HEY DT! Remeber North America?

[As I Am]

It's been a while, and they'll now be doing two Euro tours in a row (when TA tour begins), and just wondering when they'll be getting around to getting back to North America. I KNOW they are MUCH more popular overseas and basically can only play small theaters in the US nowadays, but hey, we're fans too

[TAC]

Pretty sure they are coming right after the Euro tour. There was recently a link to a bass player magazine that stated that NA dates would be announced very soon.

[mike099]

The southeast and Texas must be on the list this time around.

[Nick]

soon.

[Setlist Scotty]

The southeast and Texas must be on the list this time around.

I hate to say it, but I wouldn't bank on it given their tour history. But for those living in those areas, I hope I'm wrong!

[mike099]

The southeast and Texas must be on the list this time around.

I hate to say it, but I wouldn't bank on it given their tour history. But for those living in those areas, I hope I'm wrong!

DT was in Atlanta, Florida and Texas for the ADTOE tour, but not for the DT album tour.  5 years is a long time to wait. 

[As I Am]

The southeast and Texas must be on the list this time around.

I hate to say it, but I wouldn't bank on it given their tour history. But for those living in those areas, I hope I'm wrong!

I've NEVER understood DT's touring itinerary in North America. I see so many "lesser" bands (popularity wise) playing all over the states, while DT constantly skips over areas (even those that are pretty huge markets for rock n roll). I just don't get it, never did. It never has affected me, but I really feel bad for those people who didn't get to experience a real DT "evening with" show (especially in the days when MP was still in the band).

[noxon]

The tour is t set up by the band - it is a spesific tour management company and promoters that do. If dt doesn't come to an area it's usually because nobody were willing to hire them or that it logistically didn't make sense

[As I Am]

I know how booking tours work, I just wonder if sometimes DT "prices themselves out" of certain markets.

[mike099]

I know how booking tours work, I just wonder if sometimes DT "prices themselves out" of certain markets.

After paying rush and fleet wood Mac prices I should be able to get great tickets in Atlanta  assuming Atlanta is on the tour.

[Setlist Scotty]

I think there's a couple factors at play regarding where they play their shows. The biggest one is the self-imposed limitation that they put on themselves not to be away from home for more than roughly 5 weeks at a time. Were they to remove that restriction, I'd bet that they could more easily play a lot more of the US and Canada for that matter. Maybe now with most of their kids being in college or nearing the end of their high school years, perhaps that will happen. Then again, maybe not (see Endless Sacrifice lyrics). But with this restriction, I'd imagine that they want to get as much bang for their buck as possible.

So it's not just a matter of individual cities and whether the promoters are willing to front the money the band requires, as I'm sure promoters in at least 1 or 2 Texan cities and Atlanta probably would be happy to bring DT to their town. Really, it's about planning a tour to wind thru the US and Canada so that they only have a limited number of days off (which the guys do need, especially JL), play as many shows as possible that are going to reap the biggest rewards and limit the travel/transportation expenses as much as possible. So I'd bet that's the reason why DT typically plays the SW coast, makes their way east up thru the midwest and ends their tour on the E/NE coast, and why the NW and SE parts of the US are more likely to be skipped.

[TAC]

Too bad they couldn't do TWO 5 week legs. One on the eastern side of the country and one on the western side.  Maybe I'm ignorant, but I believe that if it was important enough to someone in the band or management, they would say to the booking company to make a (insert random neglected city) date happen.

[cramx3]

Is there any data (like attendance) to suggest that maybe they just don't have enough fans in those areas? 

I find that hard to believe, but that is the only reason I can think of them consistently skipping the same spots.  Logistics can be a legitimate excuse on a tour by tour basis, but if its consistent then I doubt it's logistics.

[Setlist Scotty]

Too bad they couldn't do TWO 5 week legs. One on the eastern side of the country and one on the western side.  Maybe I'm ignorant, but I believe that if it was important enough to someone in the band or management, they would say to the booking company to make a (insert random neglected city) date happen.

