Future Tour Setlist...

[KevShmev]

I'm in favor of almost anything replacing Untethered Angel as the opener, unless it is something gross like You Not Me or Constant Motion.

[KidInTheDark666]

I'd kill to hear Constant Motion live.

[Architeuthis]

PBD being too long? I've seen DT open with Met1 and The Glass Prison (both are longer than PBD)

You're comparing The Glass Prison, the song with probably the greatest build up/intro of any Dream Theater song ever to PBD.

I like PBD better than TGP.  It's more original sounding to me. You can hear Pantera and other influences in TGP,  while PBD is pure Dream Theater..   

[Volante99]

PBD being too long? I've seen DT open with Met1 and The Glass Prison (both are longer than PBD)

You're comparing The Glass Prison, the song with probably the greatest build up/intro of any Dream Theater song ever to PBD.

I like PBD better than TGP.  It's more original sounding to me. You can hear Pantera and other influences in TGP,  while PBD is pure Dream Theater..   

My point wasn't to argue whether or not PBD is a good song or better than TGP (personally, I'm not a fan of the song, but that's beside the point). The discussion is on whether or not PBD is a good song, structurally, to open a show with.
Again, you usually want to start a show with a commanding, strong or attention grabbing riff and chorus. PBD is more effective at the end of the set, as a closing statement which is why they put it at the end of the album and closed out their first set with it.

[Architeuthis]

PBD being too long? I've seen DT open with Met1 and The Glass Prison (both are longer than PBD)

You're comparing The Glass Prison, the song with probably the greatest build up/intro of any Dream Theater song ever to PBD.

I like PBD better than TGP.  It's more original sounding to me. You can hear Pantera and other influences in TGP,  while PBD is pure Dream Theater..   

PBD is more effective at the end of the set, as a closing statement which is why they put it at the end of the album and closed out their first set with it.

Couldn't agree more! 

The best opener for me would be TROAE,  like they did on Score.  Great intro going into a heavy riff, and the song itself is a good warmer-upper since it's not too technical to play,  like TGP..

[EPIC Outro]

I personally think PBD is stronger than some of the songs they've actually opened with over the years. I think it would go over well.

[Fritzinger]

PBD being too long? I've seen DT open with Met1 and The Glass Prison (both are longer than PBD)

Obviously there's some exceptions. You're comparing The Glass Prison, the song with probably the greatest build up/intro of any Dream Theater song ever to PBD. Honestly, the Glass Prison works anywhere in a set.

I don't get the opener-length argument... They've opened with Bridges In The Sky, The Dark Eternal Night, A Nightmare To Remember, as well as the mentioned The Glass Prison and Metropolis. And all of those have wanky instrumental sections. Even The Root Of All Evil is exactly as long as Pale Blue Dot.

I still think this song would rock you out of your socks as an opener 

By the way, Transatlantic opened their concerts with a 79 minute song during their 2010 Whirld Tour 

[Bentower]

I can imagine the first two riffs of PBD kicking off a show swimmingly and the ending could segue into a number of songs with ease.

[hefdaddy42]

PBD being too long? I've seen DT open with Met1 and The Glass Prison (both are longer than PBD)

Obviously there's some exceptions. You're comparing The Glass Prison, the song with probably the greatest build up/intro of any Dream Theater song ever to PBD. Honestly, the Glass Prison works anywhere in a set.

I don't get the opener-length argument... They've opened with Bridges In The Sky, The Dark Eternal Night, A Nightmare To Remember, as well as the mentioned The Glass Prison and Metropolis. And all of those have wanky instrumental sections. Even The Root Of All Evil is exactly as long as Pale Blue Dot.

I still think this song would rock you out of your socks as an opener 

By the way, Transatlantic opened their concerts with a 79 minute song during their 2010 Whirld Tour 

If I'm not mistaken, they actually opened once or twice with the entire In The Presence of Enemies.

[bosk1]

I would like to see S2N open. The lights all dark, then just the spotlight on JM as he plays that opening riff. 

