Those New Tour Songs!

[rickhawk80]

For me, the Jaco cover was a wonderful spotlight for Myung during the Wichita show.    Loved it!!  I thought all of the solos were well done this time.  Mangini ran on a bit for me, but then again I'm a guitarist and bassist, not a drummer.   

[SjundeInseglet]

No sarcasm, never heard of him.

He was great, and probably the biggest example of "troubled genius" you'll ever find. He played with Weather Report and released a few solo albums. Geddy is also a fan, and Robert Trujillo sponsored a documentary about him which is a nice watch, although a bit sad. I think you can find it on YouTube.

He also had a fruitful collaboration with Joni Mitchell that yielded some of Joni's most compelling (and forward-thinking) albums. He is also featured on Pat Metheny's solo debut for ECM, "Bright Size Life" and played with John McLaughlin in the Trio of Doom sessions. Jaco is a legend and arguably one of the most important electric bass players that have ever picked up the instrument.

[Cool Chris]

Never heard of Weather Report. Not sure why you would name your band after the most boring part of the TV newscast. Heard of the other people though, except thought John McLaughlin was that old guy who hosted that political round table show.

[rickhawk80]

Never heard of Weather Report. Not sure why you would name your band after the most boring part of the TV newscast. Heard of the other people though, except thought John McLaughlin was that old guy who hosted that political round table show.

  You need to get out more!   

[The Walrus]

They played To Live Forever in Peoria last night.

AMAZING setlist this tour!!

[ToT-147]

I'm glad JP finally brought it out. I've mentioned it to him in the past as one of the few songs to never have been played.

I think all that leaves now is Raw Dog.

I do believe theres two more thats never been performed live: Best of Times and Surrender to Reason.

... and False Awakening Suite..

[Madman Shepherd]

Holy crap guys...10th time seeing Dream Theater last night and I have to say this was probably the 2nd best show of theirs I have seen (1st leg of Dramatic Tour of Events tops it).  I actually wasn't excited for the show hardly at all.  I mainly went because it was the closest they have ever played.  My fandom had waned thanks to The Astonishing.  I still respected the band but that album was just not for me at all.  This show, however, epitomizes what I love about Dream Theater so I am back to being psyched for their next album.  Sucks we will have to wait two years for it. 

A few thoughts:

They may have a static setlist but it didn't feel static at all.  There were a bunch of spots where it seemed like they improvised.  Who knows?  Maybe those spots were meticulously rehearsed but it felt somewhat spontaneous.  They played I&W in order but had a few spots where they deviated from the song.  It worked awesomely.  My one complaint about the When Dream and Day Reunite show was that they did everything exactly as it was on the album EXCEPT The Killing Hand.  I think you either need to switch it up alot or not at all. DT did it just enough to where it was very interesting and unpredictable but not so much that you'll be pissed off if you just went to hear the album. 

It seems like at the age of 54, LaBrie's voice is finally giving him fits that all aging vocalist experience.  Even Alice Cooper who is not known for doing challenging vocal music needs to tune down and make some changes to his style.  There were a few songs where James noticeably struggled and didn't sound great and then it was followed up by a song where he just fucking nails it!  Because he can't hit some of the notes he did a lot of improvising which at times sounded odd and then other times worked well.  Any complaints I have about his performance was made up by his stage presence.  Lots of banter and interaction with the band members and the audience.  He was fun as hell to watch. 

When introducing John Myung, James said something along the lines of what a great guy he is, etc.  Then he said, "Let me tell ya, if you sit down and talk with this guy....you leave the discussion and your mind is all fucked up."  John cracked a small smile while the audience's reaction ranged from confusion to hysterical laughter. 

Later John Petrucci took the mic and spoke in his youtube "pycho exercises" voice and James and him shared a story about Kevin Moore getting a speeding ticket in Montana.

Near the beginning of the show Jordan actually took the mic and James said something along the lines of "making history tonight" and I thought Jordan was going to sing.  No, he just asked the audience, "How many people here are actually from Peoria?"  A few hands shot up and he responded, "Okay.  1%" and then took his spot back at the keyboards.

