New DT Tour dates

[cramx3]

I think these are great choices. Fitting the requirement of relatively shorter songs that are popular and good (and ones they already know with MM), they're probably the three I'd have picked too.

Agreed. If I personally could pick songs to fit that encore, I'd pick different songs, but that's not the point. The point is to try to draw a crowd, put butts in seats, those will probably do that to a degree.

Exactly, if you wanted to see different songs from DT then TA is a whole show of different and new songs.  This encore is what the show should of always had, a few of the classics for the casual fan to enjoy and new fans who wanted to see some of the older stuff.  It's perfect if you ask me even if it's not songs I particularly care to see live since I've seen them all a bunch.  (Actually PMU I haven't seen many times at all, maybe only once which is weird).

[Ben_Jamin]

You know I wouldn't mind seeing PMU and As I AM again. But then adding TSCO makes me excited.

[Mladen]

They gave in. 

It's not a big deal nor much of a compromise, though. Having a three-song encore is still better than not playing all of The Astonishing and mixing in the old songs with SOME new ones. And it doesn't take away from the experience, being that they already did 90% of the shows the way they initially intended it - the overall message came across long ago. I wouldn't mind if this was the way a show I attended went down, but I'd still be surprised if this sealed the deal for some fans that were on the fence until now.

[RaiseTheKnife]

They gave in. 

It's not a big deal nor much of a compromise, though. Having a three-song encore is still better than not playing all of The Astonishing and mixing in the old songs with SOME new ones. And it doesn't take away from the experience, being that they already did 90% of the shows the way they initially intended it - the overall message came across long ago. I wouldn't mind if this was the way a show I attended went down, but I'd still be surprised if this sealed the deal for some fans that were on the fence until now.

Sweetens my purchase for Anaheim, but will not compel me to buy tix for Temecula.  Unless encore choice improves.

[cramx3]

From MM's FB:

Seems like the crowd reaaaally likes hearing our adjusted set/new encore of oldies the last couple of shows. They will stay in!

[Mr. Ister]

I have to say, the dumbest part about Sunday's show was them forcing in an "encore moment" with 2 tracks left on the 2nd disc of The Astonishing.  We know you're going to finish the album, so finish the damn album.  Why even pretend?  Get on with it!

[El Barto]

I have to say, the dumbest part about Sunday's show was them forcing in an "encore moment" with 2 tracks left on the 2nd disc of The Astonishing.  We know you're going to finish the album, so finish the damn album.  Why even pretend?  Get on with it!

That's always silly. Long ago Tool sat on the stage during their fake encore moment. They spent about 3 minutes sitting on DC's riser. Every once in a while one of them would go over and kick the guitar a little to keep the feedback going. One of them held up a lighter. Then they got back to work.

[BlobVanDam]

I have to say, the dumbest part about Sunday's show was them forcing in an "encore moment" with 2 tracks left on the 2nd disc of The Astonishing.  We know you're going to finish the album, so finish the damn album.  Why even pretend?  Get on with it!

When they started the tour, it was all part of the second set, but the crowd was anticipating an encore when that was it, so DT quickly altered it to make the end of the album the encore to make that clear.
Now that they're including a real encore of additional tracks, I don't think it makes much sense for them to continue with that. Just make the extra songs the encore after finishing off TA.

[El Barto]

I have to say, the dumbest part about Sunday's show was them forcing in an "encore moment" with 2 tracks left on the 2nd disc of The Astonishing.  We know you're going to finish the album, so finish the damn album.  Why even pretend?  Get on with it!

When they started the tour, it was all part of the second set, but the crowd was anticipating an encore when that was it, so DT quickly altered it to make the end of the album the encore to make that clear.
Now that they're including a real encore of additional tracks, I don't think it makes much sense for them to continue with that. Just make the extra songs the encore after finishing off TA.

Chrsit, was Portnoy the only one with a clue how concerts work? I didn't realize they were keeping TA as an encore, before the extra songs. That's just dumb. I really can't figure out how so many examples of ineptitude are popping up around a band of such immense talent.

