2019 set list and tour discussion (**KEEP ALL SPOILERS HERE**)

[Samsara]

A lot of comment on the seating (or non-seating) choice by the band. For me, it depends. As I've gotten older, I prefer having seats. I'm short, so I continually deal with tall people being in front of me regardless of the configuration.

I firmly believe that GA configs provide a lot more energy. But for those that are saying that DT is a metal show -- they used to be. In the 90s. They aren't any longer. For those who feel this way - I'm with ya. Seeing SFAM from seats (albeit I was standing the whole time) was sorta...lame. Mosh pits were necessary at points, and there were none. When I saw it performed on Feb. 26, 2000, in NYC at Roseland, my only memory that remains was during "Home," where the entire audience had so much energy, that I literally was picked up off my feet (still vertical) and transported to the other side of the venue. It was both an incredible and scary feeling. But there was SO. MUCH. ENERGY.

These days, while that energy is lacking a bit, I absolutely see the safety concerns involved, and the shift in audience a bit (a lot of us old metal dudes are old now - ha ha).

But DT has evolved to become more of a metal opera kind of band whose audiences are less full-on metal, and more very technical and progressive driven (at least to my observation). So it makes sense. Sort of like how Savatage evolved into TSO essentially. So, I get it. Either way, its still a great show, and if DT prefers seated options when available, that's their choice. It doesn't bother me either way (although admittedly, my legs are killing me because I HAD to stand the entire time because of people in front of me on Sunday night - hahahaha).

[Anguyen92]

The frustrating thing for me regarding the seats in the floor section of the Wiltern Theater is that if you get placed in the far back of the section (like I was), you can't get a clear view of the stage because everyone was standing and since the area was all flat, it wasn't slanting downward too hard.  If I had known it was going to be the case, I would have picked a seat in the mezzanine or the lodge area in the second floor.  That way, I have a clear view of the stage regardless if people in front of me were standing or not.  If it was all GA, first come first serve, it would have been a lot better for my viewpoint on the floor since I would have gotten there a lot earlier and get a better chance at a better view.  Plus, with seats, you find that you risk the idea of someone standing on the seat to get a better view (I have mentioned my frustration about that enough, last Thursday, but it keeps being relevant in topics like this).

It's like if DT is going to be perceived like a metal opera, maybe the audience in the far back should react in kind and stay seated or be more considerate of the people behind them.  It's not that hard.

[TheLordOfTheStrings]

I prefer a seated venue, but only so I can have my designated spot. I prefer to stand in front of my seat, though these days at most DT shows the majority of the crowd sits which is unfortunate. I don't want to stand while the people behind me are sitting, so I sit. The first DT show I went to in a seated theater had pretty much the entire crowd standing which was awesome. I guess that was just a fluke.

Anyone else notice JP has switched to a wireless unit? He's always been a cable man. Probably has to do with the elaborate stage setup with the stairs and risers and whatnot. Thought it was interesting though.

[Samsara]

Anyone else notice JP has switched to a wireless unit? He's always been a cable man. Probably has to do with the elaborate stage setup with the stairs and risers and whatnot. Thought it was interesting though.

It was cool to see him running around a bit and using the risers. The band was a lot more active (JLB and JP, along with JR getting free using the keytar a couple times), and I'm glad. It brought a bit more energetic vibe.

Also -- I haven't scrolled back to see, but the animations used, particularly the headstones in the graveyard, were a very, very classy touch. Kudos to whoever in DT's camp thought of that. It didn't go unnoticed. 

[Dublagent66]

Yeah, it was cool to see JP moving around a lot more than he usually does and I'm sure he probably felt a lot less confined to one area.  Untethered Guitar God!

[Anguyen92]

Also -- I haven't scrolled back to see, but the animations used, particularly the headstones in the graveyard, were a very, very classy touch. Kudos to whoever in DT's camp thought of that. It didn't go unnoticed. 

That was a nice little touch.  When the Cornell headstone shown up, it got a big crowd response (and rightfully so) in LA.

[Samsara]

Amen. I think that was the last one. Got a good response in SF too.

[geeeemo]

A lot of comment on the seating (or non-seating) choice by the band. For me, it depends. As I've gotten older, I prefer having seats. I'm short, so I continually deal with tall people being in front of me regardless of the configuration.

I firmly believe that GA configs provide a lot more energy. But for those that are saying that DT is a metal show -- they used to be. In the 90s. They aren't any longer. For those who feel this way - I'm with ya. Seeing SFAM from seats (albeit I was standing the whole time) was sorta...lame. Mosh pits were necessary at points, and there were none. When I saw it performed on Feb. 26, 2000, in NYC at Roseland, my only memory that remains was during "Home," where the entire audience had so much energy, that I literally was picked up off my feet (still vertical) and transported to the other side of the venue. It was both an incredible and scary feeling. But there was SO. MUCH. ENERGY.

