Dream Theater announces 16th Studio Album - Parasomnia

[Stadler]

JLB has never said anything mean about Chappell Roan before. I'm sure he loves her and her iconic music

Chappell Roan, talented and inspired as she may be, is, in terms of international awareness and appeal, a toothpick to Taylor's Brazilian rainforest.  A soap box racer to Taylor's La Ferrari.  A chicken nugget to Taylor's French Laundry showcase dish.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

Does anyone have footage of this? This is the first time I've heard about this and I'm super curious to see what exactly happened. lol.

When i saw DT play in Denver it was the same night as the second Taylor Swift show down the street where the Broncos play, so after DT came out and opened with 1 or 2 songs JLB walked up to the front of the stage and went, "Hello Denver, and fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck Taylor Swift!"; then when they came out for the encore JLB walked up to the mic and apologized for what he said at the beginning of the show

I can't find anything on youtube (and didn't record it myself, i don't usually use my phone during the show) but there are some fragments of discussion still on reddit about it https://www.reddit.com/r/Dreamtheater/comments/1514csn/anyone_at_the_denver_show_know_what_james_was/

[KevShmev]

I don't remember the details, but I guess Petrucci was not "afraid of the Swifties" but more careful and protective of DT's online image.

It's the internet, you go viral for anything, including an hawk tuah. DT are titans of prog metal but they're big fishes in a very small pond. There's a bazillion people out there who never heard of Dream Theater. Imagine if their first exposure to their very existance would be "60 years old singer of a bunch of middle aged metallers criticizes Taylor Swift". Their reaction would be "LOL who the hell even are these guys? don't they have a gazillion notes per second to play rather than picking on a world famous young woman who sell out stadiums?". You don't want that kind of fame.

I am sure the average diehard Swiftie on social media* (of which there are many...imagine the average diehard Portnoy fan and multiple that by about 100 million lol) would have been like, "Dream Theater who," and moved on, but it's still not something Dream Theater needed, and I suspect JP knew enough to advise James to walk that back immediately.

*I am obviously a big fan of hers now, as anyone who knows me knows, but some of her online fans are a bit, um. much.   

Chappell Roan, talented and inspired as she may be, is, in terms of international awareness and appeal, a toothpick to Taylor's Brazilian rainforest.  A soap box racer to Taylor's La Ferrari.  A chicken nugget to Taylor's French Laundry showcase dish.

You better not say that around a Chappell Roan fan. I have seen enough already now to know that her fans think she is already more important than Swift (or anyone, for that matter) and think her diarrhea of the mouth persona is somehow endearing.

[TAC]

Who on earth is Chappell Roan?

[KevShmev]

Who on earth is Chappell Roan?

A new pop star.  The songs I have heard by her are okay (a few play at work every day), but I suspect she won't be around long.  She is already pulling out of shows at the last minute and having online meltdowns, so I don't think she is built for longevity in the public eye.   Few are, though, to be fair.

[Stadler]

Exactly.

[Skeever]

I don't remember the details, but I guess Petrucci was not "afraid of the Swifties" but more careful and protective of DT's online image.

It's the internet, you go viral for anything, including an hawk tuah. DT are titans of prog metal but they're big fishes in a very small pond. There's a bazillion people out there who never heard of Dream Theater. Imagine if their first exposure to their very existance would be "60 years old singer of a bunch of middle aged metallers criticizes Taylor Swift". Their reaction would be "LOL who the hell even are these guys? don't they have a gazillion notes per second to play rather than picking on a world famous young woman who sell out stadiums?". You don't want that kind of fame.

Wait, JLB did a Hawk Tuah on what???
And what does that even mean?

[KevShmev]

Not to pile on, but Roan strikes me as one of those people nowadays who would get fired after two months and then reveal how she had called in sick 11 times, eight of which were because of a minor cold and three of which were because she "just wasn't feeling up to it."  But she still needed to get paid in full because "she deserved it."  Her personality screams that. 