[cramx3]

  would actually be pretty cool to open a show with the spotlight on JM

[Setlist Scotty]

PBD being too long? I've seen DT open with Met1 and The Glass Prison (both are longer than PBD)

Obviously there's some exceptions. You're comparing The Glass Prison, the song with probably the greatest build up/intro of any Dream Theater song ever to PBD. Honestly, the Glass Prison works anywhere in a set.

I don't get the opener-length argument... They've opened with Bridges In The Sky, The Dark Eternal Night, A Nightmare To Remember, as well as the mentioned The Glass Prison and Metropolis. And all of those have wanky instrumental sections. Even The Root Of All Evil is exactly as long as Pale Blue Dot.

I still think this song would rock you out of your socks as an opener 

By the way, Transatlantic opened their concerts with a 79 minute song during their 2010 Whirld Tour 

If I'm not mistaken, they actually opened once or twice with the entire In The Presence of Enemies.

Actually, 4 times - the opening 3 shows of the European Fall tour, as well as Paris.   

[Ben_Jamin]

I'm in favor of almost anything replacing Untethered Angel as the opener, unless it is something gross like You Not Me or Constant Motion.

I would like to see S2N open. The lights all dark, then just the spotlight on JM as he plays that opening riff. 

Since they played the album opener as first song on tour now, S2N sounds like a great idea. I agree that Untethered Angel wasn't a great opener, especially for JLB since it's a really demanding song for him, I think he'd sound better on it if it was further in the set when he's more warmed up and feeling the vibe.

[geeeemo]

I would like to see S2N open. The lights all dark, then just the spotlight on JM as he plays that opening riff. 

[Chino]

would actually be pretty cool to open a show with the spotlight on JM

Isn't that how LAB was with As I Am as the opener?

[Architeuthis]

would actually be pretty cool to open a show with the spotlight on JM

Isn't that how LAB was with As I Am as the opener?

Yes indeed!   

[hefdaddy42]

PBD being too long? I've seen DT open with Met1 and The Glass Prison (both are longer than PBD)

Obviously there's some exceptions. You're comparing The Glass Prison, the song with probably the greatest build up/intro of any Dream Theater song ever to PBD. Honestly, the Glass Prison works anywhere in a set.

I don't get the opener-length argument... They've opened with Bridges In The Sky, The Dark Eternal Night, A Nightmare To Remember, as well as the mentioned The Glass Prison and Metropolis. And all of those have wanky instrumental sections. Even The Root Of All Evil is exactly as long as Pale Blue Dot.

I still think this song would rock you out of your socks as an opener 

By the way, Transatlantic opened their concerts with a 79 minute song during their 2010 Whirld Tour 

If I'm not mistaken, they actually opened once or twice with the entire In The Presence of Enemies.

Actually, 4 times - the opening 3 shows of the European Fall tour, as well as Paris.   

[bosk1]

That's why they call him SetlistHeffy42

[hefdaddy42]

That's why they call him SetlistHeffy42

[cramx3]

would actually be pretty cool to open a show with the spotlight on JM

Isn't that how LAB was with As I Am as the opener?

touche forgot about that, but then again, as much as I love that live album (it's my favorite of theirs), I can't recall the last time I watched it from the beginning to remember this

[EPIC Outro]

I got to see Myung open a show on a Chapman stick during the second leg of World Tourbulence. Pretty cool moment.

[RaiseTheKnife]

I was fortunate enough to be at the show the first time Myung ever played the stick live - and yes, the show opened with New Millennium. 

[EPIC Outro]

No disrespect to NM,  but that is one case where I would have enjoyed PBD more as an opener, though I love it when DT does something unexpected like open a show with NM.

[sfam2112]

I got to see Myung open a show on a Chapman stick during the second leg of World Tourbulence. Pretty cool moment.

I got to see JM open the first DT show I ever saw (the following summer with Queensryche). Not with the Chapman stick though. The Glass Prison. 😀

[Ben_Jamin]

I got to see Myung open a show on a Chapman stick during the second leg of World Tourbulence. Pretty cool moment.

