How did you Get into Dream Theater?

[Saminator]

Hey everyone!

First topic i've done considering i just joined aha!

How did you first get into Dream Theater?

My story: One day my friend showed me this super awesome band back in the time i was only into classic rock (AC/DC master's of 4/4) and made me listen to forsaken. Immediately hearing that it was metal sounding, I turned it down, how stupid was i? Very. Went home the same day, gave it another listen. I fell in love. I've been a fan for Dream theater for quite some time and John Petrucci's playing has really inspired me as a musician.

care to share?

[Ħ]

I googled "forums" and "bacon" and found this place.

[Metrovarium]

I liked Panic Attack, which I heard from playing on Rock Band, but I never really tried to listen to more DT songs. Then, one day when I had some spare money, I decided to buy Black Clouds & Silver Linings on iTunes. Needless to say, I bought three more DT albums the next day.

[TheGodOfN00bs]

I started listening to The Black Mages(Instrumental prog metal band from Nobuo Uematsu), then I read some reviews of their albums and always remembered they said it was similar to Dream Theater. So after that I started listening to Dream Theater... Best decision I've ever made.

[Zook]

Well, I was about to say I got into them through Symphony X's Through The Looking Glass but I think I may have it backwards. Either way, I first heard Surrounded in 2006 and put on a mix CD, and after several listens, really liked it, so I got Live At Budokan. Unfortunately, I didn't like that, so I traded it back. Then I downloaded Images And Words which had the description of having a corrupt track. That track would be Pull Me Under. So I faded the song out and burned the album and listened to that for awhile. Then I downloaded the rest of DT's discography, and listened to Scenes From A Memory next. The opening hypnotherapist bit threw me for a loop, but I kept listening only to discover that this CD is fucking awesome. So I went to Best Buy shortly after and bought it. I believe Six Degrees was next, but I mostly listened to Disc 2 (I put it as one song on an "Epics & Trilogies" MP3 Cd I made). Disc 1 was not easy to get into. I eventually learned from DT.net or DTF.com that Pull Me Under was supposed to cut off like that....

I've since bought all their albums including Live At Budokan again. DT rules and is still my favorite band.

[wammabe]

I started listening to The Black Mages(Instrumental prog metal band from Nobuo Uematsu), then I read some reviews of their albums and always remembered they said it was similar to Dream Theater. So after that I started lidtening to Dream Theater... Best decision I've ever made.

I also listened to Black Mages a lot, I think its part of the reason why I fell in love with DT so quickly after listening to their more progressive songs.

Anyways, it started with Panic Attack on Rock Band, I already listened to The Dance of Eternity, but didn't know that it was from the same band for some time. After finding out that they were both made by Dream Theater, I got into music.

[Var]

Someone showed me Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence.  Then Octavarium (the song; I didn't listen to the entire album at the time).  They were good, so, I decided to check for more.

[DreamTension]

My dad actually turned me on to Scenes from a Memory early "in the year 2000" (holds flashlight to chin).  I was a senior in high school, saw them play the whole album live with the Dixie Dregs opening. DT  has opened my mind to so much amazing music since then!

[Cookstar]

I first heard "Pull Me Under" on the radio in the early 90s.  I went into a record store and the lady behind the counter said that Images and Words was an excellent album so I bought it.  The rest is history.

I never thought about them becoming the prog metal kings and producing one of their most anticipated albums almost 20 years later.

[FiberglassMoon]

It's funny because I remember exactly how it happened like it was yesterday.  I was in the car headed up to Maine for vacation with my friend and his family, and I was browsing through my his CD case (That's how you did things in 2003 when you're 13 years old). I asked if he had anything that was heavy that I didn't already have or hadn't listened to.  He picked out a burned copy of Train of Thought and told me how his older cousin was really into Dream Theater. He said it wasn't like ultra heavy or anything but it was definitely pretty good.

I popped the CD in my Walkman, and was instantly blown-the-fuck-away by the intro to As I Am.  I had never heard anything like it before since my music diet at the time consisted of mainly Linkin Park and other bands of the same ilk.  

Then JLB started singing, and I was like "oh WTF is this crap".  Luckily, the instrumental side of it was just so amazing that I had to keep listening.  The 7:47 length of As I Am seemed ludicrous to me at the time as I had never listened to anything over 5 mins long before.  The whole entire trip I could not stop listening to ToT, and eventually started to enjoy JLB's vocals.  

With few exceptions, ToT was the only thing I listened to from August until about May of the next year.  Then I suddenly got the great idea that perhaps I should see what Dream Theater's other music sounded like.  SDOIT was the next thing I picked up, and at first was disappointed that it wasn't as heavy.  Then I started to warm up to their prog stuff....then started to like it even more then the heavy stuff, and, like they say....the rest is history.

