Two More Anniversaries Coming Up in 2017...!...

[chaossystem]

The year 2017 will see the 20th anniversary of Falling Into Infinity and the 15th for Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence. I think they should both be commemorated in a big way. I have some ideas, and I'm, sure I'm not the only one. But maybe some of you think they should let it pass WITHOUT making a big fuss over it. Either way any comments or suggestions are always welcome, so what have you got?

[Darkstarshades]

Not being a big fan of FII I wouldn't have them play it, but hey, these are my tastes and I know a lot of people love it.
Now, for 6DOIT, I would be satisfied with TGP or TGD

[CharlesPL]

IaW 25th !!!

[KevShmev]

Nah.  At this rate, there is an anniversary of something every year, and it's best to save such things for the landmark records.

[chaossystem]

IaW 25th !!!

Yeah...

...and I ALSO forgot that it will be the TENTH anniversary of Systematic Chaos!!

[Randaran]

And the fifth aniversary of ... the year between BCASL and ADTOE!

These anniversaries are really getting out of hand. As mentioned earlier, almost every year is %5=0 years since some album's release. I really hope that DT does not do much to "celebrate" these in the future. I was fine with the Awake and SFAM anniversaries on the Along for the Ride tour, even though they took up almost half of the setlist. That is fine as a one-time thing, but not if it happens every tour. I would much rather have the band play songs from throughout its career than restrict itself to songs from a few specific albums to celebrate an arbitrary anniversary.

[TheCountOfNYC]

I think celebrating the 25th anniversary of Images and Words and/or the 15th anniversary of Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence would be awesome. Since they celebrated half of their big four albums on the last tour, it makes sense to celebrate the other half when that time comes around. The only other album I would like to see them celebrate is Octavarium, but that's just because I want a higher possibility of hearing Panic Attack and the title track live.

[chaossystem]

And the fifth aniversary of ... the year between BCASL and ADTOE!

These anniversaries are really getting out of hand. As mentioned earlier, almost every year is %5=0 years since some album's release. I really hope that DT does not do much to "celebrate" these in the future. I was fine with the Awake and SFAM anniversaries on the Along for the Ride tour, even though they took up almost half of the setlist. That is fine as a one-time thing, but not if it happens every tour. I would much rather have the band play songs from throughout its career than restrict itself to songs from a few specific albums to celebrate an arbitrary anniversary.

This is another really good example of how you can't please everybody: on the one hand you have the people who wish they would play at least one song from every album, which I usually agree with. But on the other hand there are people who think doing something like that is too "forced" and doesn't sound as good because it doesn't leave room for the songs that THEY think should be played instead.

If they were to do a tour, or at least some shows where they commemorate all FOUR of those albums at the same time, it would still make for a good variety of music. I don't think it's something anyone would get bored with.

[KevShmev]

This isn't an "either or" situation.  They don't need to continue celebrating arbitrary anniversaries, and they don't have to always play something from every studio album.

[chaossystem]

I should have titled this thread "The Great Debate!"

[Randaran]

My post was unclear. I am fine with DT playing a song or two to celebrate an anniversary. I just do not want it to be a major focus of the setlist in the future.

[jingle.boy]

Nah.  At this rate, there is an anniversary of something every year, and it's best to save such things for the landmark records.

Nah.  At this rate, there is an anniversary of something every year, and it's best to save such things for the landmark records.

I think the 'anniversary' thing was just a way to construct those Awake/SFAM songs into the last tour.  They tour every 2-3 years, and have always made albums every 2-3 years - ergo there will always be an 'anniversary' of some sorts everytime they tour.  Time to drop that expectation - theirs and ours.

[BlobVanDam]

The last tour's setlist really suffered for the anniversary thing imo, and I think it's run its course.
I'd love any excuse for them to actually play a lot of the SDOIT songs, but I don't think 15th anniversary is really a thing. They should play them anyway just because, same with FII.

[Setlist Scotty]

Nah.  At this rate, there is an anniversary of something every year, and it's best to save such things for the landmark records.

