Recent live material

[YtseJamittaja]

What makes LSFNY special:
- Alternative endings of Another Day, Through Her Eyes
- Acid Rain
- Caught In A New Millenium

What makes L@B special:
- Beyond This Life jam
- Hollow Years jam
- Instrumedley

Two examples of awesome live show where you hear some unexpected jams or alternative versions. Why they don't do this anymore... I have to say I was a bit disappointed in the summer tour when they only played single songs and those were really similar to studio versions. BTFW has zero jams or alternative versions which makes it a bit boring live release. Is anybody with me?

[Train of Naught]

I would probably not be a Dream Theater fan if I didn't like the studio versions, so no, I don't think playing the songs by the book makes it boring, while I do miss things like the Beyond This Life jam and such (though I'm thinking that might've been a Portnoy-driven thing).

[pcs90]

I would probably not be a Dream Theater if I didn't like the studio versions, so no, I don't think playing the songs by the book makes it boring, while I do miss things like the Beyond This Life jam and such (though I'm thinking that might've been a Portnoy-driven thing).

Not sure if the jams were necessarily only portnoy-driven. There's the extended part to Metropolis, the intro to TSCO, and JR and MM's solos on Luna Park, and on the DT12 tour they did make a new intro to Trial of Tears...it just wasn't played on the DVD. It started in South America and was played several times after.

[Jinx]

Also an extended ending to TROAE on the Luna Park release

[SjundeInseglet]

Well, they did play an extented (and very cool) intro to "Trial of Tears" on the Along For The Ride tour that kept growing and growing throughout the tour. Here's an example of one of the kind of extended improvisation they did on that tour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDiiOKa2pGY

They extended the intro to "The Spirit Carries On" quite dramatically too on the previous tour. Here's an example of that right here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwwMsTpZUfA

So, they still improvise on stage every now and again. The criticism that they've gotten boring (as if they're just going through the motions) on stage is just something I can't understand no matter how hard I try... the live shows I've seen with MM on board were some of the best DT shows I've seen.

[RaiseTheKnife]

Pardon me, but they played with a full friggin' choir! and orchestra.   Opine on the execution of that if you must, but you can't claim they didn't contemplate something special for that DVD.

[ToT-147]

[Dream Theater - Trial of Tears (Live Argentina 2014)] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDiiOKa2pGY

Best night of my life!   

[KevShmev]

What makes LSFNY special:
- Alternative endings of Another Day, Through Her Eyes
- Acid Rain
- Caught In A New Millenium

Three of those four things were so special that they didn't even make it on to the live DVD.

What makes L@B special:
- Beyond This Life jam
- Hollow Years jam
- Instrumedley

The BTL jam is awesome. but the Instrumedley is a mess.

What Hollow Years "jam" are you talking about?  The new guitar solo is a solo, not a jam.

[ToT-147]

the Instrumedley is a mess.

A glorious mess..

[YtseJamittaja]

What Hollow Years "jam" are you talking about?  The new guitar solo is a solo, not a jam.

Well yeah but it's really different version overall from solo to end and the very last outro is a bit like jam, and the long guitar solo is like honey 

[TAC]

The Live At Budokan Hollow Years extended solo turns a Bottom 15 track into a Top 15 track for me.

[JediKnight1969]

[Dream Theater - Trial of Tears (Live Argentina 2014)] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDiiOKa2pGY

Best night of my life!   

I was there too!   

[nattmorker]

the Instrumedley is a mess.

A glorious mess..

I agree! After all, this is the song that introduced me to DT. I totally loved since the first time.

[TheCountOfNYC]

the Instrumedley is a mess.

A glorious mess..

I agree! After all, this is the song that introduced me to DT. I totally loved since the first time.

I usually don't like medleys, but the Instrumedley is amazing.

[TAC]

I used the Instrumedley a number of times to introduce people to DT.

[Robo4900]

BTFW has zero jams or alternative versions which makes it a bit boring live release. Is anybody with me?

Space-Dye Vest would like a word with you.

[TAC]

One of my favorite guitar solos. Ever.

[YtseJamittaja]

BTFW has zero jams or alternative versions which makes it a bit boring live release. Is anybody with me?

Space-Dye Vest would like a word with you.

Oh, I forgot, that is definitely the highlight of the show!

[Enigmachine]

BTFW has zero jams or alternative versions which makes it a bit boring live release. Is anybody with me?

Space-Dye Vest would like a word with you.

Oh, I forgot, that is definitely the highlight of the show!

There is also the drum solo in EM and the extended improv at the beginning of ToT, so there is still some extra stuff.

[Moor]

I am in love with that extended version of Surrounded [2007] in which there are parts of Marillion. Awesome !