[Phoenix87x]

When I was 7 years old my Uncle would put on Falling Into Infinity and Awake a lot and it was really him who introduced me to them. At the time, being that young, DT went way above me head. Then when I was 12, I bought Scenes from a Memory and still it just was not clicking. SFOAM sat on the self for like a year until I really gave it a chance and I remember the night when it finally did click and I was like "Wow, I have never heard anything like this in my life". What really sealed the deal though was when I was 15, I picked up Train of Thought just on a whim and it was like magic. It was the right album at the right time and I just got lost in that album. After about a year of listening to TOT, I bought Images and Words(not realizing was its was) and it was at that point that Dream Theater became my favorite band in the world.

[Mosh]

Iron Maiden/Dream Theater. June 14th 2010. 

[Vajra]

Was watching the DBZ special "History of Trunks" in 6th or 7th grade (2004ish I'd say), and I heard "Home" played on it during the beginning. Needless to say I was blown away, thought it was some of the best music I had ever heard. At the time I assumed it was just music done by the composer, Bruce Faulconer.

Fast forward to a year or two later, my friend tells me I have to check out this awesome song by this band that his uncle got him into. Ironically, it was "Home" the rest is history...

[Captainchaos204]

I found 'em through their covers of Dark Side of the Moon .. wish i'd have found them sooner though!!

[Vajra]

Iron Maiden/Dream Theater. June 14th 2010. 

It's amazing how many new fans DT has been getting over the last couple years. It seems like since Systematic Chaos, the band has been becoming friggen huge. If ADOTE is as good as everyone is saying it is, and the band continues to release great albums, I can see DT eventually reaching the status of Rush. (maybe)

[Mosh]

They just put on an amazing show. When a band has that type of attitude it attracts fans.

[Vajra]

They just put on an amazing show. When a band has that type of attitude it attracts fans.

You looking forward to The Dark Knight Rises man? I'm betting it will be as good, if not better, than TDK.

(sorry offtopic, just had to say that since I saw his username lol)

Back on topic...

They just put on an amazing show. When a band has that type of attitude it attracts fans.

That they do. I was never much a fan of "Constant Motion" yet when they opened the show with it back in 07, it was easily the greatest concert experience of my life. (along side hearing Trivium which was my 2nd concert ever, back at Sounds of the Underground 06)

Also the instrumental section of "Endless Sacrifice" is a fucking thing to behold live.

[wolven74]

Saw the video for PMU on MTV's Headbangers Ball, in '92. Loved the riff and the energy of the song as a whole. Went out the next day, bought I&W off the one song. At first listen to the cd I was a little put off. It was my first exposure to prog metal, and I thought the instrumental parts were too long. I kept wondering when the rest of the lyrics would come in. I didn't listen to it for about a month. Then went back to it because I needed something fresh and heavy, and I remembered PMU. I put it in the car and really listened to the songs, the lyrics, the writing, and I really got hooked into the feelings behind the songs. I remember hearing Surrounded and really listening to the lyrics, and I was hooked! Then heard LTL all the way through with appreciation and was    

Have been hooked on them ever since.  

[Mosh]

They just put on an amazing show. When a band has that type of attitude it attracts fans.

You looking forward to The Dark Knight Rises man? I'm betting it will be as good, if not better, than TDK.

Oh yes I am very looking forward to it.  Dark Knight was easily the best Batman movie to date.

[BlobVanDam]

"How did you first get into Dream Theater?"

I auditioned along with 6 other drummers and got the part.

[ResultsMayVary]

My friend gave me a copy of Octavarium the day it was released. Needless to say, I immediately went and bought Octavarium and SDOIT (the only two CDs that store had at the time). I have since purchased every album with the exception of WDADU (does WDADRU count?) lol.

[blackngold29]

I was not aware I was in Dream Theater.

Har har.


But really, I watched Instrumedely at my cousin's house.

[Saminator]

"How did you first get into Dream Theater?"

I auditioned along with 6 other drummers and got the part.

So You're Derek Roddy aha. ( He had no drive or anything to really get in)

[reo73]

PMU video on MTV in '92.  Bought the I&W CD a few months later after 'Take The Time' hit the radio waves.

[Saminator]

Was watching the DBZ special "History of Trunks" in 6th or 7th grade (2004ish I'd say), and I heard "Home" played on it during the beginning. Needless to say I was blown away, thought it was some of the best music I had ever heard. At the time I assumed it was just music done by the composer, Bruce Faulconer.

Fast forward to a year or two later, my friend tells me I have to check out this awesome song by this band that his uncle got him into. Ironically, it was "Home" the rest is history...