I think the 'anniversary' thing was just a way to construct those Awake/SFAM songs into the last tour.  They tour every 2-3 years, and have always made albums every 2-3 years - ergo there will always be an 'anniversary' of some sorts everytime they tour.  Time to drop that expectation - theirs and ours.

Yeah - every once in a while, celebrating an anniversary, especially when significant is worthwhile. But when it seems to be happening on a very regular basis, it takes away from what is supposed to make anniversaries special (which is what I think is happening with the recent Yes tours where they're playing 2 or 3 albums in their entirety per tour). Maybe in 2022, if the band is still around, it would be worth highlighting IaW and SDoIT. I wouldn't include FII considering all the problems they dealt with on that album.

[?]

JP said he'd like to play the whole title "song" of Six Degrees again some day, so who knows if they'll dig it up for the anniversary? I'm not a huge fan of it myself, but it would be a cool thing for those who love it. I can't see them doing anything special related to FII or SC though, as those two albums aren't nearly as popular as the big 4, and focusing heavily on anniversary sets just reeks of nostalgia anyway.

[Dublagent66]

So, now every album needs it's own anniversary.  Let's have a potluck!   

[RoeDent]

2017 is 18 months away yet! I'm sure these ideas don't need 18 months of planning.

[Octavarious]

Breaking News
2016 is a no-aniversary year. And it's going to be the year of a world tour.
Apart from new songs, and a handful of "never played before" from DT 12, all the rest of the "evening with" 3-hours-or-so setlist is still free for them in terms of oldies but glodies to insert in setlist...

[Darkstarshades]

They should play ONE notorious song from the album whose anniversary is and there you go, problem solved.

6DOIT: The Glass Prison/TGD alternate
Falling Into Infinity: Lines in the Sand or Anna Lee, dunno
Images and Words: Take the Time or Wait for Sleep and Learning to Live played together.

There you go.

[Setlist Scotty]

They should play ONE notorious song from the album whose anniversary is and there you go, problem solved.

Doesn't really sound like much of an anniversary celebration to be honest. That sounds like picking some rarely played or "notorious" song and including it in the setlist. Not really different from any other occasion where they've done such a thing.

Breaking News
2016 is a no-aniversary year.

Wrong! It's the 30th anniversary of the Majesty demo tape. So that obviously means for the second set they'll play the whole Majesty demo, complete with extended solos by JM and JL!!!!!!!   

[CharlesPL]

5th ADToE also

[erwinrafael]

I am ok with the anniversary commemorations as long as it doea not go below 15th anniv. My impression when they did Awake and SFAM is that they want to honor their previous work is a special way with Mangini while they are still near peak forn in terms of live playing.

[chaossystem]

I didn't think there would be so many negative responses to this idea. I thought more people would want something like this. Especially after the way so many people have raved about how much they love When Dream and Day Reunite, and how great and wonderful most of you thought the second set of the Along for the Ride tour was.

-It seems that the word "arbitrary" got thrown around a lot, like I just pulled the numbers for these anniversary years out of my ass. The idea was to commemorate anniversaries only if they are divisible by five, starting with the album being at least ten years old. And let's not forget that the band celebrated the 15th anniversaries of BOTH of their first two albums by playing them in their entirety. I think they should have done it on the 10th and/or 20th anniversaries instead.

-I don't really have a "big four" best or favorite DT albums. I think there are strengths and weaknesses in ALL of them. So to say that only the "big 4" can be commemorated on any given anniversary is just as wrong as saying that EVERY album MUST be commemorated on it's 5TH anniversary, which is what some of you are at least implying that I am saying.

-I agree with Blob that the "Ride" set-list left a lot to be desired, and could have been a lot better. They should have picked a few songs each from Awake, SfaM, and WDaDU, since it 2014 was it's 25th anniversary as well, and mixed up the order instead of shoving the whole thing down our throats all at once. I would have kept Space-Dye Vest and Scarred, and maybe added a couple of other songs such as Voices and Innocence Faded, instead of ALL of the rest of "Side Two." As for SFaM, Did we REALLY need BOTH of the instrumentals from SAME album in the SAME encore? There are SO many ways they could have done the "SFaM 15th" better! Songs like Home, Fatal Tragedy and/or Beyond This Life, One Last Time, etc. You get the idea.