[jimgolf]

Not to pile on, but Roan strikes me as one of those people nowadays who would get fired after two months and then reveal how she had called in sick 11 times, eight of which were because of a minor cold and three of which were because she "just wasn't feeling up to it."  But she still needed to get paid in full because "she deserved it."  Her personality screams that. 

If I remember correctly, she has some type of mental health problems. She kept making videos responding to the latest criticism somebody said of her online while cancelling her upcoming shows. Right now she's very popular, so the people in the music industry will put up with it, but I can't imagine they are very happy about the cancelling of shows. Next tour - if there is a next tour -  Roan might find it much more difficult to book a full tour.

Personally, I think she seems like the person that just isn't built for touring and might quickly fade from popularity. She might still make music, but not followed up with a large world tour(perhaps smaller venues with less frequency). Fame and relevancy in music can come and go in a flash, and her current behavior/trajectory do not bode well for upcoming success.

But you know what does bode well for success and awesomeness?

Dream Theater's upcoming world tour baby     

[KevShmev]

If I remember correctly, she has some type of mental health problems. She kept making videos responding to the latest criticism somebody said of her online while cancelling her upcoming shows. Right now she's very popular, so the people in the music industry will put up with it, but I can't imagine they are very happy about the cancelling of shows. Next tour - if there is a next tour -  Roan might find it much more difficult to book a full tour.

Personally, I think she seems like the person that just isn't built for touring and might quickly fade from popularity. She might still make music, but not followed up with a large world tour(perhaps smaller venues with less frequency). Fame and relevancy in music can come and go in a flash, and her current behavior/trajectory do not bode well for upcoming success.

But you know what does bode well for success and awesomeness?

Dream Theater's upcoming world tour baby     

Yes indeed!

To unpack the Roan thing just a bit more, it just bugs me when some act like they don't want success or awards, but do everything to try to get them.  It's like they want it both ways.  Roan has talked like she doesn't care about popularity, yet she ditched some shows in Europe at the last minute to play the VMAs for exposure (which will equal more success).  And then you have some stars get up there and win awards and act almost embarrassed for winning or saying such-and-such should have win.  Well, if you didn't think you should win, why did you submit yourself in the category?  I just hate that kind of "talking" out of both sides (actions do not coincide with their words).  Swift reminds me of Kate Winslet is that she wants to win and doesn't apologize for it when she does.  To bring this back to Dream Theater, I am sure when JP went to the Grammys a couple years back, he wanted to win, and he sure looked happy when they did win and he went up there to accept the award.  And he should have been! 

[wolfking]

Who on earth is Chappell Roan?

We are so out of the loop on many things.  Reading the name I thought it might have been a comedian or something. 

[wolfking]

Weird James said that about Swift but at least it was put to bed the same night.

[Zantera]

I for one enjoyed the side debate of the bigger popstar between Taylor Swift and Dave Chappelle. Regarding the Taylor comment by JLB whether he meant it or not I do think it's a shame that musicians will be flamed for saying things like that (even if he felt the need to backtrack himself or if someone else told him to). Today's outrage culture can be very annoying at times.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

Weird James said that about Swift but at least it was put to bed the same night.

Not really that weird. Feels like an absolutely appropriate reaction especially given her complete saturation of all discourse, culture, media, sports, etc. in 2023 and 2024. Feels crazy that more people aren't saying "What the fuck". American society loves to heap praise on singular people that have overinflated egos (Trump and Swift)

[Stadler]

Wait, JLB did a Hawk Tuah on what???
And what does that even mean?

Awaiting clarification myself. 

[KevShmev]

I for one enjoyed the side debate of the bigger popstar between Taylor Swift and Dave Chappelle. Regarding the Taylor comment by JLB whether he meant it or not I do think it's a shame that musicians will be flamed for saying things like that (even if he felt the need to backtrack himself or if someone else told him to). Today's outrage culture can be very annoying at times.

I agree about the outrage culture, and as a big Swift fan, I thought what James said was a rock star going for a cheap pop; I am sure he thought a comment like that would go over well with a prog metal crowd.  Not a big deal in the grand scheme, although I don't get why musicians feel the need to trash other musicians like that.  Focus on yourself and don't worry about others.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

I am sure he thought a comment like that would go over well with a prog metal crowd.

