Top Of The World Tour 2023

[DTwwbwMP]

very happy with SG and ATC though!

[wolfking]

No Train Of Thought at all.
I was expecting ITNOG as an encore.

Agreed,,,,very weak!

Wait.....unless you agree and I misinterpreted your thumbs down? lol.

[TAC]

JP loves himself some Caught In A Web. No idea why they'd play that AND 6:00.

 

Are you agreeing with me or giving me the thumbs down for my opinion? I can't tell!

[DTwwbwMP]

Was it the whole ending of Six Degrees or just SS and ATC?

SS, about to crash (reprise), losing time.

This alone is worth the ticket price. Thank you very much for the update!

 

[DTwwbwMP]

JP loves himself some Caught In A Web. No idea why they'd play that AND 6:00.

 

Are you agreeing with me or giving me the thumbs down for my opinion? I can't tell!

  Agreeing with you. Should have just replaced 6:00 with CIAW

[EPIC Outro]

I have always wanted to see CIAW live, so I hope it remains in the setlist when they come back to the USA.

[pg1067]

I LOVE the set list.

I could do without ever seeing PMU again, but it always slays live.  BITS seems like something that ought to have been swapped out, but no biggie.  I still love the song.  The SDOIT pieces are AWESOME.

[EPIC Outro]

I'm going to make an ambitious prediction - some shows will swap BITS for Endless Sacrifice, and Answering the Call for Transcending Time.

[pg1067]

If you're right, I really hope they to TT at whatever LA area show they play.

[geeeemo]

Dream Theater do a great job with concert set-lists. Since I discovered them 7 years ago, I have seen 64 different songs live by DT. And I missed the Images, Words and Beyond tour. Granted The Asonishing is 34 songs, but still. How fantastic is that!!  There will always be songs I wish they would play and others maybe not as much, but really nothing at a DT concert disappoints.

[EPIC Outro]

I'm curious - for those who consider Six Degrees to be one single song, do you think DT added three songs to their set tonight with Solitary Shell, About to Crash Reprise, and Losing Time the Grand Finale? If not, how would you define these additions to the set?

[TAC]

They added three songs to the set to me.

[sfam2112]

I'm going to make an ambitious prediction - some shows will swap BITS for Endless Sacrifice, and Answering the Call for Transcending Time.

Eh. I hope not. I prefer BiTS and Answering The Call.
But that's just me. 🙂

JP loves himself some Caught In A Web.

...and Six Degrees disc 2. Seems like Disc 1 has been blacklisted since "The Great Debate" didn't go over in the US on the Dramatic tour.

As far as having both 6:00 and CiAW in the set, I have no complaints at all there. The more Awake, the better.

[TAC]

Video!

Part of AVFTTOTW
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeQSfKN4Mfw

Ending of TCOT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZYqH2CX0xI

[gzarruk]

The new setlist is both good and not good at the same time

The good: the SDOIT sections, ATC and SG.

The not so good: CIAW, Bridges, PMU again?

I think they nailed it with most of the new additions, but it's some of the stuff that stayed that doesn't quite work for me.

[James Mypetgiress]

I'm really excited to see this setlist live!
The sections from SDOIT have me very excited, especially Solitary Shell. I love that piece a LOT.
A little disappointed they kept 6:00 and ditched Ministry. In my now 5 times seeing DT I think 6:00 has been on the setlist for 3 of them... Ministry was the highlight for me on the first leg of the tour.
Maybe controversial but I'm very excited for CiaW, and I am yet to actually catch PMU live, so I'm pretty happy with that being added.
Was hoping the encore would have changed, I was really hoping for ACOS or Octavarium, as much as that was a longshot

[EPIC Outro]

Also, why is CIAW controversial? Is it because it has been played a lot? In many ways, I always considered it a quintessential Dream Theater song.

[TAC]

Also, why is CIAW controversial? Is it because it has been played a lot? In many ways, I always considered it a quintessential Dream Theater song.

Personally, I consider it a below average DT song, not that I don't like it. I'm fine I guess with them playing it, but I don't understand why it's being played AND 6:00 is being played. Plus they have played it on a couple of tours already with Mangini. Both songs, actually.

[gzarruk]

Here's the now controversial BITS from last night's show: https://youtu.be/E-UuM2hZ2L0

They removed all pre-recorded backing vocals and actually turned up JP's mic volume for the first time in many years. It definitely sounds better, more organic and "live", but it also exposes James' struggles a lot more.

[James Mypetgiress]

Here's the now controversial BITS from last night's show: https://youtu.be/E-UuM2hZ2L0

They removed all pre-recorded backing vocals and actually turned up JP's mic volume for the first time in many years. It definitely sounds better, more organic and "live", but it also exposes James' struggles a lot more.

James sounds like he's really struggling here... one of the comments mentions microphone issues. I hope that is the case, combined with first night of the tour. It is very nice to hear JP's actual backing vocals again. His voice sounds good here!

[SeRoX]

Facebook and youtube comments mostly mention about James' mic issue. I hope it's really mic issue because watching BITS is painful.