[Rodni Demental]

Nah.  At this rate, there is an anniversary of something every year, and it's best to save such things for the landmark records.

SUre, there's always an anniversary if you want to look for a connection. But 20 years is more of a landmark and probably a fair amount of time to pass for it to be worth acknowledging certain albums. It wouldn't at all surprise me if FII gets a similar sort of recognition this time with possibly Six Degrees in a similar way to how SFAM complimented the Awake Anniversary. Although maybe that's the problem if it seems too predictable..? Still, anniversaries seem like as good an excuse as any to get Mangini versions of some of the more obscure or unlikely songs to get played.

In any case, I think I follow why a lot of people don't want Anniversaries to be a stardard for set building. But personally I don't really care what the method is. I don't have much expectation for what songs will be at a DT show because there's so many possibilities. Having the chance to see one of your favourite albums being played live might be one of the coolest experiences you could have going to a live show. But of course if you're not a fan of the album, it's not going to be as exciting. I think Anniversaries are a great way to bring variety to the sets if anything, or at least be used as a framework to allow for certain songs that might not have otherwise had a chance to be played, and I think that works pretty well for a live band with as much history as Dream Theater.

And the fifth aniversary of ... the year between BCASL and ADTOE!

These anniversaries are really getting out of hand. As mentioned earlier, almost every year is %5=0 years since some album's release. I really hope that DT does not do much to "celebrate" these in the future. I was fine with the Awake and SFAM anniversaries on the Along for the Ride tour, even though they took up almost half of the setlist. That is fine as a one-time thing, but not if it happens every tour. I would much rather have the band play songs from throughout its career than restrict itself to songs from a few specific albums to celebrate an arbitrary anniversary.

This is another really good example of how you can't please everybody: on the one hand you have the people who wish they would play at least one song from every album, which I usually agree with. But on the other hand there are people who think doing something like that is too "forced" and doesn't sound as good because it doesn't leave room for the songs that THEY think should be played instead.

If they were to do a tour, or at least some shows where they commemorate all FOUR of those albums at the same time, it would still make for a good variety of music. I don't think it's something anyone would get bored with.

Exactly, the expectation of having a certain type of variety doesn't have to be exclusive to using anniversary dates to cycle material.

I like variety in shows and I also like being surprised by some of the anniversary recognition. I dunno, so long as it doesn't feel like it's becoming too predictable, they should still consider anniversary dates IMO.   

They should play ONE notorious song from the album whose anniversary is and there you go, problem solved.

6DOIT: The Glass Prison/TGD alternate
Falling Into Infinity: Lines in the Sand or Anna Lee, dunno
Images and Words: Take the Time or Wait for Sleep and Learning to Live played together.

There you go.

Yeah, there you go indeed. It doesn't have to be that complicated or use much setlist space.

Doesn't really sound like much of an anniversary celebration to be honest.

True, but that's the point, it's not so much a celebration that takes up the whole set, but rather a reference or recognition to something that hasn't been heard in a while but deserves to be played. I suppose if a song is in this position they could just play it anyway, but self referencing and nuggetz and anniversry dates syncing up to commemorate certain albums sounds like the DT I know.

[hefdaddy42]

Breaking News
2016 is a no-aniversary year. And it's going to be the year of a world tour.

This.

Doesn't matter what albums have anniversaries in 2017.  There is a good chance they won't be touring in 2017 at all, or possibly will simply be touring an extension of the 2016 world tour.

[Stadler]

I don't know; count me in on those that think the whole notion of "anniversaries" of every little thing cheapen the general notion.   We can basically find an anniversary for everything.

[chaossystem]

Before I was reminded that I&W and SC have anniversaries in the same year, my original idea was for a show that would be about 1/3 songs from FII, about 1/3 from 6Doit, and the remaining third would be "newer," or from the rest of the post-2000 albums.