He was right. The audience cheered louder for that then most of his vocal performances, lol

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

Awaiting clarification myself. 

When I play video games online I see a lot of people with the name Hawk Tuah nowadays. It's probably some zoomer thing about anime

[Stadler]

I for one enjoyed the side debate of the bigger popstar between Taylor Swift and Dave Chappelle. Regarding the Taylor comment by JLB whether he meant it or not I do think it's a shame that musicians will be flamed for saying things like that (even if he felt the need to backtrack himself or if someone else told him to). Today's outrage culture can be very annoying at times.

It goes both ways, though.  I'm generally with you, but it's a "tend your own garden" mentality. The outrage culture is ridiculous, but what's also ridiculous is grabbing for the low-hanging fruit of saying dumb shit about the "them" and making it a competition.  James is an artist, he ought to know better. I happen to like Taylor Swift, but even if I didn't, others do, and just because Dream Theater writes songs that tend to be longer and tend to not be in 4/4 doesn't make them better.  I've long said that if John - love him! - could write a "Yesterday", he would in a heartbeat.

[Stadler]

Not really that weird. Feels like an absolutely appropriate reaction especially given her complete saturation of all discourse, culture, media, sports, etc. in 2023 and 2024. Feels crazy that more people aren't saying "What the fuck". American society loves to heap praise on singular people that have overinflated egos (Trump and Swift)

What?  She's LIKED.  Why is that so hard to understand?  My daughter - not an idiot, not mindless, also likes a lot of the same music we listen to here - LOVES Taylor's music and connects with it on a visceral level. That Taylor "connects" with more people than, say, Dream Theater doesn't make Dream Theater somehow better or more refined a taste. 

America loves to heap praise because we're insecure and we need the validation.  But what America - some Americans - also like to do is get their validation by shitting on the popular and the successful.

[MirrorMask]

Awaiting clarification myself. 

When I play video games online I see a lot of people with the name Hawk Tuah nowadays. It's probably some zoomer thing about anime

Guys, do you know what a search engine is? 

The short, off topic, rated version is that they were interviewing two inebriated girls, one was funny and while giving a somehow risquè answer about how to make boys happy, she literally said "hawk-tuah!" to mime the NSFW gesture that a boy could appreciate.

She really became famous and viral just because of that.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

What?  She's LIKED.  Why is that so hard to understand?  My daughter - not an idiot, not mindless, also likes a lot of the same music we listen to here - LOVES Taylor's music and connects with it on a visceral level. That Taylor "connects" with more people than, say, Dream Theater doesn't make Dream Theater somehow better or more refined a taste. 

America loves to heap praise because we're insecure and we need the validation.  But what America - some Americans - also like to do is get their validation by shitting on the popular and the successful.

No issue with liking her or her music (I count myself in that crowd, and have seen her live). There absolutely is a difference between liking, even loving someone's music, and the parasocial stuff you see going on on Tik Tok and other platforms. That combined with her over-the-top aggressive marketing approach (which is just her mgmt being capitalists, nothing wrong with that, but I am an anti-capitalist) that I take issue with. I don't see what's so hard to understand about people pushing back on her honestly lol. I can both like her music and think her brand has gone way too far

[Skeever]

What?  She's LIKED.  Why is that so hard to understand?  My daughter - not an idiot, not mindless, also likes a lot of the same music we listen to here - LOVES Taylor's music and connects with it on a visceral level. That Taylor "connects" with more people than, say, Dream Theater doesn't make Dream Theater somehow better or more refined a taste. 

America loves to heap praise because we're insecure and we need the validation.  But what America - some Americans - also like to do is get their validation by shitting on the popular and the successful.

Dumb shit makes the world turn. I don't mean that disparagingly!

C'mon guys, Trump and Taylor in the DREAM THEATER thread?

[hefdaddy42]

Awaiting clarification myself. 

