Monday, December 5th - Durham, NC (DPAC)

[TheOutlawXanadu]

Fellas, the dream has come true!

https://www.dpacnc.com/events/detail/dream-theater

Tickets appear to go on sale Friday. Who's planning on going?

[hefdaddy42]

Yo

I think at least one of my daughters will be coming with 

[vtgrad]

I'd say my wife and I will be there as well... 3-hours from the house means we'll sleep in our own bed that night!

[hefdaddy42]

I'd say my wife and I will be there as well... 3-hours from the house means we'll sleep in our own bed that night!

You know we have to have a meetup.  If memory serves, there are multiple eating establishments within walking distance of the DPAC.

[vtgrad]

I'd say my wife and I will be there as well... 3-hours from the house means we'll sleep in our own bed that night!

You know we have to have a meetup.  If memory serves, there are multiple eating establishments within walking distance of the DPAC.

Oh we'll do that for sure if we can make the show!  Once I know for certain I'll hit you up with a PM.

[hefdaddy42]

OK, I got my tickets - my daughters are coming with me! 

[bluehaze]

It looks like North Carolina was removed from the tour list on both Facebook and Dreamtheater.net

[TheOutlawXanadu]

Weird. Last I checked, it wasn't selling all that well, as about half the seats were available. I still see the show on the DPAC site, so I'm hoping it wasn't cancelled.

[bluehaze]

It looks like it is back on again according to their Facebook page tour dates. It disappeared for a few days.

[hefdaddy42]

If they cancel that show I will become ultra pissed.

[TAC]

If they cancel that show I will become ultra pissed.

You'll start posting madly as bluehef.

[bosk1]

If they cancel that show I will become ultra pissed.

You'll start posting madly as bluehef.

He already does.

[hefdaddy42]

If they cancel that show I will become ultra pissed.

You'll start posting madly as bluehef.

He already does.

I know.

[hefdaddy42]

I got an email from DPAC that the DT show was rescheduled from November 27th to December 5th.

I can live with that.

[hefdaddy42]

OK, so who all is going?

[sfam2112]

I shall be there.

[hefdaddy42]

Hey, guys!  I (in conjunction with Dream Theater USA) am helping to organize a meetup before the show at Bull City Burger & Brewery.  It's about a 5 minute walk from the DPAC.  The meetup is scheduled from 5pm-6:30pm.

Showtime is 7:30, and the doors to the venue open at 6:30, so the timing should be fine.  We would love to see you guys there!

[bosk1]

Hef, you may be occupied.  Please check PM and reply. 

[hefdaddy42]

Hef, you may be occupied.  Please check PM and reply. 

[hefdaddy42]

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the "official" meetup has been cancelled.  Sorry, anyone that may possibly have been interested.

But the show should still be awesome. 

[Nick]

Damn, too bad there were no unforeseen circumstances at my show!

[hefdaddy42]

Damn, too bad there were no unforeseen circumstances at my show!

*shrugs*

[faizoff]

I know this isn't the right thread but I just came back from the Clearwater show and I have to say I got very emotional at the end and almost broke into tears. I realized at the concert that I've been following this band for the last 25 years and seeing them just struck some emotional chord that made me feel all tingly inside. The concert was flawless and absolutely amazing. I'm seriously thinking of seeing them again tomorrow in Orlando after that performance because I assume they're not filming this tour for a video release which would be an absolute shame as that lighting was superb throughout.

[hefdaddy42]

Nice!  Great to hear!

[bosk1]

Faizoff, I'm still not counting out a video release.  I don't have any specific information one way or the other, but I do know that they had planned to do one, and I have not heard anything to the contrary, so I am hoping.

[faizoff]

I hope you're right bosk, just seems highly unlikely to me because I figure they'd have announced it already by now. And with them announcing the I&W dates for next year and JP stating that they're not going to be playing the whole album again it just doesn't seem like it will happen. But anyways I'm hoping otherwise too. I think I've come to a realization that I love this new album way more than I originally had.

[TheOutlawXanadu]

Only one more day! I am so excited! Looking forward to meeting a few fellow forumers and seeing a great show! It also looks like there's going to be a nice crowd on hand. Can't wait!

[hefdaddy42]

Only one more day! I am so excited! Looking forward to meeting a few fellow forumers and seeing a great show! It also looks like there's going to be a nice crowd on hand. Can't wait!

Looking forward to seeing you tonight!

[hefdaddy42]

Well, that was a hell of a show. 

Due to the generosity of bosk1 and band management, my girls and I received VIP preshow treatment, as well as after show passes.  Of course, that was a complete surprise for my girls.  I didn't tell them about any extras until we got to the show lol

Lining up for the preshow stuff was supposed to take place from 4:30-5.  So of course, as soon as I exited off the highway into downtown Durham, we hit a traffic jam.  It put me a few minutes behind my personal timeline, but even though I was a little pissed, that's why we had left a little earlier than we needed to.

Then, when we got to the venue area, right around 4:30, we were unable to park at the venue's parking deck, because it doesn't open for venue events until 5pm; during the day, it is used for area downtown business parking.  Also, no other parking right at the venue.  Shit.

