason
Another Hand/The Killing Hand
The Count of Tuscany
Amazing Grace/The Spirit Carries On
Finally Free

Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence

A Change of Seasons

Eve (outro)


Yeah it's about 5 hours.   

[CharlesPL]

My set for Summer tour

A little long.

1.Behind The Veil
2.Innocence Faded
3.Constant Motion
4.Through Her Eyes
5.New Song (7 min)
6.The Glass Prison
7.This Dying Soul
8.Wither
9.Take The Time
10.This Is the Life
11.Anna Lee
12.Octavarium (10th anniversary)
13.Another Hand/The Killing Hand

Encore:
14.A Change of Seasons (20th anniversary)

[dgeovdt]

I think my ideal DT setlist would be with Mike Portnoy. And to play many of the songs he wrote. A reunion tour to play. It would be one of my dreams come to life.
And the setlist would be something like this:
Set I: Twelve Step Suite
1. The Glass Prison
2. This Dying Soul
3. The Root of All Evil
4. Repentance
5. The Shattered Fortress
15 minutes intermission
Set II: Metropolis Pt.2: Scenes from a Memory
6. Scene One: Regression
7. Scene Two: I. Overture 1928
8. Scene Two: II. Strange Deja Vu
9. Scene Three: I. Through My Words
10. Scene Three: II. Fatal Tragedy
11. Scene Four: Beyond This Life
12. Scene Five: Through Her Eyes
13. Scene Six: Home
14. Scene Seven: I. The Dance of Eternity
15. Scene Seven: II. One Last Time
16. Scene Eight: The Spirit Carries On
17. Scene Nine: Finally Free
20 minutes intermission
Set III: The Golden Years
18. New Millenium
19. The Mirror
20. Take the Time
21. Only a Matter of Time
22. A Change of Seasons
Encore:
23. Learning to Live

[YtsePhish]

 
My ultimate DT concert:
Set 1:
Funeral For friend/love lies bleeding
Mirror >
Lie >
New millennium
War Inside > test
Endless Sacrifice
Count of Tuscany
Breaking al Illusions
No Quarter ( led zep!)

Set 2:
Acid Rain
Octavarium
Panic Attack
glass prison
change of seasons

Encore: overture, fly by night, strange deja vu, finally free

Encore II: Metropolis

[RaiseTheKnife]

To be perfectly honest, my ideal Dream Theater concert would be to have them invite me onto to the stage to play "Under a Glass Moon" on guitar with them.  Dream big, folks. 

[Progmetty]

Holy shit! My ideal DT concert to never have to sit through YtsePhish's ideal DT concert
It just goes to show how different DT fans could be.

[Max Kuehnau]

Mangini material only (apart from TA)