Being that I'm not a professional writer this may come across as a completely random and jumbled review but I wanted to express what was truly the greatest Dream Theater experience I've ever had. This was my sixth time seeing Dream Theater and it was without a doubt the best I have ever seen them. This may stem slightly from my bias at being second row and meeting the band beforehand, but I honestly think they have never been tighter or put on a better show.
I purchased the Meet & Greet tickets beforehand and it was about how I expected. I was towards the back of the line so by the time I got to them the line had slowed down a bit and I got to have a brief conversation with all of them. Petrucci and Mangini seemed very humbled and appreciative of all the compliments. Rudess and Myung were very quiet and I noticed both of them kept tapping their fingers on the table to keep them in shape for the show. I told LaBrie how much I liked his lyrics and that I wish he would write more for future albums. He shurgged and said something like, “We'll see.” I also mentioned that I was looking forward to his solo shows last year before they got canceled and he rolled his eyes and said, “Yeah, somebody sure screwed that up.” I again told him how much I love his lyrics and he stuck his hand for me to shake. It was kind of funny because the lady in charge of the event asked us not to shake their hands to prevent the spread of germs. It was totally understandable but he and John Myung both initiated the gesture which was very cool.
With the Meet & Greet you get a pre-signed photo, a nice ADTOE poster printed on card stock, a pick case with guitar picks with the signatures of each of the members and one of the album, a uniquely styled t-shirt, your laminate pass you wear, and a tote bag with the Majesty logo.
Now onto the show. The setlist they used was “Setlist B” which I was initially underwhelmed by but I have to admit, I was won over. By the end of the show I was soaked with sweat from how much headbanging and jumping around I did.
So let me review each of the members.
James – First of all, this is without a doubt the best I have ever seen him. Not only did he sound great but more importantly he was all over the stage, even jumping off of the drum riser at one point. He initiated so much crowd interaction that no one can deny he is an amazing front man. During Caught in a Web his voice cracked which only made him sing with more emotion to get it back on track. He even did a lot of improvising. For instance, in Endless Sacrifice he started singing/screaming the word “Sacrifice” over and over. It didn't necessarily add anything to the song but it was sure awesome to see him deviate from the norm. You could tell he was not phoning in this performance at all.
JP – What needs to be said about him? He was spot on the entire night. Walked around the stage a bit, had a lot of interaction with the crowd, and approached James in between one of the songs which prompted James to get a worried look on his face and say, “Are you going to pummel me?” He then gave the mic to John who said, “How 'bout them Bears?” Being that there was a fair amount of Wisconsiners in the audience there was a bit of booing.
JM – Ever focused he gave a great performance as per usual, except he seemed to interact with the guys a bit more.
JR – I have to admit, I thought the Zenn Riffer was dumb at first but it was pretty badass when he got it out and stood front and center with JM and JP. Obviously a flawless performance.
Mangini – In the second row I actually heard as much of the drums acoustically as I did amplified. While that didn't make for the most ideal sound, I did love having somewhat of a more intimate experience with the drums. Mike was ON the whole night and was even fucking around a bit and making faces at the guys when he would his various items on his monster of a kit. When he was introduced by James the audience went ballistic. James then tried to speak again and the audience would not shut up. Just about everyone there was in agreement that Mangini is THE drummer for Dream Theater and they are not and should not look back.
The acoustic set was incredibly beautiful even though they aren't my favorite songs. I was so thankful that Dream Theater now feels comfortable allowing just 2 or 3 members to have a bit of the limelight. Truly remarkable to just see Jordan, JM, and James playing Far From Heaven.
When I first heard DT in the 90s, it wasn't anything to special to me. Then I heard Scenes From a Memory and I liked some of the riffs but hated the prog parts. With every album they won me over more and more until Octavarium when I became a diehard. Now eleven years after my first Dream Theater concert I can truly say I have never been more excited for the band or the possibilities that lie ahead and I have never seen them kick so much ass.