Lastly I will say this.  If anybody still doubts Mangini's place in the band, last night proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is *the* drummer of Dream Theater.  You couldn't have seen his performance and said he doesn't play with feel or he isn't a blast to watch.  He and Jordan had a weird exchange where Mike started pointing his stick at Jordan and Jordan slowly crouched down behind his keyboard stand.  Jordan then came back up, moved over by the drum set and played keyboards while messing adding some additional cymbal work.

All in all they played more like a band than at any other time I have seen them in the last 17 years.  Do not miss this tour. 

[MirrorMask]

Nice read Madman! I too had a very pleasant experience seeing them, it all seemed fresh and exciting. 5 awesome musicians having a blast together 

[The Walrus]

The line about Myung had me laughing all night 

[fadetoblackdude7]

Myung actually spoke at the Chicago show. When introducing the Jaco cover, James was listing some of Myung's influences and he was like "What else, John?" And gave the mic to him and he just said "It's all on Wikipedia" lol

[gzarruk]

Holy crap guys...10th time seeing Dream Theater last night and I have to say this was probably the 2nd best show of theirs I have seen (1st leg of Dramatic Tour of Events tops it).  I actually wasn't excited for the show hardly at all.  I mainly went because it was the closest they have ever played.  My fandom had waned thanks to The Astonishing.  I still respected the band but that album was just not for me at all.  This show, however, epitomizes what I love about Dream Theater so I am back to being psyched for their next album.  Sucks we will have to wait two years for it. 

A few thoughts:

They may have a static setlist but it didn't feel static at all.  There were a bunch of spots where it seemed like they improvised.  Who knows?  Maybe those spots were meticulously rehearsed but it felt somewhat spontaneous.  They played I&W in order but had a few spots where they deviated from the song.  It worked awesomely.  My one complaint about the When Dream and Day Reunite show was that they did everything exactly as it was on the album EXCEPT The Killing Hand.  I think you either need to switch it up alot or not at all. DT did it just enough to where it was very interesting and unpredictable but not so much that you'll be pissed off if you just went to hear the album. 

It seems like at the age of 54, LaBrie's voice is finally giving him fits that all aging vocalist experience.  Even Alice Cooper who is not known for doing challenging vocal music needs to tune down and make some changes to his style.  There were a few songs where James noticeably struggled and didn't sound great and then it was followed up by a song where he just fucking nails it!  Because he can't hit some of the notes he did a lot of improvising which at times sounded odd and then other times worked well.  Any complaints I have about his performance was made up by his stage presence.  Lots of banter and interaction with the band members and the audience.  He was fun as hell to watch. 

When introducing John Myung, James said something along the lines of what a great guy he is, etc.  Then he said, "Let me tell ya, if you sit down and talk with this guy....you leave the discussion and your mind is all fucked up."  John cracked a small smile while the audience's reaction ranged from confusion to hysterical laughter. 

Later John Petrucci took the mic and spoke in his youtube "pycho exercises" voice and James and him shared a story about Kevin Moore getting a speeding ticket in Montana.

Near the beginning of the show Jordan actually took the mic and James said something along the lines of "making history tonight" and I thought Jordan was going to sing.  No, he just asked the audience, "How many people here are actually from Peoria?"  A few hands shot up and he responded, "Okay.  1%" and then took his spot back at the keyboards.

Lastly I will say this.  If anybody still doubts Mangini's place in the band, last night proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is *the* drummer of Dream Theater.  You couldn't have seen his performance and said he doesn't play with feel or he isn't a blast to watch.  He and Jordan had a weird exchange where Mike started pointing his stick at Jordan and Jordan slowly crouched down behind his keyboard stand.  Jordan then came back up, moved over by the drum set and played keyboards while messing adding some additional cymbal work.

All in all they played more like a band than at any other time I have seen them in the last 17 years.  Do not miss this tour.

What an unreal experience that must've been!

Myung actually spoke at the Chicago show. When introducing the Jaco cover, James was listing some of Myung's influences and he was like "What else, John?" And gave the mic to him and he just said "It's all on Wikipedia" lol

[Mladen]

Hilarious stuff. 