[AboutToCrash]

There's a full concert video of them playing in Chile I think during the Octavarium tour, and Rudess plays twinkle twinkle in the middle of the endless sacrifice break, that was AWESOME. Also during the same show LaBrie sung this during as I am;

"To the devil I demand
Eat my ass and balls"

Haha, what a show!

[lucasembarbosa]

Jesus Christ... The new intro of Trial of Tears knocked me out in their last show in São Paulo! I really wish they have put it in the BTFW show, or at least use this idea somewhere on the new album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ey3tIypNSfE


(A little question... Is it possible to embed YouTube videos here on the forum? It would simplify a lot our lives)

[BlobVanDam]

(A little question... Is it possible to embed YouTube videos here on the forum? It would simplify a lot our lives)

Nope.

[Pettor]

Jesus Christ... The new intro of Trial of Tears knocked me out in their last show in São Paulo! I really wish they have put it in the BTFW show, or at least use this idea somewhere on the new album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ey3tIypNSfE

Wow, that was reaaally amazing

I always loved the jams or alternative version Dream Theater make, but they are extras. I don't feel BTFW lacks this somehow. They have enough cool / unique things on that release already. However some of the most awesome stuff Dream Theater have done live are the jams / alternative versions. Petrucci manages do deliver just mindblowing solos every now and then. Like this Lines In The Sand version:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h06YLQ0c6NY

[ToT-147]

There's a full concert video of them playing in Chile I think during the Octavarium tour, and Rudess plays twinkle twinkle in the middle of the endless sacrifice break, that was AWESOME. Also during the same show LaBrie sung this during as I am;

"To the devil I demand
Eat my ass and balls"

Haha, what a show!

Yeah, they did that also on A Sort of Homecoming live album, didn't they?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWD8Us5qSqQ 

There you have a compilation of funny live stuff like that..

[The Paddies]

[Dream Theater - Trial of Tears (Live Argentina 2014)] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDiiOKa2pGY

Best night of my life!   

I was there too!   

Thank you for the link! This is stellar stuff! I hope they do a lot of this melodic stuff on The Astonishing as well.

[MHStrawn]

What makes LSFNY special:
- Alternative endings of Another Day, Through Her Eyes
- Acid Rain
- Caught In A New Millenium

What makes L@B special:
- Beyond This Life jam
- Hollow Years jam
- Instrumedley

Two examples of awesome live show where you hear some unexpected jams or alternative versions. Why they don't do this anymore... I have to say I was a bit disappointed in the summer tour when they only played single songs and those were really similar to studio versions. BTFW has zero jams or alternative versions which makes it a bit boring live release. Is anybody with me?

I am COMPLETELY with you!  The six alternative / extended pieces you mention are IMO the BEST parts of those live albums.  I LOVE when the band gets away from strict live interpretations of their studio stuff.  It's one reason I haven't bothered with BTFW. 

[MHStrawn]

I am in love with that extended version of Surrounded [2007] in which there are parts of Marillion. Awesome !

I love that version too. 

I also like when the band seamlessly sneaks in material they've stolen looked to for inspiration for their songs, like:

1.  The Metallica riff in Peruvian Skies on OIALT
2.  The Xanadu guitar work opening Trial of Tears, also on OIALT
4.  The Freebird guitar solo bit included in Take the Time....ALSO from OIALT
3.  The Sugar Mice bit included on Surrounded from CiM.

I'm sure there are a lot of others I haven't heard....but always think that's cool. 

[Moor]

a little bit off topic... but never saw this Instrumedley version before!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3XFbiF32D4

OMG I miss him 

[MHStrawn]

That is amazingly awesome!  I sometimes think that Instrumedley better captures the essence of DT than anything else.  I know there's no lyrics but honestly, the thing that truly distinguishes DT from others are those mindbending instrumental sections. 

[hefdaddy42]

Instrumedley is awesome. 

[pdurbin22]

I do see what you mean. Most tours have had something you could only get in a live setting, or on a live release, and once Mangini joined that seemed to die down. While I do miss that spontaneity a bit, the production only gets better on each tour which does kind of make up for it.

[cramx3]

The instrumedley is a thing a beauty, I too have also shown that to friends. 

It is true that DT have not totally stopped doing special live jams/changes to songs, but they are minimal compared to how they used to be.  I will add myself to the list of people who wish there were more, but DT has added a lot to their live show in terms of lighting/video so there is a positive as well.

[pcs90]

It is true that DT have not totally stopped doing special live jams/changes to songs, but they are minimal compared to how they used to be.

Yep. I'm hoping that the Trial of Tears intro that they added late into the last tour is a sign that more of these are to come. Of all of the additions they've played since 2011 I'd say that was the most varied from night to night.