Some Behind the Scenes pictures from Progressive Nation 2009 / BL&SL era Tour.

[Gromit1710]

I swear I had posted this back when it took place on this forum. But I could be mistaken, none of my usual emails were linked to an account here so I'm sure it was all just in my head 

With another tour coming up, I'm reminded of this and thought I'd share with DTF.org

In a previous life, I was a live sound engineer specializing in running monitors and managing all things stage/pa related for a good sized midwestern sound company. I made a lot of friends and connections on that side of the industry during my time. I left town and begun a different life somewhere else (one that didn't involve 20 hour days, intense stress and punishing labor) when one of these people called me up out of the blue with an opportunity to cross something off my bucket list.

Work a Dream Theater Show.

He's also a DT fan and when the Progressive Nation 2009 tour came through his city and scheduled his venue for a show in Milwaukee, WI at The Riverside Theater... he called me right away.  All I had to do was fly to Milwaukee and I had a spot on the local stage crew as a PA tech. I don't think I'd even hung up the phone with him before I was buying a ticket.

Here are some of the pictures I took ^_^

Everything starts with trusses and cables. Trusses and cables...


Starting to look like something





No pictures during getting the PA together. Work had to come first. But once it was done and sound check was over, I have a few hours of down time to wander 'round and ogle at things. I didn't touch ANYTHING and maintained a respectful distance from their stuff.... well.. except put my foot up on JP's footrest. COME ON... HOW COULD YOU NOT??

JP's Rig - The amps and cabs you see on stage are just dummies. Those two boogies in back are doing all the work.



Not gonna lie... Yes, I stuck my foot up on it. >.> I'msorryJohnpleaseforgiveme!



JR's world



Dat Keytar...



MP's World - God lord the temptation to step up on the platform was great. Little did I know that this would be the last time I'd see him perform with DT.



More of JP's stuff.



Here's Big John's (JP's guitar tech) tuning list for the show. They call him Big John for a reason. Dude is a massive specimen of man. Bald, and intimidating as hell. Could easily be their body guard...



Snuck into JLB's backstage hiding spot he goes into during instrumental breaks and found a little table there with this on it.



A few side stage shots during the performance. Sorry for potato quality. But using your phone to snap pics in that lighting is pretty much impossible.










Getting ready for the end of show bow




And just for proof this was me and not someone who found these on the internets somewhere...



Hope you enjoyed!

[Prog Snob]

These are great, Gromit! Thanks for sharing.  I'm glad you had the chance to experience this. It must have been quite a thrilling day.

[Gromit1710]

These are great, Gromit! Thanks for sharing.  I'm glad you had the chance to experience this. It must have been quite a thrilling day.

Not a problem at all! I'm happy to share!

It was an amazing day, yeah. Although not very good for actually watching the show. There's nothing much to hear when you're sidestage like that. All the sound is going out front and everything onstage was mixed using in ear monitors sooo... it was actually pretty quiet behind the monitor console 

About half way through the set I wandered out front and stood at the mixing board out in the crowd. Just in time to catch Eroto/voices and Count of Tuscany in it's entirety. Didn't see Metropolis as I had to get ready to start the tear out with the rest of the crew backstage and didn't make it back on deck until it was almost over.

Everyone on DT's traveling crew was incredibly nice and fun to work with. Their tour manager had an awesome sense of humor and even when Big John kicked me out of JP's guitar workstation just before the show started, he did it in a "not being an a-hole" kind of way. 

I didn't talk to anyone from the band except Jordan, and that was just a passing "Thanks for everything" comment in the lower halls after the show. There's kind of an unspoken professionalism with working crews that you don't fanboy or be obnoxious. As much as I wanted to squeal and freak out whenever I saw one of them, I didn't because I didn't want to be "that guy". A polite nod and a smile was all that came out of me.

Seeing Myung was probably the most surreal. Not quite sure why that was in particular. But he'd materialized right next to me with his bass on minutes before the show started and it completely caught me by surprise to be within arms reach of him so casually. All I remember is... his hair was amazingly black, long and shiny as he pulled it out from the strap across his back. 0_o

[mikeyd23]

Great pictures, thanks for sharing! It sounds like an incredible experience.

[DragonAttack]

Big thanks for the share.  A tad better than a meet n greet 

Curious as to the warm up band(s), as well as any chats or impressions.

[Gromit1710]

Big thanks for the share.  A tad better than a meet n greet 

Curious as to the warm up band(s), as well as any chats or impressions.

To be honest, I don't remember much of them. I remember Zappa plays Zappa was outstanding and entertaining as hell.

Big Elf was more of a 70's jam band throwback with a massive hammond B3 and vintage Leslie speaker that about took my ear off when it fired up next to me back stage while I was unaware.

But the award that night went to Scale The Summit. They blew me away.  All of them were under 20yrs old at the time and just amazingly technical with very good sense of how to write a hook.

Here's a bonus pic. It's the guitar the kid in the band was playing. Yes... 7 wasn't good enough for him. It's an 8 string guitar and the first one I'd seen in the wild.




I didn't really talk much with any of the musicans. Yes. They had a meet and greet that night and despite being the one that set up the tables and pipe and drape for the M&G area after the PA work was done, I didn't participate because I was busy doing other stuff when the meet and greet took place.

All was not lost though, even though I'd missed out on that chance, my buddy who'd called me there in the first place, had my back and had the band sign a glossy for me.



I probably missed out on more than one opportunity to talk to one of the guys in the band, but as said previously... there's an unspoken rule about being professional and respective of bands you're working with when you're working that level of a show backstage. They set up specific times to talk with fans and be social. In the grand scheme of things, they're there to work and who knows if they have other things on their mind to deal with than to have a random fan with extraordinary access that they can't get away from bugging them. Jordan had his wife and young kids there that night and they were running around. I dunno... just feels weird to impose like that.

As much as I wanted to just gush about how much I appreciate the work they do, there's a time and place... and I'd earned my place and trust of the venue manager to be backstage by agreeing to that rule and not make an ass of myself. 

 
 

[Setlist Scotty]

Very cool Gromit - thanx for the pix and for sharing your experience. Totally understand you're not wanting to disturb the band members since you were there to work. But still cool that you got to do what you did!

[Chino]

Sweet pics dude!