[ToT-147]

Myung actually spoke at the Chicago show. When introducing the Jaco cover, James was listing some of Myung's influences and he was like "What else, John?" And gave the mic to him and he just said "It's all on Wikipedia" lol

[bill1971]

Holy crap guys...10th time seeing Dream Theater last night and I have to say this was probably the 2nd best show of theirs I have seen (1st leg of Dramatic Tour of Events tops it).  I actually wasn't excited for the show hardly at all.  I mainly went because it was the closest they have ever played.  My fandom had waned thanks to The Astonishing.  I still respected the band but that album was just not for me at all.  This show, however, epitomizes what I love about Dream Theater so I am back to being psyched for their next album.  Sucks we will have to wait two years for it. 

A few thoughts:

They may have a static setlist but it didn't feel static at all.  There were a bunch of spots where it seemed like they improvised.  Who knows?  Maybe those spots were meticulously rehearsed but it felt somewhat spontaneous.  They played I&W in order but had a few spots where they deviated from the song.  It worked awesomely.  My one complaint about the When Dream and Day Reunite show was that they did everything exactly as it was on the album EXCEPT The Killing Hand.  I think you either need to switch it up alot or not at all. DT did it just enough to where it was very interesting and unpredictable but not so much that you'll be pissed off if you just went to hear the album. 

It seems like at the age of 54, LaBrie's voice is finally giving him fits that all aging vocalist experience.  Even Alice Cooper who is not known for doing challenging vocal music needs to tune down and make some changes to his style.  There were a few songs where James noticeably struggled and didn't sound great and then it was followed up by a song where he just fucking nails it!  Because he can't hit some of the notes he did a lot of improvising which at times sounded odd and then other times worked well.  Any complaints I have about his performance was made up by his stage presence.  Lots of banter and interaction with the band members and the audience.  He was fun as hell to watch. 

When introducing John Myung, James said something along the lines of what a great guy he is, etc.  Then he said, "Let me tell ya, if you sit down and talk with this guy....you leave the discussion and your mind is all fucked up."  John cracked a small smile while the audience's reaction ranged from confusion to hysterical laughter. 

Later John Petrucci took the mic and spoke in his youtube "pycho exercises" voice and James and him shared a story about Kevin Moore getting a speeding ticket in Montana.

Near the beginning of the show Jordan actually took the mic and James said something along the lines of "making history tonight" and I thought Jordan was going to sing.  No, he just asked the audience, "How many people here are actually from Peoria?"  A few hands shot up and he responded, "Okay.  1%" and then took his spot back at the keyboards.

Lastly I will say this.  If anybody still doubts Mangini's place in the band, last night proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is *the* drummer of Dream Theater.  You couldn't have seen his performance and said he doesn't play with feel or he isn't a blast to watch.  He and Jordan had a weird exchange where Mike started pointing his stick at Jordan and Jordan slowly crouched down behind his keyboard stand.  Jordan then came back up, moved over by the drum set and played keyboards while messing adding some additional cymbal work.

All in all they played more like a band than at any other time I have seen them in the last 17 years.  Do not miss this tour.

James should have said Jordan what you doing? Jordan should have said Making History and you?

[Madman Shepherd]

Holy crap guys...10th time seeing Dream Theater last night and I have to say this was probably the 2nd best show of theirs I have seen (1st leg of Dramatic Tour of Events tops it).  I actually wasn't excited for the show hardly at all.  I mainly went because it was the closest they have ever played.  My fandom had waned thanks to The Astonishing.  I still respected the band but that album was just not for me at all.  This show, however, epitomizes what I love about Dream Theater so I am back to being psyched for their next album.  Sucks we will have to wait two years for it. 

A few thoughts:

They may have a static setlist but it didn't feel static at all.  There were a bunch of spots where it seemed like they improvised.  Who knows?  Maybe those spots were meticulously rehearsed but it felt somewhat spontaneous.  They played I&W in order but had a few spots where they deviated from the song.  It worked awesomely.  My one complaint about the When Dream and Day Reunite show was that they did everything exactly as it was on the album EXCEPT The Killing Hand.  I think you either need to switch it up alot or not at all. DT did it just enough to where it was very interesting and unpredictable but not so much that you'll be pissed off if you just went to hear the album. 

