While it seems that this thread has turned more to an expounding of the virtues--or lack thereof--of WDADU and FII, I want to return to the previous PN tour for a second. I live in Michigan, where DT has played on every tour since at least Awake (Octavarium was a squeeze-in and subsequent cancellation due to JLB having voice issues right before the MSG show). I have seen them every time, including right after my wife's c-section (yes, she went, too...the trooper!) And another when she was 8 mos preggo w/ our second kid (again, she went too!). On this tour, the closest they came was Chicago--4 hrs away. I didn't go, because I was SURE they'd come back to Detroit on the BCASL tour. I'm supremely disappointed and absolutely feel slighted after seeing them on 10 other tours. The whole PN thing is BS for their real fans who are paying good money to see THEM. If there is an economic issue, they brought it on themselves by not doing an evening with tour...or at least bringing PN to more cities.
As for WDADU, there were only ever a handful of decent tunes on it, kinda like Genesis "Nursery Cryme." Play one or two if everyone agrees, but Christ, it shouldn't cause hard feelings in the band.
As for FII...I thought it sucked from the moment I first heard it. It is the one clunker they've released. True, BCASL seems a bit rushed and/or stale, but FII has almost nothing redeeming to me. I'm fine w/ a hiatus...just so long as they DO come back, proggy as always!