If YOU were writing the set list for the next DT tour...

[RaiseTheKnife]

You Not Me, never. But I could still see him bringing back You *or* Me. IIRC, even in the FII demos liner notes, he hinted at the idea. Granted, that was before the split, but I can still see that being something he might resurrect, especially for an anniversary tour.

Yes, its mentioned in the liner notes.  I brought this up to MP at a meet n greet in 2009.  Would love to see the demo (and far superior) version make its debut.

[Setlist Scotty]

Yes, its mentioned in the liner notes.  I brought this up to MP at a meet n greet in 2009.  Would love to see the demo (and far superior) version make its debut.

What did he say?

[pg1067]

Yes, its mentioned in the liner notes.  I brought this up to MP at a meet n greet in 2009.  Would love to see the demo (and far superior) version make its debut.

Well...if you want the demo, you're not getting the superior version.

[Setlist Scotty]

Well...if you want the demo, you're not getting the superior version.

That's up for debate. 

[romdrums]

I think an especially bold move by MP and DT would be doing nothing but the most difficult drum performances from the Mangini era and calling it the "Challenge Accepted!" tour. Barring that, I hope they troll us a bit. Like, if they're going to do Mangini era tunes, have it be things like Beneath The Surface and Far From Heaven, where they are MM era tunes but don't have any drums on them. I would love that!

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

I think an especially bold move by MP and DT would be doing nothing but the most difficult drum performances from the Mangini era and calling it the "Challenge Accepted!" tour. Barring that, I hope they troll us a bit. Like, if they're going to do Mangini era tunes, have it be things like Beneath The Surface and Far From Heaven, where they are MM era tunes but don't have any drums on them. I would love that!

If you're not going to actually cover those drum performances I don't see the point in doing this and viewing it as a bold or challenging move.

[Trav]

If you're not going to actually cover those drum performances I don't see the point in doing this and viewing it as a bold or challenging move.

He said two different things. Do the most challenging songs OR the ones with no drums to be funny.

[TAC]

Except I wouldn't think was funny if that's how they handled the MM Era exclusively. They won't do that though.

But in an Evening With format, Beneath The Surface or Far From Heaven would certainly be a good way to pace James.

[KevShmev]

Well...if you want the demo, you're not getting the superior version.

Eh, that's like asking if you'd rather get kicked in the beans (You Not Me) or directly in the frank (You or Me). Both options suck swamp water.

(edited to make it a little cleaner)

[romdrums]

He said two different things. Do the most challenging songs OR the ones with no drums to be funny.

This. As a fan since 1992, I just want to see the band mess with the fans' expectations a little bit. I don't want them to open with PMU or Met I, but if they do, put The Alien or Answering The Call second, or something like that. As a drummer, I want to see MP step up and play some of Mangini's more challenging parts. The Alien would be a great example of that, as would Pale Blue Dot or Moment of Betrayal. I think that would be MP showing MM a huge sign of respect, while also letting the fans know he's been doing his homework!

On the flip side, I think it would be humorous to troll the fans that are clamoring for them to honor the MM years by using things like the NOMACS tracks as the only MM-era tunes they include in the set. Would they go that far? Highly unlikely. But, I would find that funny!

Ultimately, I want to be surprised by what they choose, and I want some elements of danger in their setlists. Work out a cool MM-era medley, or a new arrangement or two of some old songs, something that makes it fresh.

[Chino]

I'd honestly lose all respect if they trolled in such a fashion. MM took so much shit early on, and from a lot of people, for the entirety of his tenure with DT. That wasn't an easy gig, and he handled with as much grace and professionalism as somebody could. It would be a monumentally dickish thing for them to do. 

[romdrums]

I'd honestly lose all respect if they trolled in such a fashion. MM took so much shit early on, and from a lot of people, for the entirety of his tenure with DT. That wasn't an easy gig, and he handled with as much grace and professionalism as somebody could. It would be a monumentally dickish thing for them to do. 

That's why my first option would be the better option.

[The Paddies]

If they really want or need to 'troll' perhaps it's nicer to have one of the Nomac-tracks being played from tape and then suddenly start The Alien afterwards. That would be quite a surprise.

But rather than some 'trolling' I'd just like to have a great setlist with one or two 'hidden gems' and/or maybe a little bit of a jam in a song. Let the fun be in the playing together again. And indeed, Mangini deserves all the respect.

[RaiseTheKnife]

What did he say?

Nothing.  He gave a silent thousand yard stare that showed me how burnt out he was at that point.  In fact, I may have caused MP to originally quite Dream Theater.  Okay, that was in 2009, well before his departure, so of course I jest.

