Dream Theater's Stage Performance?

[AwakeFromOctavarium]

I love Dream Theater. We all do. But aren't they too plain on stage?
I mean Petrucci's just standing there looking at his guitar and his pedals. Occasionally headbanging and smiling at the audience.
Myung's like, not there.
Jordan's just staring at his keyboard, doing the same with Petrucci.
Mike looks like he's in his bedroom playing drums.
James looks like some drunk guy roaming around the stage holding a mic.

That was a joke. But I mean the first line.
I know they are technical and all that, but where did that Tokyo 1993 spirit go? Well of course they are old and all that, but I think even since Awake tour their stage performance has been rather small. Maybe they can do a bit more?
Like I don't know, Petrucci would go dance with James like some crazy people, or show off the solo in the middle with Myung headbanging.
Mike could just throw some drumsticks at the audience, or do some arrogant moves like standing up or go around the stage when he has nothing to do.
Jordan can make more use of Keytar. But I won't ask much from him. I mean you can't carry the whole keyboard and run around the stage.
James is fine as of now actually.

Yes they are prog band whatever but dudes, THEIR SONGS ARE FREAKING HEAVY. I would expect some Metallica performance when I just hear the songs from ToT.

If you don't agree, please site an example of bands like DT, or just some explanations.

[Marvellous G]

Mike does often do the things you suggested. Other than that I agree with you, watching Score the other day my mum walked in and said 'why are they just standing there?' before the fact it wasn't in 4/4 scared her off.

[BlobVanDam]

Compared to other bands of the genre, they seem to be a lot more interesting. While they're not jumping around on stage like they did in the early 90s, they seem to put a lot more thought into putting on a show now.
MP is always surprisingly mobile and entertaining for a drummer, even walking around the kit at some points, and standing up, throwing sticks etc. One of the most entertaining drummers to watch.
JR is their most lively keyboardist, and even excluding the Keytar, he moves pretty freely with his spinning keyboard, able to face any direction he wants to play to the crowd.
JM has never really roamed, so no real change there.
JP stays fairly still, and just focuses on playing, so he's the only one I see being less lively than the early years.
And while JLB isn't exactly twirling around the stage anymore, he seems to have a much better grip on actual stage presence, and is a better frontman than he has ever been. At both of the DT shows I went to, he instantly got the crowd pumping, and really connected with the crowd with his constant running from side to side to make the the entire crowd felt included, and his mic stand antics were pretty cool to watch.
And then there's the stage show, with the props, the curtain, the video screen, and the designs on the drum heads, the keyboard stand etc.

DT aren't a full on metal band like Metallica, so I don't expect that level of intensity, but as far as their genre goes, I think they're quite good at the performance aspect.

[LTE]

I think Blob summed up what I was going to say.


Plus isn't it all about the music anyway?

[BlobVanDam]

I think Blob summed up what I was going to say.


Plus isn't it all about the music anyway?

I know this comes down to personal taste, but I think a live show should be a combination of musicianship and showmanship. You want to hear them perform the music well, but you also paid to see them perform the music. I know that in the progressive genre the focus is probably a bit less on the flashiness of seeing them perform, but I still wouldn't want to see a bunch of guys not moving at all.

[Samsara]

Most of DT's fans are the ones that really analyze how things are being played. They are catering to the biggest part of their fanbase.

Honestly, DT bores me to tears watching them. Mike is the most entertaining by far. But if you go to a DT show expecting them to run around the stage and slap hands with people during a song, it just isn't always going to happen. They aren't that type of band.

In a perfect world, they'd loosen it up a bit, but the problem with that is, if they did, and say they didn't play a few notes here and there in order to run around and make it more visually exciting, people would complain. No-win situation. So they just do what they do. Fans know enough by now if they go see DT, they are going to have to be dazzled by their playing ability, not their on-stage presence.

[rumborak]

They've gotten a lot better over the years I think. They used to be total salt columns on stage, just playing their stuff to perfection.

That said, when compared to other bands, they are still very static and don't really have a lot of interaction with the crowd.

rumborak

[bosk1]

For the most part, I agree with Samsara and rumby.  But, interestingly, Mike and Jordan are far more animated than your average drummer and keyboard player.  It's just that the more "up front" players aren't as animated as their typical rock/metal counterparts.