[KevShmev]

Huh?  Mr. Ister was referring to the St Louis show where only the last two songs from TA were the encore; they didn't add the three older songs until the next night in KC.

[BlobVanDam]

My bad. I got confused because the setlist I've seen for the more recent shows still listed the last two tracks of The Astonishing as an encore, and the extra tracks as a different encore. Is that the case, or is it yet another example of those sites being horribly wrong?

[Mr. Ister]

Yeah I was talking about St. Louis - the last show with no extra songs.

[BlobVanDam]

Yeah, I didn't realize you were commenting on a show just before the change. The first half of my post is still relevant there, just disregard the rest.

[KevShmev]

As much as I would have love to have gotten those extra three songs as an encore, I would have been slightly disappointed to not get The X Aspect, The Road to Revolution (that chorus was the air drum moment I was most looking forward to live ) and Heaven's Cove, so I am glad we got all of TA before this change.

[cramx3]

As much as I would have love to have gotten those extra three songs as an encore, I would have been slightly disappointed to not get The X Aspect, The Road to Revolution (that chorus was the air drum moment I was most looking forward to live ) and Heaven's Cove, so I am glad we got all of TA before this change.

Yea definitely.  I'd be so bummed without those songs and also so confused.

[Ben_Jamin]

t

I have to say, the dumbest part about Sunday's show was them forcing in an "encore moment" with 2 tracks left on the 2nd disc of The Astonishing.  We know you're going to finish the album, so finish the damn album.  Why even pretend?  Get on with it!

When they started the tour, it was all part of the second set, but the crowd was anticipating an encore when that was it, so DT quickly altered it to make the end of the album the encore to make that clear.
Now that they're including a real encore of additional tracks, I don't think it makes much sense for them to continue with that. Just make the extra songs the encore after finishing off TA.

I blame the lame concert "encore" of the fact that people expected that "encore" after, even though the Bill stated The Astonishing, so why did people expect an encore if they knew their wasn't going to be one.

By having no encore and leaving after it was done, it's how a show should be.

[rumborak]

Chrsit, was Portnoy the only one with a clue how concerts work? I didn't realize they were keeping TA as an encore, before the extra songs. That's just dumb. I really can't figure out how so many examples of ineptitude are popping up around a band of such immense talent.

As a more general comment, I feel overall since the departure of MP DT have become quite disconnected from their fans. There've been numerous occasions where I feel that, had DT a better idea about their fanbase, they would not have done a certain thing.

[El Barto]

The setlists still show a separate encore for TA, before the old song encore. That really makes no sense.

Chrsit, was Portnoy the only one with a clue how concerts work? I didn't realize they were keeping TA as an encore, before the extra songs. That's just dumb. I really can't figure out how so many examples of ineptitude are popping up around a band of such immense talent.

As a more general comment, I feel overall since the departure of MP DT have become quite disconnected from their fans. There've been numerous occasions where I feel that, had DT a better idea about their fanbase, they would not have done a certain thing.

I have a different take. I think MP was the only real music fan. I doubt the other guys were going to see KISS back in the 70's. I doubt they're going to see Motley Crue or Ghost nowadays. MP knows how concerts should be. The other guys only know how they think they should be, and they're often very wrong. I understand why the moved TA to the encore originally, and it actually wasn't a bad approach. Leaving it that way after a proper encore was added just jumps out at me like an amateurish oversight.

[KevShmev]

I don't think that's fair to say that Portnoy was the only real music fan.  Petrucci and Rudess have always both struck me as massive music fans as well, and JLB has often spoke of his influences as a singer and bands he likes.  It's possible that Portnoy is a bigger music fan than those guys (although good luck figuring out an accurate way of measuring that), but to say they aren't real music fans? Seems unfair.

[Ben_Jamin]

Mike Portnoy had a fan mindset, meaning he did things he as a fan would like to see.

[rumborak]

I think "fan mindset" is the right phrase. The other guys obviously like music just as much, but MP wanted to recreate the live experience he remembered from concerts of his favorite bands, so he put a lot of emphasis on that,, both live and online. There's no question MP could play to click, but I think that was one of those lines he didn't want to cross. Backing tracks probably too.