We go a couple of streets up to another parking deck, and finally find a spot on the third level.  So, we aren't parking where I wanted, and due to traffic and parking, we aren't LATE, but just behind my personal schedule.

The delays were worth it, because as soon as we walked out of the ground floor of the parking deck, we run into Jordan Rudess.  He had just met his wife for a cup of tea and was walking back to the venue.  We struck up a conversation, and he asked me if I was going to the preshow events.  When I said "yes" he said, "OK, let's just walk over together."  Totally the nicest guy, and that's an experience you can't pay for.



So, we get into the venue, and meet Zippy, who works for the band.  She gives my girls and I swag bags and badges and puts us in line with the other VIP peeps.



Then came the preshow VIP photo ops and meet & greet.  No pics from that (not allowed to take any), but Zippy took all of the pics, and they will be made available later.

So, the minds of my daughters are completely blown, even before the start of the show.  Nice.

We get into the venue and get our seats.  Not too bad.  I got a quick pic before the phone police made me cut it out.



So, we have Act 1 of the show.  It was awesome, and loud as hell.  My girls are thunderstruck.  At intermission, I meet up with fellow forum member TheOutlawXanadu really quickly, and I gave him one of the extra after show passes I had received.



OK, so Act 2 of the show happens, and it is just as awesome as Act 1 (maybe even a little better - I am one of the few who like Act 2 better).  Then we have the three song encore, and that shit was off the hook.  You should have seen my girls and I totally headbanging during As I Am and Pull Me Under.  My girls were extremely exhausted after the show, and that's OK.

So, the aftershow.  I text another friend who had come to the show (and who, incidentally, had gone to the only other DT show I had ever attended with me - the SCORE show in NYC) to come down to my seat, and I would give him and his buddy some other goodies.  Of course, he was already outside by that time, and texted back that he was locked out.  I told him I was sorry, and we would hook up again some other time.

So, we get to the after show.  At first, JP was the only one out there, and he was very gracious and entertaining to the crowd.  The other members eventually came out, (one by one, they came), and were all, again, very gracious and pleasant, even though they were obviously tired.

Lo and behold, my friend who had been locked out shows up.  I said "How the hell did you get down here?"  He said he was able to talk a security guard into letting him back into the venue, and then, once inside, he told whomever he talked to MY NAME and they brought him to the aftershow.  No shit.  So I gave him the passes as a souvenir, and he got a really nice experience as well. 

So, some pics:











And here is a pic of my daughters smelling Mike Mangin's hair.  His idea, and I don't get it, but he's an eccentric dude.  Also, his hair smells like trees.



All in all, an incredible evening that my daughters and I will remember forever.  Thanks again to bosky, and to the band and their management for setting up this, well, ASTONISHING experience.

[WebRaider]

That's awesome Hef! Glad you all had such a nice experience! I'm so hoping to eventually get to see the guys. I've never seen them live and had to miss both shows in NC    (and they don't come here often). Great looking out Bosk1! Smiled big just reading and looking at the pics. 

[TheOutlawXanadu]

Great post Hef! Many thanks to you, Bosk, and anyone else involved for getting me a backstage pass as well. Like I mentioned yesterday, if someone had told me last month that I would spend a little time with Dream Theater at the show, I would have said they were crazy!

With regards to the show itself: It was absolutely, positively brilliant. I was fortunate enough to grab a great seat about 15 yards from the stage and had a perfect view of pretty much everything (except Jordan, who sometimes disappeared behind JMX ). While I thought the visuals were amazing when I saw them back in April at Radio City, I appreciated them even more last night. Everyone in the band was on fire. The crowd seemed totally in awe of what they were seeing. And I must say that, while I love The Astonishing, cutting out a few songs and then playing some classics was a great move. Everyone went completely bonkers when As I Am started.

Oh, and I'd be amiss if I didn't mention that the Durham Performing Arts Center was a great venue for the band. The sound was very good and every good seat was filled (there were some seats tucked away in the back corners that I don't think anyone wanted). I don't really know enough about how this stuff works to comment intelligently, but based on the awesome turnout, I am hopeful that they will come back to NC one day.

Thanks DT for a terrific, unforgettable show!

[bosk1]

Great post Hef! Many thanks to you, Bosk, and anyone else involved for getting me a backstage pass as well.

Funny thing about that.  JP texted me right afterward and said that he met some guy from the forum who was really seasoned.  I think you need to change your custom title now.

[Shadow2222]

Wow, jealous of that after-show experience. Years ago I contributed $500 to Jordan's orchestral album on PledgeMusic to receive two aftershow passes, and it ended up just being John and Jordan, and while Jordan was super nice, John never got the opportunity to meet with us as he was talking to a friend of a friend that was there for the whole time.

It ended up being quite underwhelming and was the first time I ever regretted a DT-related purchase (especially now seeing others get a much better experience for free  ).

[Mladen]

Those are some amazing write-ups. Great to read all of it. Kudos, guys. 

[Chino]

Great post Hef! Many thanks to you, Bosk, and anyone else involved for getting me a backstage pass as well.

Funny thing about that.  JP texted me right afterward and said that he met some guy from the forum who was really seasoned.  I think you need to change your custom title now.

My apologies if this has been asked before, but why/how do you have JP's number?