It seems like at the age of 54, LaBrie's voice is finally giving him fits that all aging vocalist experience.  Even Alice Cooper who is not known for doing challenging vocal music needs to tune down and make some changes to his style.  There were a few songs where James noticeably struggled and didn't sound great and then it was followed up by a song where he just fucking nails it!  Because he can't hit some of the notes he did a lot of improvising which at times sounded odd and then other times worked well.  Any complaints I have about his performance was made up by his stage presence.  Lots of banter and interaction with the band members and the audience.  He was fun as hell to watch. 

When introducing John Myung, James said something along the lines of what a great guy he is, etc.  Then he said, "Let me tell ya, if you sit down and talk with this guy....you leave the discussion and your mind is all fucked up."  John cracked a small smile while the audience's reaction ranged from confusion to hysterical laughter. 

Later John Petrucci took the mic and spoke in his youtube "pycho exercises" voice and James and him shared a story about Kevin Moore getting a speeding ticket in Montana.

Near the beginning of the show Jordan actually took the mic and James said something along the lines of "making history tonight" and I thought Jordan was going to sing.  No, he just asked the audience, "How many people here are actually from Peoria?"  A few hands shot up and he responded, "Okay.  1%" and then took his spot back at the keyboards.

Lastly I will say this.  If anybody still doubts Mangini's place in the band, last night proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is *the* drummer of Dream Theater.  You couldn't have seen his performance and said he doesn't play with feel or he isn't a blast to watch.  He and Jordan had a weird exchange where Mike started pointing his stick at Jordan and Jordan slowly crouched down behind his keyboard stand.  Jordan then came back up, moved over by the drum set and played keyboards while messing adding some additional cymbal work.

All in all they played more like a band than at any other time I have seen them in the last 17 years.  Do not miss this tour.

James should have said Jordan what you doing? Jordan should have said Making History and you?

Oh man, missed opportunity. 

btw, Jordan did the Zen Riffer solo thing but it was an ipad instead of the keytar thing.  My friend and I started chanting, "i-pad, i-pad!!"

[pg1067]

A couple more random thoughts:

Am I the only person who thinks JM's bass tone is TERRIBLE?  It worked well on Portrait of Tracy, but it renders everything else he plays garbled and incomprehensible.  Maybe it was just where I sat (balcony at the Wiltern Theatre), but I couldn't pick him out at all except for a couple spots in Take the Time and UAGM.  His tapping solo in Metropolis was a distorted mess.  To be honest, I thought the live mix was not very good.  The drums were WAY too loud, so everything else had to be loud to match, and I assume that's why JM used the heavily distorted tone.  Otherwise he'd be inaudible, but I'm not sure which is worse.  Other bands have no problem mixing all the instruments so that the bass is clearly heard.  Rush and Iron Maiden come immediately to mind.

James's adjustments -- especially in the older songs with more challenging high parts were a bit hit or miss.  You'd think this would be well rehearsed, but it seems like there were a few places where he "winged" it depending on how he felt that night.  I think as they move forward over the next several years, he'll get better at this, and I don't mind the adjustments if they're well thought out and well executed.  James did, however, do a remarkably good job with the high F# in learning to Live.

The story about Kevin Moore getting the speeding ticket in Montana seems to be part of James's regular banter, but several of the other things mentioned by Madman Shepherd were different than from the show I saw.  James's banter has always seemed a bit awkward, but that's not why I love DT.

Finally, count me among those who HATED the rotating set lists.  I think it was on the Prog Nation 2008 tour that I had seen a set list from an earlier show, only to be very disappointed with the set list at the show I attended.  Of course, in fairness, part of the reason I was disappointed with that show was because the set was so short.

[Madman Shepherd]

I think the bass tone might have just been where you were sitting. Sounded good to me in the 6th row. 

I love LaBrie's awkward stage banter.  Very Canadian sense of humor.  He also introduced one song by saying, "This next one is called Moonshine...over....the great.....ummm, Moonshine Over the Great Lakes.  Is that what its called?"  Or something like that. 

Just some goofy, dry humor...my favorite kind. 

[gzarruk]

I don't think Myung's tone is terrible, but I've never been a fan of the Music Man bass sound, so I don't like it either. I think his tone was much better around FII/SFAM/SDOIT era, where he used the first version of his Yamaha signature bass.

