WTF was with James in Pittsburgh?

[gzarruk]

I think Change of seasons still sounds pretty damn good so I hope they keep busting that out occasionally

I would prefer to see Octavarium next

[ozzy554]

I think Change of seasons still sounds pretty damn good so I hope they keep busting that out occasionally

I would prefer to see Octavarium next

oh same here. I just don't seasons shelved indefinitely lol

[rumborak]

My verdict on the evening is, he sounded really strong in the first quarter. The I&W part he battled with, and people around me were having discussion about the state of his vocals. The end of the I&W set was awesome actually mostly due to MM, who was giving it all in his home town. Awesome banter also involving JP and MM.
ACOS is hard to judge for me because I was getting tired myself, and I had the impression they were too.

[cramx3]

I think Change of seasons still sounds pretty damn good so I hope they keep busting that out occasionally

I would prefer to see Octavarium next

oh same here. I just don't seasons shelved indefinitely lol

Personally I lumped it with others as shelved due mostly to length moreso than JLB.  Songs that long are hard to consistently keep in a setlist.  It had been so long since they played it, they played it for the world, now I don't know when they find the setlist time to include it again.  I think seeing Octavarium in the setlist again is more likely just as a rotation more son than JLB.

[Buddyhunter1]

My verdict on the evening is, he sounded really strong in the first quarter. The I&W part he battled with, and people around me were having discussion about the state of his vocals. The end of the I&W set was awesome actually mostly due to MM, who was giving it all in his home town. Awesome banter also involving JP and MM.
ACOS is hard to judge for me because I was getting tired myself, and I had the impression they were too.

I didn't have any real issues with James's vocal performance, but I found the between-song banter to be pretty cringey and drawn out this time around. I definitely remember James being funnier than this.

[cramx3]

Wonder if they are all just getting tired since the whole tour is coming to an end soon.  Running out of things to say, dropping a song from the setlist...  I hope not since now is my time to catch them.  Hoping they put on a sweet show for the NYC hometown audience.  Although they then get a day off and maybe will be pretty energized for Saturdays show not too far from NYC.

[rumborak]

My verdict on the evening is, he sounded really strong in the first quarter. The I&W part he battled with, and people around me were having discussion about the state of his vocals. The end of the I&W set was awesome actually mostly due to MM, who was giving it all in his home town. Awesome banter also involving JP and MM.
ACOS is hard to judge for me because I was getting tired myself, and I had the impression they were too.

I didn't have any real issues with James's vocal performance, but I found the between-song banter to be pretty cringey and drawn out this time around. I definitely remember James being funnier than this.

Well, specifically I enjoyed when JP stepped up. James' banter, yeah, kinda cringey, especially the "put your phone down" routine.

[Drinktheater]

My verdict on the evening is, he sounded really strong in the first quarter. The I&W part he battled with, and people around me were having discussion about the state of his vocals. The end of the I&W set was awesome actually mostly due to MM, who was giving it all in his home town. Awesome banter also involving JP and MM.
ACOS is hard to judge for me because I was getting tired myself, and I had the impression they were too.

I didn't have any real issues with James's vocal performance, but I found the between-song banter to be pretty cringey and drawn out this time around. I definitely remember James being funnier than this.

What was the banter all about? what did they talked about?

[Buddyhunter1]

I barely even remember. James called out some people who were filming with their phones for extended periods of time instead of just watching the show with their own eyes, which hey, I agree with, but you don't need to stall the show for that. Probably the best bit was a story about when they were touring in New Orleans, but that was super drawn out too. Would have been better if JP just walked up to the mic and said "If you guys got paid by the note, you'd be millionaires" instead of preceding it with the bostonian accent jokes. Other than that, there was just a bunch of really bizarre introductions to band members from James (i.e. randomly saying he's going to beat Jordan up after the show) and unfunny small talk. It was weird.

[cramx3]

I'd same his banter last night was hit or miss.  Sometimes it would come to such a slow story that you could tell people just wanted them to continue playing, other times it was engaging and funny.  JP was the funnier one speaking in a funny voice for his brief banter.

[Herrick]

I'd same his banter last night was hit or miss.  Sometimes it would come to such a slow story that you could tell people just wanted them to continue playing, other times it was engaging and funny.  JP was the funnier one speaking in a funny voice for his brief banter.

I thought LaBrie's banter was perfectly adequate. Not too long or lame. Petrucci was pretty funny during that part.

LaBrie very wisely altered some melodies. He didn't even attempt to sing the highest parts in Take The Time. I didn't detect any off notes but it was my first time seeing the band so I was pretty excited. Even the Learning To Live part sounded pretty good to me. The only criticism I have is more of a subjective thing: I just didn't care for the sound or tone of LaBrie's voice. It was very nasally, snarly, & abrasive.

And everything just sounded weird tuned down especially when they played Waiting for Sleep in the original tuning.

Can't believe I enjoyed Mangini's drum solo in Metropolis. I usually dislike drum solos.

[cramx3]

MM's solo seemed similar to his other one's including his favorite part at the end, but I LOVED when they went back into Metropolis and did it slowly note by note.  That was SICK. 

[Buddyhunter1]

How much of IaW did they tune down / by how much? I didn't really notice it aside from Pull Me Under, but I also wasn't sure at the time if it was tuned down or if I was just hearing things.