I kinda brought that up to MP years ago, because in Europe, they might do something along those lines - where they do a tour for roughly 4 weeks, take 10 days off (heading back to the US/Canada) and then do another 4 weeks. But MP said that it's not cost effective for them to try to do something like that in North America, because they have to keep the crew on retainer, store the equipment, etc. So apparently, in Europe they're able to command a high enough payment (no doubt because of larger crowds) to make it cost-effective to do there, but since the crowds in North America are smaller, it's doesn't work out financially for them to do the same thing.

edit: Just looked up the interview, and here's what MP said, as well as some other financial info regarding bills with multiple bands (such as ProgNation)

SH: Very cool. With the self imposed limitations the band put on being on the road for no more than 4 or 5 weeks at a time, and with many cities in North America being regularly passed over, has there ever been any consideration to extending the North American leg of the tour and then splitting it apart with a week or two break in the middle.

MP: Like we did in Europe? Yeah, we have talked about and considered it, but there's so many factors. And in this case, financially it's very expensive to put a 10-day hole in the middle of a tour, where you have crew guys that you need to put on retainer, you have trucks and busses and lights and audio and video that are just gonna sit in a truck for 10 days. And those are 10 days that you're not playing shows and making money, so realistically, yeah it looks great on paper, but if you were to talk to our manager, he could tell you why financially it would be impossible. So at this point, we gotta do the best we can to hit all the markets, and if we can't get to them on one leg, then we try to get to them on the next leg.

SH: Gotcha. In the last interview I read in the New Voice fanzine, you had mentioned wanting to make ProgNation a 5-band festival bill, and yet both the North American and European tours feature 4 bands.

MP: Once again, it's another – mainly financial – logistical nightmare. At the start of this tour, in all the meetings I had with our booking agent, I was pushing for a 5-band thing that would start at 3 in the afternoon. And once again, there's just so many behind the scenes reasons why those things are so much harder to implement than they appear on paper. Adding a fifth band on this tour is another bus, another 10 people you have to feed each day at catering – we pay for all the catering. Then there's all the union fees – that means that load-in is gonna have to be that much earlier, the local hands at every show... It just gets harder and harder and harder, the more bands you have on the bill. There's a million reasons why it is difficult. And believe me, my agent and my manager were trying to make Progressive Nation 3 bands. I put my foot down and said it's gotta be at least four. I mean the Queensrÿche show in Maryland was a one-off example, but it's a very big expense to do a tour like that. To be honest with you, this is the first tour in a very long time where we're not making money – we're breaking even. In addition to ticket sales being really light this summer – for every tour – which surely hurt us, we're paying Zappa a lot of money and all of the other bands and the catering, the union fees and blah blah blah. At the end of the day, it would be way more financially feasible to do an evening with tour and just pocket the money ourselves. But to me, I want to offer something more to the fans. And I know that's a debate – I know a lot of people would prefer an evening with – it would make more sense for it to be an evening with, but those 3 hour shows are tough on us.

[TAC]

Too bad they couldn't do TWO 5 week legs. One on the eastern side of the country and one on the western side.  Maybe I'm ignorant, but I believe that if it was important enough to someone in the band or management, they would say to the booking company to make a (insert random neglected city) date happen.

I kinda brought that up to MP years ago, because in Europe, they might do something along those lines - where they do a tour for roughly 4 weeks, take 10 days off (heading back to the US/Canada) and then do another 4 weeks. But MP said that it's not cost effective for them to try to do something like that in North America, because they have to keep the crew on retainer, store the equipment, etc. So apparently, in Europe they're able to command a high enough payment (no doubt because of larger crowds) to make it cost-effective to do there, but since the crowds in North America are smaller, it's doesn't work out financially for them to do the same thing.

Right Scotty, I do indeed remember that was the reason.

[cramx3]

Good stuff Scotty.  Those details on the logistics are cool to know about. 

[As I Am]

It's been a while, and they'll now be doing two Euro tours in a row (when TA tour begins), and just wondering when they'll be getting around to getting back to North America. I KNOW they are MUCH more popular overseas and basically can only play small theaters in the US nowadays, but hey, we're fans too

It's certainly nice, when I ask and they deliver

If it's that easy, PLEASE let Mike Portnoy back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bluehaze]

The southeast and Texas must be on the list this time around.