[pcs90]

I don't think Myung's tone is terrible, but I've never been a fan of the Music Man bass sound, so I don't like it either. I think his tone was much better around FII/SFAM/SDOIT era, where he used the first version of his Yamaha signature bass.

Agreed, his earlier tones were much better.

[pg1067]

I think the bass tone might have just been where you were sitting. Sounded good to me in the 6th row.

I suppose that's possible.  Things have changed significantly over time, and I have sat everywhere from front row to the balcony, but I don't recall ever seeing a live rendition of Metropolis Part 1 where JM's solo was both sufficiently loud and not overly distorted.  This goes all the way back to the first DT show I saw at a little club where I stood no more than 20 feet from JM and could see his hands on the fretboard but could barely hear what he was playing.  I likewise agree that his earlier tones were better and were best when he was using the Yamaha, which I have one of (albeit not the signature model) and LOVE it.

I also enjoy James's banter, and it seems there was a bit more "storytelling" this time, which makes sense given the nature of the tour.

[The Walrus]

I loved Myung's bass sound on Images & Words... There have been a lot of other songs throughout their career that I've noticed the bass sounds great, but that's the only record where I actively enjoy seeking out the bass line. Tasty stuff.

[pg1067]

I loved Myung's bass sound on Images & Words... There have been a lot of other songs throughout their career that I've noticed the bass sounds great, but that's the only record where I actively enjoy seeking out the bass line. Tasty stuff.

For sure.  On the albums the sound is great, although occasionally buried in the mix.  I remember being surprised at that first show to see how active he was because a lot of what he's playing is buried.

[Herrick]

It seems like at the age of 54, LaBrie's voice is finally giving him fits that all aging vocalist experience.  Even Alice Cooper who is not known for doing challenging vocal music needs to tune down and make some changes to his style.  There were a few songs where James noticeably struggled and didn't sound great and then it was followed up by a song where he just fucking nails it!  Because he can't hit some of the notes he did a lot of improvising which at times sounded odd and then other times worked well.  Any complaints I have about his performance was made up by his stage presence.  Lots of banter and interaction with the band members and the audience.  He was fun as hell to watch. 

Next week, I'll be seeing them for the first time. I don't know why I waited 16 years to see them. I've watched a lot of live stuff online throughout the years including this current tour. LaBrie has had problems for a long time now. I don't know why he never worked out some permanent alterations to the challenging vocal stuff.

I'm betting I'll be too excited up and intoxicated to notice any struggling vocals though.

[Madman Shepherd]

When your voice is so delicate it can be temperamental from day to day. I mean I get what you're saying but also I think it really just is a matter of one night being able to hit certain notes and another night thinking he can't do it so he improvises on the spot. To be honest it was a little entertaining trying to figure out how he was going to change it up. Ronnie James Dio used to drive me nuts by doing that. This was my 10th time seeing Dream Theater so it actually made it a little bit more entertaining. I mean I saw James before where he nailed every single song and every single note but he also hardly had any interaction with the crowd. I mean I think we know why that changed six years ago. So anyway I've got the best of both worlds. I've seen him when he Nails it but has little interaction and I seen it where he struggles and has a ton of interaction and better stage presence. Of course I would prefer the sweet spot in the middle. I think that's where he was on the dramatic turn of events tour and the along for the ride tour. Actually those were a little bit better than the middle. Some decent interaction and nailed almost every song with minor adjustments.

[erwinrafael]

I loved Myung's bass sound on Images & Words... There have been a lot of other songs throughout their career that I've noticed the bass sounds great, but that's the only record where I actively enjoy seeking out the bass line. Tasty stuff.

Really? Falling Into Infinity is Myung's best album.

[gzarruk]

I loved Myung's bass sound on Images & Words... There have been a lot of other songs throughout their career that I've noticed the bass sounds great, but that's the only record where I actively enjoy seeking out the bass line. Tasty stuff.

Really? Falling Into Infinity is Myung's best album.

I don't disagree with that, his tone and mix on FII were excellent!

[The Walrus]

I like what he did (and what the bass sounds like) on songs like Take the Time though. Nothing else like it in DT's repertoire. 

