New Album “Distance Over Time’, First Set of 2019 Tour Dates announced!

[cramx3]

Doesn't work on my phone either, oh well.  Another DT tour another disaster with ticket sales.  Seems like every time this never goes smoothly with them, and it's almost always just them.  I never run into problems buying tickets for other bands (other than maybe it selling out too quickly)

[vtgrad]

In chrome it doesnt even accept the presale password

In safari it accepts the password but errors out when searching for tickets

Yes, something's messed up.

I'm even getting a "cannot complete the request on this device" error, which I've gotten before on another machine when I've let tickets time out.  I wonder if it's some kind of safeguard

That happened to me several times yesterday when purchasing for the Charlotte NC show... I just refreshed a few times and kept trying until it worked.  The system kept telling me (and at differing points in the transaction each time) that I had to be signed-in to Ticketmaster (which I was already).  If you keep trying it will eventually work.  I used Chrome.

[Progmetty]

I'm at a dilemma where I wanna get a VIP ticket for one of the shows I'm going to but that will mean I go to one of these shows alone and I don't have as much fun alone at concerts.

[zappafrank2112]

What a mess.  It finally switched over to letting me choose my seats but everything on the floor is either at least 20 rows back or way off to the side.

[danidogma]

The 30 seconds sample and the video look very good BUT I'm a little sad because I was expecting a sound for the new album more of this style:

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

For me, without a doubt, Xanadu's cover is the best sound by far Dream Theater has had with Mike Mangini in my humble opinion: the bass is perfectly understood, the guitar is crisp and in solos it sounds with an incredible tone, the voice in place and the most natural drumming sound I've ever heard from Mike Mangini.

As for the material, it always looks good, but there's not much to analyze.

I'll keep to the fact that there's a little less to listen to it. I would have loved the sound to be like in Xanadu

The 30 second sample sounds musically promising, but it is way too compressed to sound great. It is easily heard for example when the vocals kick in. The sound does not increase in volume and the clarity of the sound just gets worse.

Dynamics aside the production and the mix seems to be an improvement over the previous albums - especially the drum mix. Could do with less effects on vocals though.

I really liked what I heard on the song 10 video. I am pumped for this album as far as the music goes, but I am yet again disappointed by loudness war treatment of the sound on the sample.

Hopefully there will be version with different mastering on vinyl or through HDTracks.

EDIT: The DR database figures were for the Rush songs and not for the DT cover so it did not apply here. So I removed the comments concerning that.

100% agree with you

[danidogma]

Listened to the Dream Theater's cover of Xanadu again as it's been while. Like danidogma I would love if the new album sounded like this. The difference in dynamics, clarity, bass and drums is night and day compared to the sample. I am not surprised about the amount of compression as it is the norm these days, but I am surprised that the band still goes for this kind of sound when they could easily release a better sounding album.

The sound so compressed is something we are used to because it is the current trend, but when you listen to a group like Dream Theater with the sound type of Xanadu is when I realize how little this group needs the help of so much processing, given the quality of its members and the amount of dynamics that is sacrificed.

Even so, I always end up "accepting" their sound proposals, even though Xanadu has been a false hope as far as my personal tastes are concerned.

[mikeyd23]

Don't forget YouTube compresses audio drastically, so the actual sound of the record may be different.

[cramx3]

Came back to try and get tickets and things seem to be working now, but looks like there's no good seats available.  I'll try during the public sale or otherwise I'll just wait till someone sells a cheap ticket. 

[zappafrank2112]

Came back to try and get tickets and things seem to be working now, but looks like there's no good seats available.  I'll try during the public sale or otherwise I'll just wait till someone sells a cheap ticket.

I know.  What a mess, eh?  Wonder what the issues were.

[TAC]

Came back to try and get tickets and things seem to be working now, but looks like there's no good seats available.  I'll try during the public sale or otherwise I'll just wait till someone sells a cheap ticket.

I'm on the Ticketmaster site for Boston. I'm not happy with the seats either. Are they holding back a bunch of good ones for Friday's general public sale??

[zappafrank2112]

Came back to try and get tickets and things seem to be working now, but looks like there's no good seats available.  I'll try during the public sale or otherwise I'll just wait till someone sells a cheap ticket.

I'm on the Ticketmaster site for Boston. I'm not happy with the seats either. Are they holding back a bunch of good ones for Friday's general public sale??

I always assume bots somehow snatched them up, even in pre-sale.

[noxon]

VIP seats are obviously reserved first. So if you're not getting that, you're placed further behind.

[cramx3]

In NYC, the best available on the floor were row V so I'm thinking they are holding tickets back for general sale.  I doubt they sold all the front rows before V.  And I expect not to land a first couple rows due to VIP reserving those.  I was really actually hoping for a first row on the balcony like last year.  Good view and no one blocking you.  But even balcony seats you can only find 3 or 4 rows back now. 

[Anxiety35]

In the audio snippet, is what we hear from just one song or is it from two, or more? Sounds to me like it's either...
a.) 2 parts to the same song
b.) 2 parts to 2 different songs

[fadetoblackdude7]

Got my tickets for Chicago. Words cannot express my excitement!!