Maybe something like this:

Set One:
1) Burning My Soul
2) The Great Debate
3) Repentance
4) Sacrificed Sons
5) New Millennium
6) Solitary Shell/
7) About to Crash (Reprise)/
8) Losing Time/Grand Finale
9) Just Let Me Breathe
10) As I Am

~~~Intermission~~~

Set Two:
1) Peruvian Skies
2) Lost Not Forgotten
3) Hell's Kitchen
4) Blind Faith
5) Hollow Years
6) A Rite of Passage
7) Lines in the Sand
8) The Glass Prison
9) The Enemy Inside

Encore: (If it's too long, any of the first three songs could be removed)
1) Innocence Faded
2) Status Seeker
3) One Last Time
4) Take the Time

Now I am aware of the fact that if they did anything even remotely resembling my idea, it wouldn't be until the second leg of the next tour. I am also aware that they might put out another live release from the first leg featuring songs from the new album, and that the second leg would probably have to include most or all of the new songs that they don't play on the first leg, so even if they DID do this, the set would have to be adjusted accordingly.

[RaiseTheKnife]

Folks, let's just enjoy the 30th anniversary of the band while its upon us.

[chaossystem]

I doubt if anyone is even going to read this, but I'm bored, so I'm posting it anyway.

My second idea incorporates the 25th anniversary of Images and Words as well, so it's about 1/4 each of I&W, FII, and 6DoiT, with the remaining fourth being "newer" songs.

Set One:
1) Burning My Soul
2) Take the Time
3) Blind Faith
4) Constant Motion
5) Just Let Me Breathe
6) Learning to Live (The reason I put TtT and LtL in the show early is because the band hasn't played either of them for a while, so a lot of people will be eager to hear them.)
7) A Rite of Passage
8) New Millennium
9) The Glass Prison

~~~~Intermission~~~~

Set Two:
1) Under a Glass Moon
2) Hollow Years
3) About to Crash/
4) War Inside My Head/
5) The Test That Stumped Them All
6) Lost Not Forgotten
7) Hell's Kitchen
8) Another Day
9) Solitary Shell
10) Lines in the Sand
11) Pull Me Under (I know this song has been done to death, but since it's an anniversary show, I think a lot of people would be expecting-even DEMANDING-that they play it!)
12) The Enemy Inside
(I left out Metropolis because they're playing it on the current tour, and Trial of Tears because they played it on the last one.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Encore:
1) Status Seeker
2) Innocence Faded
3) As I Am

[JiM-Xtreme]

Anniversaries are kind of cool and yes, it's nice when they are acknowledged by the band, but the setlists/tour should not revolve around them.

Unless, perhaps if it's a one-off performance of an album in it's entirety à la WD&DR...

[chaossystem]

Well, I don't think my idea is THAT bad, because it still has a pretty good variety of DT's music. But on the other hand, maybe they just do at least ONE of MY ideas as a "one-off!"

[Train of Naught]

It seems a bit odd that they'd play three 6DOIT songs in the right order, then skip Goodnight Kiss and play three random songs before moving on with Solitary Shell IMO. And my opinion on anniversaries, I'd like to see some attention for rarely played 6DOIT songs like TGP and TGD, but I think the setlist could use some more variety for such a long one.

[chaossystem]

I put the songs that fit the time-frame I was going for. The Glass Prison IS in there. I think the way I arranged the second set would sound pretty good, and hopefully not everyone would disagree with me. Besides, it is kind of similar to what they did on LaB, with WIMH/TTTSTA in the first set, and GK/SS in the second.

So how would you make it more varied?

[KevShmev]

I don't know, but if DT wants to lose the crowd, playing Status Seeker in the encore is sure to do it.

Innocence Faded is a poor choice for an encore song as well. 

Lastly, As I Am is more of a set opener/first encore song, than set closer or show closer.

Your selection of songs overall is mostly good, but the running order is not.  Do some serious rearranging and that could be a mostly great set list (chuck Constant Motion into an abyss somewhere).

[chaossystem]

The idea for the encore was to have songs that weren't from any of those three albums, but also aren't from the last few albums either.

They DID play As I Am as set-closer in a few shows on the Octavarium tour.

I'm sure I'm not the ONLY one who likes Constant Motion.