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

This. As a fan since 1992, I just want to see the band mess with the fans' expectations a little bit. I don't want them to open with PMU or Met I, but if they do, put The Alien or Answering The Call second, or something like that. As a drummer, I want to see MP step up and play some of Mangini's more challenging parts. The Alien would be a great example of that, as would Pale Blue Dot or Moment of Betrayal. I think that would be MP showing MM a huge sign of respect, while also letting the fans know he's been doing his homework!

On the flip side, I think it would be humorous to troll the fans that are clamoring for them to honor the MM years by using things like the NOMACS tracks as the only MM-era tunes they include in the set. Would they go that far? Highly unlikely. But, I would find that funny!

Ultimately, I want to be surprised by what they choose, and I want some elements of danger in their setlists. Work out a cool MM-era medley, or a new arrangement or two of some old songs, something that makes it fresh.

A lot of fans can't even process that a click track was used or that *god forbid* the guys are just getting older and aren't moving on stage like they used to but you want the band to just mess with them 

[romdrums]

A lot of fans can't even process that a click track was used or that *god forbid* the guys are just getting older and aren't moving on stage like they used to but you want the band to just mess with them 

Exactly!

[Chino]

I took a stab at tallying up all the responses in first 7 pages of this thread so far. Here's where we're at for the top-20. My apologies for the trash formatting.

(Bosk, if you want a copy of the .xls I put together, let me know)


Octavarium                         43
The Glass Prison                 38
Blind Faith                            23
Surrender to Reason            21
S2N                                    17
In the Name of God            16
Lines in the Sand                16
Stream of Consciousness    14
These Walls                       14
The Best of Times               13
At Wit's End                        12
Breaking all Illusions            12
Afterlife                                11
Misunderstood                       11
Home                                 10
Honor Thy Father                 10
Disappear                              9
Learning To Live                      9
Take Away My Pain                  9
A Change of Seasons               8

I came back to this thread just out of curiosity.

Only 3 of the top 20 songs made it into the final set of the latest tour. I really wish more of these got in. We've seen PMU and TSCO enough times.

[joseph_stevenson_]

*FOR ANYONE INTERESTED IN THE ORCHESTRAL OVERTURE AT THE START OF THE SECOND SET OF THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR* it was composed and produced by me (Joseph Stevenson) and supervised by the band. We will be posting some behind the scenes stuff on Instagram about how we made it in the coming weeks. Thanks so much for all the kind words about it so far so far, so so lovely to see such positive reactions to it! You guys are just the BEST!

[RaiseTheKnife]

I came back to this thread just out of curiosity.

Only 3 of the top 20 songs made it into the final set of the latest tour. I really wish more of these got in. We've seen PMU and TSCO enough times.

I agree that there are plenty of other tracks that could fill in for Pull Me Under and The Spirit Carries On, but at the same time I cognizant that MP may have a long burning desire to play these again.  I imagine there is a personal emotional reason that we shouldn't overlook and for that reason, I'm fine with having these in the setlist.

Of course, perhaps by February he'll have satisfied this itch and might want to use the North American leg as an opportunity to reconnect with other songs in the catalog.

[Parasomnia]

My modification of Mike's current setlist would be:

1. Afterlife
2. Fatal Tragedy
3. The Walking Shadow/My Last Farewell
4. The Mirror (w/Lie outro solo)
5. Panic Attack
6. Barstool Warrior
7. Hollow Years
8. Constant Motion
9. As I Am

10. Night Terror
11. This Is The Life
12. Under A Glass Moon
13. Vacant
14. Stream Of Consciousness
15. Octavarium

Encore:
16. Light Fuse And Get Away
17. Misunderstood
18. Metropolis (pt 1)

[Parasomnia]

Whereas if I was building from scratch it'd be something like:

1. The Glass Prison
2. Night Terror
3. 6:00
4. The Mirror (w/Lie outro solo)
5. The Dark Eternal Night
6. Out Of Reach
7. Barstool Warrior
8. Hollow Years
9. Honor Thy Father

10. Overture 1928
11. Fatal Tragedy
12. Peruvian Skies
13. Surrounded
14. Sleeping Giant
15. A New Beginning
16. Octavarium

Encore:
17. Light Fuse And Get Away
18. Along For The Ride
19. ACOS: The Inevitable Summer/The Crimson Sunset


(not my "dream" setlist, which would have the entirety of SDOIT the song on it, but a representative of their career as a whole without the most overplayed songs)

[evilasiojr]

I would also change a few things:

Metropolis ptI
Overture 1928
Strange Dejavu
The Mirror
Barstool Warrior
Hollow Years
The Glass Prison
Only a Matter of Time
------------------
Night Terror
The Enemy Inside
Under a Glass Moon
Vacant
Stream of Consciousness
Octacarium
------------------
Home
The Spirit Carries On
Pull me Under