[rumborak]

I think one clear distinction is JLB's lack of crowd interaction. Most bands' singers are in charge of crowd interaction, partly because many of them are also the leader of the band. JLB never picked up that torch, so there's no clear focus on the stage presence.

rumborak

[BlobVanDam]

I think one clear distinction is JLB's lack of crowd interaction. Most bands' singers are in charge of crowd interaction, partly because many of them are also the leader of the band. JLB never picked up that torch, so there's no clear focus on the stage presence.

rumborak

I disagree. He's always encouraging the audience to sing along to choruses, always waving the mic stand across the crowd to particular sections of the crowd, and is often at the edge of the stage singing directly to the front rows, and connecting to the audience. Both times I've seen DT, JLB was very quick to establish that interaction and connection to the crowd, actually better than many other bands I've seen.
I don't think it was the case in the earlier years, but Octavarium tour onwards is when I really noticed JLB step it up a bit and take a bit more charge of the stage as a frontman.

[FlashCE]

DT has incredibly plain stage presence. Pain of Salvation opened for DT when I watched them and POS were so fucking GREAT stage presence wise. If I wanna just listen to the music, I'll stay at home. When I see a band live, I wanna see some incredible showmanship. I personally think there's no excuse to have such boring showmanship, but to each his own.

[Volk9]

Yeah, I did kind of wish they move a around and stuff a bit more, but they have some pretty complicated music to play, so that might prevent them from overdoing it.

[rumborak]

It's a shame that JM completely stopped moving around really. He used to fly around like a dervish, but these days he mostly just stands on the spot.

rumborak

[setrataeso]

It's a shame that JM completely stopped moving around really. He used to fly around like a dervish, but these days he mostly just stands on the spot.

rumborak

Yeah, but thats just what he does. No ones gonna tell JM what to do.

And I pretty much agree with Blob. DT is more animated then your typical progressive band, who also happen to be in their 40s-50s.
Plus, the music itself gets me into the show. I dont need to see JLB twirling around on stage to make me say "NOW I'm into it". Just the music and the crowd energy is enough for me. Granted, I was at the Montreal show, so maybe I just got lucky and saw them on a good night.

[Scrub206]

i think JLB is totally an awesome frontman. every show ive been too he gets everyone going. and its pretty awesome.

Jordan sometimes looks like he hates life when hes on stage. not gunna lie. but im sure its because hes concentrating.

as said before. portnoy walks around his kit and is always throwing sticks and making faces and shouting random things. and petrucci just stands there but he looks so metal while doing it.

and myung is myung. he tackles people.

[j]

Their stage performance is fine.  I never really understood the need for bands to be constantly going insane and jumping around while performing; it doesn't add anything for me.  But I know a lot of people are into it, so whatever.

-J

[FlashCE]

Their stage performance is fine.  I never really understood the need for bands to be constantly going insane and jumping around while performing; it doesn't add anything for me.  But I know a lot of people are into it, so whatever.

-J

No one said anything about going insane and jumping around. It's good to see bands having fun on stage. It's hard for me to enjoy a show when the musicians look so bored playing the music. It's just so high school band-ish to me. I guess DT can get away with it because of their status. If I didn't know DT, and they were opening for some other band, I'd be totally bored out of my mind (also assuming I didn't know their music). I used to think their stage presence was fine, then I watched other bands live.

[GuineaPig]

I think there's something wrong with your showmanship if the drummer of your band has the best stage presence.

[Bipolarcat]

I think there's something wrong with your showmanship if the drummer of your band has the best stage presence.

There's nothing "wrong" with it....Mike happens to be quite a charismatic and enthusiastic drummer. Just because other bands have the guitarist or singer controlling the stage doesn't mean DT has to be that way.

Aside from this, I believe that the music is what matters and while (as Blob said) I may have payed to see them perform, I am just as happy simply hearing a new take on the song as I am watching the band jump around on stage.

[Perpetual Change]

Outta the live shows I've seen, Dream Theater just fall short of Iron Maiden and Symphony X.  Dream Theater play great music great, but Symphony X make good music sound fantastic.  And there's no beating Iron Maiden.  Ever.

[yeshaberto]

I can't argue that they are animated, but I have always been so amazed by the sound and the musianship, I can honestly say I haven't even thought once about their lack of stage performance

[sneakyblueberry]

I think there's something wrong with your showmanship if the drummer of your band has the best stage presence.

Or maybe you've been just been spoilt rotten with the Air Raid Siren?

[Dark Master Of Sin]

When I saw Dream Theater, I was too caught up in how awesome the music was to really care.

[BlobVanDam]

I think there's something wrong with your showmanship if the drummer of your band has the best stage presence.