No no, use the Google machine

[KevShmev]

It goes both ways, though.  I'm generally with you, but it's a "tend your own garden" mentality. The outrage culture is ridiculous, but what's also ridiculous is grabbing for the low-hanging fruit of saying dumb shit about the "them" and making it a competition.  James is an artist, he ought to know better. I happen to like Taylor Swift, but even if I didn't, others do, and just because Dream Theater writes songs that tend to be longer and tend to not be in 4/4 doesn't make them better.  I've long said that if John - love him! - could write a "Yesterday", he would in a heartbeat.

Leaving aside that JP probably wouldn't want his biggest song to be one he wrote on an acoustic guitar , I totally agree.  99% of musicians out there would love it if they could write a song the masses love; the other 1% are probably jazz musicians who are happy as kids on Christmas morning to be jamming in smoke-filled jazz bars every night.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

Dumb shit makes the world turn. I don't mean that disparagingly!

C'mon guys, Trump and Taylor in the DREAM THEATER thread?

Point taken, I think we all got a little off course when the Wuhan guy mentioned the JLB incident lol

[Dedalus]

Guys, do you know what a search engine is? 

[KevShmev]

Dumb shit makes the world turn. I don't mean that disparagingly!

C'mon guys, Trump and Taylor in the DREAM THEATER thread?

Aren't you the guy who took a swipe in her in your initial reaction to Night Terror?

https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php/topic,59132.0.html

Yep.

And now you are wondering how she is getting talked about in a DT thread.    

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

Aren't you the guy who took a swipe in her in your initial reaction to Night Terror?

https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php/topic,59132.0.html

Yep.

And now you are wondering how she is getting talked about in a DT thread.  A genius you are  

No reason to be rude to people. While we're not all having the fondest opinion of TS at the moment we are all being respectful of each other, at least until this post. 

[Zantera]

Aren't you the guy who took a swipe in her in your initial reaction to Night Terror?

https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php/topic,59132.0.html

Yep.

And now you are wondering how she is getting talked about in a DT thread.  A genius, you are.   

That original post was comparing the DT single lyrically with Taylor and saying it was as bad as some of her recent lyrics which I think is fair to say. The current discussion seems detached from any DT discussion to be honest.

[hefdaddy42]

For God's sake, please stop talking about Taylor Swift in this Dream Theater thread.  

[Skeever]

Aren't you the guy who took a swipe in her in your initial reaction to Night Terror?

https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php/topic,59132.0.html

Yep.

And now you are wondering how she is getting talked about in a DT thread.   

Yeah, I regretted that immediately, because while she may be like a dipstick of bad lyrics to me, her fans are not ones to let anything slide (and apparently are keeping score). Do you write all the names of the Taylor Swift dislikers down in a notebook that you reference every night, Kev?

[KevShmev]

That original post was comparing the DT single lyrically with Taylor and saying it was as bad as some of her recent lyrics which I think is fair to say. The current discussion seems detached from any DT discussion to be honest.

True, but going off topic is almost expected in threads like this, especially since we still have nearly three months until the new album is out.  And hey, it could be worse.  What's-his-name could still be around to shoe-horn Metallica into literally every thread and post somehow.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

I Think we could all just move on and get back to talking about Dream Theater once KevShmev apologizes to Skeever for the insult to their intelligence

[Stadler]

No issue with liking her or her music (I count myself in that crowd, and have seen her live). There absolutely is a difference between liking, even loving someone's music, and the parasocial stuff you see going on on Tik Tok and other platforms. That combined with her over-the-top aggressive marketing approach (which is just her mgmt being capitalists, nothing wrong with that, but I am an anti-capitalist) that I take issue with. I don't see what's so hard to understand about people pushing back on her honestly lol. I can both like her music and think her brand has gone way too far

"I like her music, but in my estimation, I'm uncomfortable with the level at which her organization exploits marketing opportunities" is a far cry from "Fuck Taylor Swift!"  As I noted, James is an artist, and he can't be so oblivious that he doesn't get that she connects with her fans.  It just seemed cheap and gratuitous.