These days, while that energy is lacking a bit, I absolutely see the safety concerns involved, and the shift in audience a bit (a lot of us old metal dudes are old now - ha ha).

But DT has evolved to become more of a metal opera kind of band whose audiences are less full-on metal, and more very technical and progressive driven (at least to my observation). So it makes sense. Sort of like how Savatage evolved into TSO essentially. So, I get it. Either way, its still a great show, and if DT prefers seated options when available, that's their choice. It doesn't bother me either way (although admittedly, my legs are killing me because I HAD to stand the entire time because of people in front of me on Sunday night - hahahaha).

Standing in heels!! It's ok - I like to stand and the sore feet go with the sore ears! 

[cramx3]

Standing in heels!! It's ok - I like to stand and the sore feet go with the sore ears! 

  all part of the concert experience, occasionally with a hang over too

[bill1971]

Anyone else notice JP has switched to a wireless unit? He's always been a cable man. Probably has to do with the elaborate stage setup with the stairs and risers and whatnot. Thought it was interesting though.

It was cool to see him running around a bit and using the risers. The band was a lot more active (JLB and JP, along with JR getting free using the keytar a couple times), and I'm glad. It brought a bit more energetic vibe.

Also -- I haven't scrolled back to see, but the animations used, particularly the headstones in the graveyard, were a very, very classy touch. Kudos to whoever in DT's camp thought of that. It didn't go unnoticed. 

What headstones in the grave yard?

[Samsara]

During the Scenes portion of the show. I forget which show. It may have been The Spirit Carries On. I don't remember.

[Destiny Of Chaos]

That's incredible

[bill1971]

During the Scenes portion of the show. I forget which show. It may have been The Spirit Carries On. I don't remember.

Thank you. I meant what were the names on them?

[pg1067]

During the Scenes portion of the show. I forget which show. It may have been The Spirit Carries On. I don't remember.

Thank you. I meant what were the names on them?

Squire
Emerson
Cornell
Abbott

Those are the ones I remember, but there were more (probably had Lake too).

It was a very cool touch.  Squire was the first one I noticed, and then I realized what they were doing.  Almost brought a tear to my eye.

[bill1971]

During the Scenes portion of the show. I forget which show. It may have been The Spirit Carries On. I don't remember.

Thank you. I meant what were the names on them?

Squire
Emerson
Cornell
Abbott

Those are the ones I remember, but there were more (probably had Lake too).

It was a very cool touch.  Squire was the first one I noticed, and then I realized what they were doing.  Almost brought a tear to my eye.

Very nice.


On another note a great close video of Pale Blue Dot, can see Mangini very well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFwlJ9DoZL4

[JoeMLennon]

You can totally hear JLB getting the words wrong on the second verse and tracks louder than labrie getting them right.

[PetFish]

I really hate the stage design.  It makes no sense for a stationary band like Dream Theater to have steps and walkways.

I also wish they'd just put Rudess and Mangini in between the 3 front guys instead of having the drums always in the middle and Rudess right behind Myung.  JR for sure needs more space to cast his spells and putting Mangini further towards the other side would be great.  Petrucci has nothing behind him anyway so it's just wasted space.  Oh, wait, he has an acoustic guitar for a few songs that gets taken away for the others.

[Ben_Jamin]

Life was so simple then

[The Curious Orange]

On the last tour I went to see them at Le Zenith in Paris (GA) and Hammersmith Odeon (I refuse to call it the Eventime Apollo, It will always be the Hammy-O to me) in London (seated). Both shows were great, with lots of energy, but the Paris show had a lot more of that energy, and everyone at the Hammy-O stood all night anyway.

[the_silent_man]

So are there any interesting extended sections / solos etc this time? I liked how in the I&W tour they brought back those cool little things like the segment of enter sandman + Glasgow kiss, james' stories, bass solo etc.

[Rammstein]

So there were some comments after the first concert, where it was pointed out that JP did some uncommon hick ups. Anybody checked videos of more recent concerts of this tour and can say, if he already got it all down?

[gmillerdrake]

So there were some comments after the first concert, where it was pointed out that JP did some uncommon hick ups. Anybody checked videos of more recent concerts of this tour and can say, if he already got it all down?

I can’t imagine that he wouldn’t have addressed that. It’s fairly rare he has hiccups and the fact he had a couple probably didn’t sit well with him.

[mikeyd23]

Anyone else notice JP has switched to a wireless unit? He's always been a cable man. Probably has to do with the elaborate stage setup with the stairs and risers and whatnot. Thought it was interesting though.

That totally caught my attention, to the best of my knowledge, JP has never toured with a wireless unit before, he's ALWAYS been a cable guy. In fact he's made a point over the years of mentioning it in rig videos, that he prefers the sound of a cable. It's worth noting JMX is wireless for this tour too, not sure if he has ever done that before or not.

It's definitely done to improve mobility around the stage... That said...

I really hate the stage design.  It makes no sense for a stationary band like Dream Theater to have steps and walkways.