[sfam2112]

Facebook and youtube comments mostly mention about James' mic issue. I hope it's really mic issue because watching BITS is painful.

There's definitely mic issues because it keeps cutting out but it sounds like either he can't hear himself or maybe he's sick. When he jumped down an octave...ouch. 😖
I feel for him. That's a tough gig.

[DTwwbwMP]

Here's the now controversial BITS from last night's show: https://youtu.be/E-UuM2hZ2L0

They removed all pre-recorded backing vocals and actually turned up JP's mic volume for the first time in many years. It definitely sounds better, more organic and "live", but it also exposes James' struggles a lot more.

 
 

[Trav86]

I have a feeling the people that acted like using those vocal tracks was so awful are going to miss them.

[Ben_Jamin]

They really didn't need to remove them. They just had to turn them down a bit in the mix.

[nobloodyname]

Well, it certainly sounds live now. And that's good.

But James. Crikey.

[Ben_Jamin]

I have a feeling the people that acted like using those vocal tracks was so awful are going to miss them.

"the fabric of reality is tearing apart" 

[jimgolf]

I really just don’t understand why they keep trotting songs out that they know James is going to have a tough time singing. Grand finale? caught in a web? Pull Me Under? and he was already struggling a bit with 6:00 and Bridges but they kept those as well. They have so many songs they could play that would be much easier on him (or maybe throw in an instrumental or two to give him a break).

Actually the latest Lost Not Forgotten release from 2010 is a great example of a set list that James could probably sing pretty well. 4 pretty easy songs, 1 more difficult(home) and one difficult (pull me under). A good balance.

[Ben_Jamin]

Facebook and youtube comments mostly mention about James' mic issue. I hope it's really mic issue because watching BITS is painful.

There's definitely mic issues because it keeps cutting out but it sounds like either he can't hear himself or maybe he's sick. When he jumped down an octave...ouch. 😖
I feel for him. That's a tough gig.

That jump down an Octave is what he has been singing this entire tour. Without the backing tracks, it's more noticable now what part of that harmony he was actually singing. And with those backing tracks so high in the mix, those lower vocals were drowned out.

[KevShmev]

I really just don’t understand why they keep trotting songs out that they know James is going to have a tough time singing. Grand finale? caught in a web? Pull Me Under? and he was already struggling a bit with 6:00 and Bridges but they kept those as well. They have so many songs they could play that would be much easier on him (or maybe throw in an instrumental or two to give him a break).

Actually the latest Lost Not Forgotten release from 2010 is a great example of a set list that James could probably sing pretty well. 4 pretty easy songs, 1 more difficult(home) and one difficult (pull me under). A good balance.

I think we have to consider the very real possibility that the songs they are picking ARE the ones James is least likely to struggle with these days, which is worrisome for their live performances future going forward.  I wouldn't think the verses to Bridges in the Sky would be that difficult, but even those in the clip from last night sounded...not good.  I couldn't make it through the whole song, to be honest.

[jimgolf]

I think we have to consider the very real possibility that the songs they are picking ARE the ones James is least likely to struggle with these days, which is worrisome for their live performances future going forward.  I wouldn't think the verses to Bridges in the Sky would be that difficult, but even those in the clip from last night sounded...not good.  I couldn't make it through the whole song, to be honest.

So here’s a couple examples. 6:00 and Caught in a web are very difficult songs to sing. They could maybe do Panic Attack and Hollow Years which are much easier. Bridges is a difficult song to sing. Outcry/Lost Not forgotten/Breaking all Illusions are songs that are easier to sing. Grand Finale is very difficult to sing - maybe do Along for the Ride or The Looking Glass instead. It might not be the best setlist for everyone, but they are songs that are easier to sing and the live show would be much better for it.

[Ben_Jamin]

Well, personally, I am not there just for LaBrie. I am at their shows because I love the music of Dream Theater.  I am glad they're not picky with their sets and will include whatever they feel like. That's what I love about their sets now.

With that said, when I am there, I am not just listening and analyzing the band, I am there to enjoy the songs and that includes singing along to the lyrics, because those lyrics at times, speak to me.

[Schurftkut]

mic issues are still there with answering the call, though james sounds to handle it better in that song

[Trav86]

mic issues are still there with answering the call, though james sounds to handle it better in that song

From that video of ATC, it sounds like his mic going in and out. But also like his monitors weren’t working well. It really sounded like he couldn’t hear himself or parts of the music. There’s a point where he and John are not lining up their vocals at all and James is just staring at him. Almost like trying to follow. It’s not as much struggling to sing, he’s struggling to find his place. Which seems more of a technical issue.

[James Mypetgiress]

mic issues are still there with answering the call, though james sounds to handle it better in that song

I think for me this is partially down to the fact that over the past couple of albums his voice seems to have shifted somewhat, tonally. With songs like Bridges, not only is he struggling to sing, but his voice has different textures to it that just makes it sound more off in comparison to the studio track. With songs from DoT / View, that won't be quite so persistent.