I got to see JM open the first DT show I ever saw (the following summer with Queensryche). Not with the Chapman stick though. The Glass Prison. 😀

Same here, except it was Gigantour. Me and my cousin had grass tickets, my other cousin was there and got us in to the lower bowl closer to the stage. It was funny because my cousin pulled out the wrong ticket and we had to go around. I hears DT start and we walked up the to the Lawn. There is when JM cane out and started The Glass Prison. It was epic getting to our seats when the band kicked into full throttle. It was neat hearing the transition into This Dying Soul.

[SeRoX]

I think The Killing Hand and Voices need new arrangement for James and they must see the stage light again.

[IgnotusPerIgnotium]

I think The Killing Hand and Voices need new arrangement for James and they must see the stage light again.

Definitely..I really miss A Mind Beside Itself trilogy..or they could just pick whatever song they'd like to do..but beyond that, for sure, they should really find a way to play them again and be as presentable as possible for James.

[Setlist Scotty]

I think The Killing Hand and Voices need new arrangement for James and they must see the stage light again.

So that they could include Voices and TtT, a very simple solution would be to simply excise the verses that are problematic for JL. That's what they did while MP was in the band - playing abridged versions of those 2 songs. It still allowed for those songs to be in the setlist without JL having to struggle. The majority of the song was played so the medley-haters didn't get upset (hi Shmev and Tim!  )  OTOH, they didn't do that when they performed TtT on the 2017 tour, and his performances of that particular section of the song were often difficult to listen to despite the dropped tuning.

Don't know what they could do in the case of TKH to make it easier on him.

[EPIC Outro]

I think they should keep the sections and just take the time (heh) to write a solid, well thought out, pleasing, and permanent new vocal melody for the tough spots.

[Volante99]

I think they should keep the sections and just take the time (heh) to write a solid, well thought out, pleasing, and permanent new vocal melody for the tough spots.

Yep. I see James Hetfield doing this a bit and it comes off great. Some adjustments and they could definitely pull off those old tunes.

[KevShmev]

Along those lines, JLB could easily "dumb down" the melody a bit as well to suit his current voice. Heck, Geddy Lee did it with the Temples of Syrinx section of 2112 for a good 30 years of touring, so I don't see why James couldn't do the same with the tougher sections, rather than still trying to belt them out and sounding not very good.  I think that is his biggest problem in recent years, when he tries to do too much.  He sounded really good for most of the show when I saw them play all of The Astonishing, but there were a handful of times he tried to take something up into the stratosphere for no reason and it didn't sound good at all. There is nothing wrong with recognizing your limitations and adjusting accordingly.

[Cool Chris]

All of that. And if JP follows the WWRD dictum, that makes their refusal to do it even more confounding.

[RodrigoAltaf]

The approach they had on the ADTOE tour, where two or three slots in the setlist rotated from one night to the next, is perfectly feasible, and I'd love for them to do something like that again.

[RaiseTheKnife]

Try this on for size.  Hopefully, you'll follow the theme I'm suggesting for the second set.

Set 1
On the Backs of Angels
Behind the Veil
S2N
Room 137
Caught in a Web
Disappear

Set 2:  The Full Circle Suite
Finally Free
The Glass Prison
Six Degrees Part VII: Losing Time/Grand Finale
As I Am
In the Name of God
The Root of All Evil/
Octavarium (Abridged)*

Encore
Viper King

*Segways from Root of All Evil piano outro into JM bass riff from Octavarium Part II Medicate (Awakening), which are musical codas to each other.  This segue allows for JP to switch guitars from E flat to standard tuning.  The abridgement also saves 10 minutes in the setlist.

[pg1067]

Try this on for size.  Hopefully, you'll follow the theme I'm suggesting for the second set.

Set 1
On the Backs of Angels
Behind the Veil
S2N
Room 137
Caught in a Web
Disappear

Set 2:  The Full Circle Suite
Finally Free
The Glass Prison
Six Degrees Part VII: Losing Time/Grand Finale
As I Am
In the Name of God
The Root of All Evil/
Octavarium (Abridged)*

Encore
Viper King

*Segways from Root of All Evil piano outro into JM bass riff from Octavarium Part II Medicate (Awakening), which are musical codas to each other.  This segue allows for JP to switch guitars from E flat to standard tuning.  The abridgement also saves 10 minutes in the setlist.

So...something like this???