That says a lot more about now animated the drummer is, rather than making a comment on the rest of the band.

[PlaysLikeMyung]

Outta the live shows I've seen, Dream Theater just fall short of Iron Maiden and Symphony X.  Dream Theater play great music great, but Symphony X make good music sound fantastic.  And there's no beating Iron Maiden.  Ever.

Can't speak for Iron Maiden, but SX definitely put on one hell of a show

[Portrucci]

I was a bit disappointed with La Brie's interaction with the crowd, or rather lack of. I saw them twice in Melbourne recently and I can't recall him ever just talking to the audience or joking around. Conversely, I saw Opeth a few weeks earlier, and about 30 mins of the show was probably just Akerfeldt rambling in between songs and it was GREAT! he's such a funny guy and it really makes for a gig to remember with all his funny stories. JLB probably isn't as charismatic or "funny" but I think he could have at least not acted like this was "just another gig" and interacted more with the audience.

[PlaysLikeMyung]

Akerfeldt is an amazing frontman

[BlobVanDam]

Akerfeldt is awesome between songs, but when they're performing, they're all just standing there. But I suppose you can't do as much when you have to play guitar too, whereas JLB is free to roam.

[Plasmastrike]

And there's no beating Iron Maiden.  Ever.

[Nic35]

I think yhey're doing great, because they do concerts to play their music, and they play it perfectly. That's why I want to see them too, to see them performing their songs perfectly.

[FlashCE]

I was a bit disappointed with La Brie's interaction with the crowd, or rather lack of. I saw them twice in Melbourne recently and I can't recall him ever just talking to the audience or joking around. Conversely, I saw Opeth a few weeks earlier, and about 30 mins of the show was probably just Akerfeldt rambling in between songs and it was GREAT! he's such a funny guy and it really makes for a gig to remember with all his funny stories. JLB probably isn't as charismatic or "funny" but I think he could have at least not acted like this was "just another gig" and interacted more with the audience.

Wow, we were both at the same three shows then!

An important part of stage presence to me is for the band to look like they're enjoying it. Opeth was just standing here, like Blob mentioned, but they looked like they were having fun. Dream Theater, with the exception of Portnoy and LaBrie, usually look really bored.

Pain of Salvation looked like they were having so much fun, interacting with each other, smiling and laughing at the crowd, etc. They do jump around and that adds to it too, but the main reason why they looked amazing on stage was because they looked like they were having fun.

[Lynxo]

That was one of the first things I've noticed with the band, and I think it's especially noticable on the Budokan DVD, and I think it's a shame, really. I know we're talking progressive music here, but missing a few notes here and there for the sake of performance is nothing to complain about.

Oh well. It's lucky they always SOUNDS awesome when you see them, both production wise and performance wise!

[perfey]

I think that they are fine stage performance wise, although I can agree on that JM stands still a lot, but that's just the way he is. James was awesome running to sides of the stage and doing cool moves with his hands and mic, + that awesome jacket (or whatever it is called) that he wore on ANTR.

[Dream Team]

I was a bit disappointed with La Brie's interaction with the crowd, or rather lack of. I saw them twice in Melbourne recently and I can't recall him ever just talking to the audience or joking around. Conversely, I saw Opeth a few weeks earlier, and about 30 mins of the show was probably just Akerfeldt rambling in between songs and it was GREAT! he's such a funny guy and it really makes for a gig to remember with all his funny stories. JLB probably isn't as charismatic or "funny" but I think he could have at least not acted like this was "just another gig" and interacted more with the audience.

Yeah, that's what I'd want, to pay a bunch of money to go to a rock concert to hear a guy yak for 30 minutes  .

[TL]

When I saw them in Montreal back in August, they had plenty of stage presence.
For the first song, James ran out on stage, and immediately started flailing around the mic stand and connecting with the crowd. He stayed on for the entire show, getting the audience into it at every turn (and it was a particularly lively audience to begin with), and just all around doing a fantastic job as a front man.

MP, as people have already said, was extremely energetic and lively, even jokingly introducing the growling section of ANTR before getting into it.

JP, JMX, and even JR on a couple of songs interacted quite a bit, and JLB interacted with each of them at some point. There was one song where JP, JMX, and JR (on zen riffer) were basically doing a three person duel. It was fucking awesome.
Even JMX got into it, headbanging here and there, moving around his side of the stage a bit, and even connecting with the crowd here and there.

All of them looked like they were really enjoying themselves, which honestly is one of the most important elements of a good stage performance for me.