I hate to say it, but I wouldn't bank on it given their tour history. But for those living in those areas, I hope I'm wrong!

Disappointed once again that South Florida is not on this tour as of yet...It looks like the same venues as last time...I give up.

[bluehaze]

The southeast and Texas must be on the list this time around.

I want Dream Theater to address this. So far, they refuse to acknowledge our disappointment in the South.

[Chino]

US dates are up!!

https://www.dreamtheater.net/tour

[cramx3]

US dates are up!!

https://www.dreamtheater.net/tour

YES RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL ON SATURDAY!!!!! 

[lonestar]

Wow, they're skipping San Francisco?? I do hope more dates are being added, they've never skipped us before.

[cramx3]

It doesn't look like a normal full tour so hopefully for everyone else that is just the first announcement of dates.

[Setlist Scotty]

Wow, they're skipping San Francisco?? I do hope more dates are being added, they've never skipped us before.

There's definitely some holes in the schedule as it appears now, that I'm pretty sure will get filled. I'd imagine that either San Francisco or San Jose will get a show, either a show in Milwaukee or in Ohio, and probably a show in Phoenix, Vegas and/or Salt Lake City. Beyond that is anybody's guess, but I don't think any more shows will be added at the beginning or end of the schedule - if there are, probably only one or two. And unfortunately for Bluehaze and our other south/southeast friends, it looks like they've gotten the shaft yet again.

[lonestar]

Yeah, there's some holes around that LA date, and the usual place they play here, The Warfeild, seems to fit the bill for what they're looking for in a venue for this tour. Please announce soon guys....

[jingle.boy]

Wow!  Bell Centre in Mtl!?!?  Impressive.

Saturday night in Toronto!  Wahoo!

[TJPNET]

I'd imagine that either San Francisco or San Jose will get a show, either a show in Milwaukee or in Ohio, and probably a show in Phoenix, Vegas and/or Salt Lake City.

As someone from Salt Lake, I hope you're right. We had a packed theater during the ADToE tour, but got ignored for DT12.

[dtrocker25]

So disappointed if they dont hit Texas again..its been too long ..I feel like they could fill enough seats in the venue they have played at before in Grand  Prairie.
Fingers crossed but i doubt it will happen.

[bluehaze]

Wow, they're skipping San Francisco?? I do hope more dates are being added, they've never skipped us before.

There's definitely some holes in the schedule as it appears now, that I'm pretty sure will get filled. I'd imagine that either San Francisco or San Jose will get a show, either a show in Milwaukee or in Ohio, and probably a show in Phoenix, Vegas and/or Salt Lake City. Beyond that is anybody's guess, but I don't think any more shows will be added at the beginning or end of the schedule - if there are, probably only one or two. And unfortunately for Bluehaze and our other south/southeast friends, it looks like they've gotten the shaft yet again.

Thanks for understanding Scotty. Peace.

[Anguyen92]

Hmmm, the Wiltern Theater on a Saturday?  I may consider this one.  Hopefully, tickets are going to be around like the $40-$50 range for the cheap seats.

[Podaar]

I'd imagine that either San Francisco or San Jose will get a show, either a show in Milwaukee or in Ohio, and probably a show in Phoenix, Vegas and/or Salt Lake City.

As someone from Salt Lake, I hope you're right. We had a packed theater during the ADToE tour, but got ignored for DT12.

Abravanel Hall would be perfect for this show!

[Lark the Starless]

Anybody know the presale password for the LA show? Can't wait to purchase tickets.

[TJPNET]

I'd imagine that either San Francisco or San Jose will get a show, either a show in Milwaukee or in Ohio, and probably a show in Phoenix, Vegas and/or Salt Lake City.

As someone from Salt Lake, I hope you're right. We had a packed theater during the ADToE tour, but got ignored for DT12.

Abravanel Hall would be perfect for this show!

That would be good. Kingsbury made a great venue for them the last time as well.