My mind is blown on so many levels. I can't believe Home was in Dragon Ball z. I just screamed out "HOLY SHIT" and my friends jumped aha.

[tristl]

Super question.
I'm 47 years now and in a way all my life i was searching for "my" music.
first time i heard about DT was early 1995, at that time i was listening to bands like thin lizzy, van halen, iron maiden but in a way i was still searching.
i'm a cook and was working in gothenbourg, sweden that time. a guy who worked in the kitchen said : you are listening to cool bands but the best is DT you have to listen to them, but don't buy their new cd(awake) take the one before(i&w) it's easier to begin to.
when i was walking in the store they just had  awake so i bought it.
i have to admit i didn't like it, i had a little very bad mobile cd player with a bad sound so awake sounded very cold and unusal for me.
End of part one.
2006 i was back in germany and had bought a big led screen to watch the soccer world cup in germany, unluckyly the tv broke down after two weeks. when the guy from samsung came to repair the screen i wanted to show him whats wrong, i had a pink floyd dvd in my player so i turned it on. the guy said oh cool but there is a band called DT , you should see their version of dark side of the moon, you can order it from their homepage.
i bought that plus the maiden and metallica covers then I&W, then the rest then everything you can get in official bootlegs.
2007 i was at my first DT concert in porto, since then 7 times two m&g, the last concert was 4th of july in rome.
i have become a DT maniac, its just what i was always looking for, heavy , melodic, never booring, just great.
awake has become a big favourite, i love the new stuff as well as the old stuff, i ordered already the deluxe version of  adtoe and hope they do many concerts on mondays(the restaurant is only closed on mondays, my only day off) in europe. hope they go on for at least 20 more years.
 

[obscure]

I googled "forums" and "bacon" and found this place.

 

[nikatapi]

I wasn't a metal nor a prog fan, but my guitar professor played Overture 1928 one day, and i told him to teach me how to play it.
He told me i was not skilled enough at this point, but i insisted and i managed to play it.
I asked which band was this music from, and he told me it was DT.
I went to a record store, and bought Train Of Thought without even knowing one song from this album, and after some repeated listening sessions, i was a fan.

[jcmoorehead]

Back just before Octavarium released I got into playing Matrix Online and was in a faction called Prophets of the Martyr. I used to stay up late talking to the faction leader about music and whatever. At the time I was very heavily into Pink Floyd and on AIM she started to send me snippets of the track Octavarium saying I might like it. I noticed straight away how it sounded like Shine On and eventually I got the entire track. I absolutely loved it and it was probably the first epic I truly liked. (I do like Echoes but there are parts where it tends to drag) After this I made a note to go out and buy the album itself, brought it home and it was unlike anything I'd heard before.

From there I got into Scenes and it wasn't until after SC that I picked up the rest of what they have to offer.

[Silver Tears]

I googled "forums" and "bacon" and found this place.

 


My brother told me to listen to Six Degrees when I was ten or eleven (he's five years older and was getting into metal/progressive music) and I loved it and spent the next few months listening to it every night before I went to sleep 

[Zydar]

Through Adrenaline Mob.





Nah, I heard PMU during late 2000 and bought Images + Awake. Gave them a few spins and put them on the shelf for a few years. Went back to them in 2007 and became a fan. Bought all their CDs and DVDs and stuff.

[Addy]

Well, I got into Dream Theater somewhere around late 2006. My story of getting into DT is a bit strange I think. I'm a guitar player and at the time I was obsessed with finding new video guitar lessons. One day I heard that JP's "Rock Discipline" is one of the best instructional DVD's available, so I immediately got it. After watching the whole thing and nearly putting my guitar on ebay () because of how stunned I was by his skills I thought that I have to check this Dream Theater out. I started quite unfortunately with WDADU. First couple of songs felt meh, but when I heard Ytse Jam I fell in love. Then I heard Octavarium and that was it !

[ryan1562]

i got into dream theater because of the intro of home i was researching middle eastern scales randomly and that came up and i have been a fan every since lol.. very random.

[John94]

Endless Sacrifice.

I got into DT about 2006. Completely by mistake or accident or fate. I was talking to a friend on a messenger and they send me a random audio clip of a complete rocking song with an emoticon of  . So I heard some lyrics in it (moments wasted, isolated) done a google search and then found the name and listened to the rest of the song which happened to be, Endless Sacrifice.

[DarkEternalNight]

Back in late 2008, I heard Panic Attack on Rock Band and it was unlike I ever heard but for some reason, never looked it up. Fast forward to Fall of '09, Black Clouds had just came out and my friend showed me the video to A Rite Of Passage. I became a fan then.