[bosk1]

When introducing John Myung, James said something along the lines of what a great guy he is, etc.  Then he said, "Let me tell ya, if you sit down and talk with this guy....you leave the discussion and your mind is all fucked up."  John cracked a small smile while the audience's reaction ranged from confusion to hysterical laughter. 

Later John Petrucci took the mic and spoke in his youtube "pycho exercises" voice and James and him shared a story about Kevin Moore getting a speeding ticket in Montana.

I know you didn't mean it this way, but reading your post, I almost got the impression that after James' attempt at humor got mixed results, JP snatched the mic from him and starting doing his own thing. 

Regarding the posts about Myung's tone, I can sympathize.  I haven't been vocal about it, but I have had problems with it for the longest time now.  I thought he had fantastic tone through Six Degrees.  Then when they went for super heavy on TOT, I noticed a huge demarcation there from what had set him apart.  It wasn't everywhere on that album.  But that was the start.  And it seemed like the garbled, over-distorted tone became more over-distorted and more ubiquitous with almost every album after that.  It's a shame because he still always delivers some really great playing.  But a lot of times, it is difficult to discern because it isn't nearly as clean as his playing was in the past. 

Lastly I will say this.  If anybody still doubts Mangini's place in the band, last night proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is *the* drummer of Dream Theater.  You couldn't have seen his performance and said he doesn't play with feel or he isn't a blast to watch.

Yeah, I have felt that ever since seeing them on the ADTOE tour.  I saw them twice that tour, once on the AFTR tour, and twice on the TA tour, and that has been reinforced every time.  I only wish the mix was better on the studio albums.  Listening to the Sons of Apollo album, I am AGAIN reminded that, while the drums being so upfront may be offputting to some, Portnoy really has a great feel for how to make his drums sound HUGE on tape and to provide so much clarity that you can hear every subtle little hit on every piece of the kit.  The drum mix hasn't been the same since Portnoy left, and I find that to be a downer.

[pcs90]

Agreed about Portnoy's drum sound and mix. Mangini's playing style but with Portnoy's kit  and recording quality would be a winner!

[gzarruk]

I think Mangini's kick drums sound better than Portnoy's, though. MP's tend to get lost in the mix, specially when he plays fast.

[Evai]

The drums just need to be turned up a bit, Portnoy would've sounded weak too, if he'd been mixed as quiet as MM

[Madman Shepherd]

When introducing John Myung, James said something along the lines of what a great guy he is, etc.  Then he said, "Let me tell ya, if you sit down and talk with this guy....you leave the discussion and your mind is all fucked up."  John cracked a small smile while the audience's reaction ranged from confusion to hysterical laughter. 

Later John Petrucci took the mic and spoke in his youtube "pycho exercises" voice and James and him shared a story about Kevin Moore getting a speeding ticket in Montana.

I know you didn't mean it this way, but reading your post, I almost got the impression that after James' attempt at humor got mixed results, JP snatched the mic from him and starting doing his own thing. 

haha, no.  JP interupted James during the Kevin Moore speeding ticket story.  That does remind me of a time a few years ago where James was talking and John sort of ominously walked up to him and James stopped what he was saying and said, "Uh oh, am I about to be pummeled?"  John and him exchanged a few words and James said, "No you say it" so John said, "How 'bout dem Bears?"

Lastly I will say this.  If anybody still doubts Mangini's place in the band, last night proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is *the* drummer of Dream Theater.  You couldn't have seen his performance and said he doesn't play with feel or he isn't a blast to watch.

Yeah, I have felt that ever since seeing them on the ADTOE tour.  I saw them twice that tour, once on the AFTR tour, and twice on the TA tour, and that has been reinforced every time. 

Same here.  He has always seemed comfortable, excited, and full of passion each time I've seen DT but there was something about this last show where he just sort of felt the last chain was off.

[Mladen]

Some truly fantastic footage of Don't look past me from a day or two ago:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3TjT_GblFc

[gzarruk]

Some truly fantastic footage of Don't look past me from a day or two ago:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3TjT_GblFc

Great video!

I had forgotten James got a tattoo before this leg of the tour, so I saw it there and was like what the...

[RodrigoAltaf]

Some truly fantastic footage of Don't look past me from a day or two ago:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3TjT_GblFc

Holy sh*t, that was awesome!!!!!