[YtseJamittaja]

Yeah, I agree that MP had that fan mindset which others doesn't. Live music should play without click track, maybe a bit faster than the original, it's live and it should sound different than the studio version. Those extended jams were quite of MP thing too I think and those were amazing. I hope that even though the video show and lightings are programmed to sync with music, they should left room for extended solos or sections and improvising. Unexpectedness is the best thing at concerts.

[Ben_Jamin]

I think "fan mindset" is the right phrase. The other guys obviously like music just as much, but MP wanted to recreate the live experience he remembered from concerts of his favorite bands, so he put a lot of emphasis on that,, both live and online. There's no question MP could play to click, but I think that was one of those lines he didn't want to cross. Backing tracks probably too.

He did play with Backing tracks though, Prophets of War his vocals were triggered. Which I though was an odd decision as those background vocals would've been cool. J just think he couldn't Do it constantly

[El Barto]

I still think there's a difference between

Mike Portnoy had a fan mindset, meaning he did things he as a fan would like to see.

This is a good way to put it. At the same time, MP still strikes me as the guy who'll got to see Sabbath, or crank up Master of Puppets in his car. None of the others really do. I think this is important, as he's the sort of guy who'd list 5 different ways of approaching what JP wants to do here with TA and why they work.

And it occurs to me that he has a similar approach to Quentin Tarantino in this regard. He also does his thing from the perspective of a true fan.

[Prog Snob]

I think these are great choices. Fitting the requirement of relatively shorter songs that are popular and good (and ones they already know with MM), they're probably the three I'd have picked too.

No complaints here. Sure, they could have picked others that would be just as good, but two of the three songs are regulars in their setlists. AIA is a bit of a surprise since it has been rarely played outside of the ToT  tour.

[JayOctavarium]

They also played IAI on the Maiden tour, as wasnt it rotation during the Dramatic Tour of Events?

[Prog Snob]

Yes. It has been played quite a bit more than I thought.

[El Barto]

Occurs to me that I might be the only one here (yet) that's seen the thing with and without the encore. This is definitely the better way to go. I didn't miss the songs that got whacked, and it improved the pacing of TA. Moreover, the added songs were a huge change from the show that they had been doing. Something that hadn't occurred to me going in was the different styles of lighting. TA is very frenetic with lots of strobes and movement. Even the slower songs have plenty of movement largely over a very bright base. Once they got to the non-TA material the show became more old-school. Lots of wash over a darker background. Moodier. It was a pretty stark change from the previous hour and a half. Add to that a much livelier crowd.

Oh, and the setlist (at least JLB's) was a cheat-sheet for the count-ins.

5 Better Life Cowbell 1 2 3 As Fearless Leader
6 Lord Nef Cowbell 1 2 3 4 How the Rumours

[Ben_Jamin]

I'm on my to Tucson. Gonna be great to finally see TSCO live.

[cramx3]

I'm on my to Tucson. Gonna be great to finally see TSCO live.

enjoy!

[RaiseTheKnife]

Dream Theater's Facebook page is still advertising the remaining shows as "The Astonishing" in its entirety, but it is my understanding that they lopped off two songs.  Just when I was really digging JP's univibe tone on "Road to Revolution."

[Ben_Jamin]

Me too..I love that song.

[Ben_Jamin]

I'm on my to Tucson. Gonna be great to finally see TSCO live.

enjoy!

I will enjoy it all.

[Chino]

Dream Theater's Facebook page is still advertising the remaining shows as "The Astonishing" in its entirety, but it is my understanding that they lopped off two songs.  Just when I was really digging JP's univibe tone on "Road to Revolution."

Wait, what? They cut out tracks?

[BelichickFan]

Dream Theater's Facebook page is still advertising the remaining shows as "The Astonishing" in its entirety, but it is my understanding that they lopped off two songs.  Just when I was really digging JP's univibe tone on "Road to Revolution."

Wait, what? They cut out tracks?

Yes, I think it's Road to Revolution, Heaven's Cove and Begin Again.