[gzarruk]

How much of IaW did they tune down / by how much? I didn't really notice it aside from Pull Me Under, but I also wasn't sure at the time if it was tuned down or if I was just hearing things.

All of IAW (except WFS) and ACOS are being played a half step lower.

[Adami]

How much of IaW did they tune down / by how much? I didn't really notice it aside from Pull Me Under, but I also wasn't sure at the time if it was tuned down or if I was just hearing things.

All of IAW (except WFS) and ACOS are being played a half step lower.

Which, honestly, doesn't make the vocals that much easier. It's mostly his changing melodies that is helping. Doing both just seems redundant.

[gzarruk]

How much of IaW did they tune down / by how much? I didn't really notice it aside from Pull Me Under, but I also wasn't sure at the time if it was tuned down or if I was just hearing things.

All of IAW (except WFS) and ACOS are being played a half step lower.

Which, honestly, doesn't make the vocals that much easier. It's mostly his changing melodies that is helping. Doing both just seems redundant.

Completely agree with you.

[Buddyhunter1]

Huh, yeah that seems a bit strange. Is this the first time DT has ever tuned songs down to make them easier on James?

[Tony From Long Island]

I saw the Long Island show last night.    Having seen DT probably 20 times in the 90's  (starting with SPARKS!!)  but not having seen them since 1999, I came away very happy.

Yes, James can't sing the high notes.   Cut the man some slack!  He's in his 50's.    I could feel his frustration and know exactly what he's going through.


Someone mentioned him doing a 3 hour show.   Well, how much of that does he actually sing.  Not that it matters.  Singing this material is hard - even when you are in your prime!

That said, he had some difficulty with notes that were not too high.  He was flat during a lot of "Another Day."  However, I thought he was really quite good during all of CHANGE OF SEASONS.

I also dislike the sampled background vocal harmonies.


Did Mike Mangini really have a triggered snare drum sound???

Don't take these as complaints - just nit picking.  I had a great time!


Oh yeah . . . no songs from "Awake"   :-(     

[mikeyd23]

Did Mike Mangini really have a triggered snare drum sound???

Someone else can correct me if I am wrong, but to the best of my knowledge MM does not use any triggers live.

[Madman Shepherd]

Oh yeah . . . no songs from "Awake"   :-(     

Should have seen the Along for the Ride tour. They played the second  half of the album. Two tours before that they played 6:00, Caught in a Web, and Silent Man.

[Tony From Long Island]

Oh yeah . . . no songs from "Awake"   :-(     

Should have seen the Along for the Ride tour. They played the second  half of the album. Two tours before that they played 6:00, Caught in a Web, and Silent Man.

Well, I was an  . . ummm  . . .  "guest"  of the State of New York for 12 years, so this was my first real chance to see them since 1999.    Had a great time.    My girlfriend at least acted like she did   :-)

[Madman Shepherd]

Oh crap.  Sorry to hear that. 

Well, at least you got that stuff documented on live albums. 

[Tony From Long Island]

Oh crap.  Sorry to hear that. 

Well, at least you got that stuff documented on live albums.

Of course.  I was even able to figure out a way to get stuff in so I could hear it.     In New York then you could only receive cassettes!!!     There are always ways!   :-)        Inmates are very creative   :-)

DT was the only band that I asked my father to buy the new CDs for me when they came out.  He would send me photocopies of the inserts.

[gzarruk]

Did Mike Mangini really have a triggered snare drum sound???

Someone else can correct me if I am wrong, but to the best of my knowledge MM does not use any triggers live.

He doesn't use triggers live or in the studio.

[The Presence of Frenemies]

Just wanted to chime in and say that James was good in Baltimore last night, and I'm real nitpicky about vocals and was listening closely to that element. I mean, yeah, he was a bit flat in a few different places (second verse of TBP, first verse of UAGM, higher verses in LTL, end of ACOS), but he was on for all the other hard sections. Of course the melodies are altered, but I was impressed at how much of the original stuff was still (more or less) in there and executed well (Surrounded, middle of ACOS, end of LTL, etc.). Stage banter was silly but I was amused.

[El Barto]

Seemed to me he half-assed the entire first set, but did a great job of doing so. You knew he wasn't singing all the notes, but he performed the music well. He 80 percented the second set, and did just as fine a job. His performance was much better than had he gone out, tried to be faithful and mucked it all up. From that perspective he was probably better than most of the times I've seen him. It also seemed he saved his best effort for ACoS, and I really appreciated that.

[jingle.boy]

Not sure if it was because of being in his 'hometown', but I thought he was as good as he's ever been in the last 10 years.  I think he paced himself so that he still could deliver a great encore with ACOS.

All in all, I think we were treated to a great tour, and I wouldn't have missed it for anything.

[cramx3]

For all the changed melodies and down tuning and whatnot, JLB nailed ACOS all three nights I saw him.  He sounded soooo good last night on that one.  Maybe his overall best performance of the three ngihts as well.  I do think the band was a bit off at spots though, I think overall, the band performed better in NYC.  Not complaining though, I think last night's show was the best of the tour for me and one of my all time favorites of seeing them.  The venue was great and I had an awesome view and seat.