[TAC]

In NYC, the best available on the floor were row V so I'm thinking they are holding tickets back for general sale.  I doubt they sold all the front rows before V.  And I expect not to land a first couple rows due to VIP reserving those.  I was really actually hoping for a first row on the balcony like last year.  Good view and no one blocking you.  But even balcony seats you can only find 3 or 4 rows back now.

Right. Same for Boston.  I think I'll wait until Friday.

[Progmetty]

Seems like there's no VIP package for Houston!

[danidogma]

Don't forget YouTube compresses audio drastically, so the actual sound of the record may be different.

I hope you are right 

[Ben_Jamin]

In the audio snippet, is what we hear from just one song or is it from two, or more? Sounds to me like it's either...
a.) 2 parts to the same song
b.) 2 parts to 2 different songs

The one with them in the studio "song #10" sounds like them jamming the idea that became the snippet with vocals. You can hear it at the end of the "song #10" video.

[CrimsonE]

I got Row P on the left side of the floor, next to the aisle.  $54 or so (including service fees).  It should be well worth it. 

[pg1067]

How are you guys getting tickets?  I see only the platinum and citi presales.  Is there another presale for the LA show?  If so, what's the code?

I got the platinum ticket.  I LITTLE pricy, but considering what Level 3 seats are going for, I'm quite happy with what I paid for second row on the aisle on JM's side.

[Dannoman]

Anyone got a presale code for Dallas?

[cramx3]

Anyone got a presale code for Dallas?

Did you try MIXTAPE ?

also, funny how I called it lazy yesterday and today I got an email for Ozzy's presale tomorrow, code is MIXTAPE 

[Dannoman]

Yeah, its not thru sticketmaster. doesnt work.

[King Postwhore]

I said screw it and bought tickets for the Boston show.  ORCH O 101 to 105.

[countoftuscany42]

As usual the available seats for the presale are garbage, so I'm waiting until Friday for LA

[Ben_Jamin]

Is it just me...or are bands recently starting to sell tickets way earlier now?

I've been noticing that...

[geeeemo]

Going to 2 shows!!  LA VIP with my son.   Milwaukee with my sister in law.  Center section, row G right side aisle.....Now, the Loooong wait... I found getting the tickets was pretty easy.

[fadetoblackdude7]

I'm really curious as to what the setlist will be like, cuz it seems like it'll be a lot on their plate. I guess it's safe to assume that Scenes will be in the second half of the show. If there's a long epic on DoT, maybe that would be the encore(?). If not, maybe one of their older epics(Octavarium?) or collection of short songs in the encore. If that's the case, all of the new stuff will be in the first half, with a couple old songs thrown in there. Might be another lopsided setlist. I know I'm looking too far into it, but mainly spitballing.

[Samsara]

I'm really curious as to what the setlist will be like, cuz it seems like it'll be a lot on their plate. I guess it's safe to assume that Scenes will be in the second half of the show. If there's a long epic on DoT, maybe that would be the encore(?). If not, maybe one of their older epics(Octavarium?) or collection of short songs in the encore. If that's the case, all of the new stuff will be in the first half, with a couple old songs thrown in there. Might be another lopsided setlist. I know I'm looking too far into it, but mainly spitballing.

My guess is a first set featuring three or four songs from Distance (depending on length), a couple from WDADU, and a few songs from the Mangini era that ends up being a full hour. Then a second set of Scenes, with an encore of the song Octavarium. I would expect them to ignore I&W completely, and most likely Awake and FII as well.

[cramx3]

Looks like the NYC show you can now pick your exact seats, much better to choose, although it does still seem all the best seats are sold or being held onto

[Mark Levinson Jr.]

I'm really curious as to what the setlist will be like, cuz it seems like it'll be a lot on their plate. I guess it's safe to assume that Scenes will be in the second half of the show. If there's a long epic on DoT, maybe that would be the encore(?). If not, maybe one of their older epics(Octavarium?) or collection of short songs in the encore. If that's the case, all of the new stuff will be in the first half, with a couple old songs thrown in there. Might be another lopsided setlist. I know I'm looking too far into it, but mainly spitballing.

My guess is a first set featuring three or four songs from Distance (depending on length), a couple from WDADU, and a few songs from the Mangini era that ends up being a full hour. Then a second set of Scenes, with an encore of the song Octavarium. I would expect them to ignore I&W completely, and most likely Awake and FII as well.

I wonder if they will do an "Astonishing style" stage for the SFAM stuff? Like, lots of videos and stuff to set the mood. Then, a more straight forward stage and lighting scheme for the rest of the show.

[devieira73]

My guess is that the flow of the show will be similar to the one on I&W tour, roughly:
First set: 30 min of DOT + 40 min of favorites
Second set: Scenes and... that's all, folks!

[fadetoblackdude7]

Going by their last couple tours (except TA), they average 7-8 songs in the first half. If they play 4-5 from DoT, we only get 3 random old songs. Interesting.

[Quarter_Cask]

Don't forget YouTube compresses audio drastically, so the actual sound of the record may be slightly different.

fixed