I don't hate the stage design, it's cool to see them try something different (for them) and the production value of the show seems great. But I agree, that it's weird to set the stage up like that because they still are largely stationary from the videos I've seen.

[fadetoblackdude7]

I fully embrace the stage design. They need to move around more! As long as it doesn’t make their performances sloppier.

[hefdaddy42]

I have been to multiple standing shows in the last couple of years, and as I (and my legs) am getting older, they absolutely take a toll on me for the rest of the evening and for a day or two afterwards.  So I am glad that at a DT show, I will have a seat should I need it (and I will).

[gzarruk]

Anyone else notice JP has switched to a wireless unit? He's always been a cable man. Probably has to do with the elaborate stage setup with the stairs and risers and whatnot. Thought it was interesting though.

That totally caught my attention, to the best of my knowledge, JP has never toured with a wireless unit before, he's ALWAYS been a cable guy. In fact he's made a point over the years of mentioning it in rig videos, that he prefers the sound of a cable. It's worth noting JMX is wireless for this tour too, not sure if he has ever done that before or not.

JP has always used cables and JM has been using wireless for a while now (funny, because he almost never moves during the show, I'd be surprised if he even blinks onstage at all ).

The stage design looks very very cool, and it's a nice change for them. Yes, they could move around a bit more, but they aren't 20 year olds running around the stage like on the Live in Tokyo IAW release anymore.

[bosk1]

I think it's a great setup.  It is a very cool looking design and adds a lot without being TOO busy or TOO elaborate.  And for a band that moves around as little as DT, it is nice for actually encouraging them to move a bit more.  From a visual perspective from the audience point of view, it makes the stage bigger.  For the band onstage, it takes away the big empty space that comprises most of downstage, and instead creates a lot more smaller spaces, which is nice for the band.  When they move to any given space, there isn't just this big awkward expanse of space that they don't know how to use, so the space can just feel a lot more manageable, and I think that translates better to the audience.

Now that they have a catwalk behind the drums, they just need to add in a movable keyboard track like what Coen Janssen in Epica has. 

[Architeuthis]

Now that they have a catwalk behind the drums, they just need to add in a movable keyboard track like what Coen Janssen in Epica has. 

They could set ap a roller coaster track so MM could play upside down like Tommy Lee. Could you imagine MM reaching for those highly mounted crash cymbals while inverted? 

[cramx3]

 

[Progmetty]

I prefer seated as well, I'm done with the pushing and shoving, the fight to remain in your spot, getting to the venue at 7 am to get a spot near the front.
Standing through shitty opening bands, stand waiting for the band to take the stage, getting so thirsty but not being able to leave your spot cause you know you won't be able to get back to it. Hardly being able to walk the next day, none of that shit is a fun part of the experience for me.
Unfortunately Dream Theater is the only band I like that does seating venues, as a result they're only band I see where I still function the following morning, except for my voice heh

[bill1971]

I think it's a great setup.  It is a very cool looking design and adds a lot without being TOO busy or TOO elaborate.  And for a band that moves around as little as DT, it is nice for actually encouraging them to move a bit more.  From a visual perspective from the audience point of view, it makes the stage bigger.  For the band onstage, it takes away the big empty space that comprises most of downstage, and instead creates a lot more smaller spaces, which is nice for the band.  When they move to any given space, there isn't just this big awkward expanse of space that they don't know how to use, so the space can just feel a lot more manageable, and I think that translates better to the audience.

Now that they have a catwalk behind the drums, they just need to add in a movable keyboard track like what Coen Janssen in Epica has. 

I thought that catwalk was so James could hit the cymbals if MM's arms got too tired.

I really liked the stage setup. A very cool feel.

[cramx3]

The stage design looks good to me, I initially wondered why they had the cat walk, but if people are saying they use it (I've spoiled myself with setlists and pics, but have stayed away from watching videos of their shows to leave that part up to when I see them), then that's good.  Seems they haven't moved much in the past and if they are using this extra space then I commend them for trying something new in their live show. 

[pg1067]

The stage design looks good to me, I initially wondered why they had the cat walk, but if people are saying they use it (I've spoiled myself with setlists and pics, but have stayed away from watching videos of their shows to leave that part up to when I see them), then that's good.  Seems they haven't moved much in the past and if they are using this extra space then I commend them for trying something new in their live show.

They used it a bit, but not much.  In retrospect, I can understand the view that says "why have it if you're barely going to use it."  My take is that I liked it but felt like they could have made more/better use of it.

[bosk1]

Well, as far as "using it," it put JR higher than his normal keyboard platform, so from that perspective, it was used constantly.  JP was up on the platform 3-4 times during the set in SF.  And it felt like James was up there every other or every 3rd song.  Granted, he didn't stay up there long, but still.  I think they made fine use of it. Heck, Maiden's platform area on their stages is massive, and other than Bruce being up there for The Trooper, they barely use it as I recall.

[Mladen]

That one is being used only by Bruce, and he spends almost half of every show up there.