Live-Metal.Net - Concert Reports - Dream Theater

PROGRESSIVE NATION 2009

DREAM THEATER (live photos)
ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA
QUEENSRYCHE
BIGELF
SCALE THE SUMMIT

August 1, 2009
Merriweather Post Pavilion
Columbia, Maryland

By GREG MAKI

The house lights went down and the strings of Bernard Hermann’s theme from Psycho signaled the time was near. The sounds of thunder and rain, then a piano followed, with silhouettes of band members visible behind a black curtain. The curtain fell and there was Dream Theater is all its glory.

1. “A Nightmare to Remember” – The dark, gothic stylings of the opener to their latest album, Black Clouds & Silver Linings, kicked off the show, a 16-minute-plus piece of prog metal magic taking the audience on a rollercoaster of a journey all by itself.

2. “Prophets of War” – My least favorite song from Systematic Chaos (2007) held up surprisingly well in concert, thanks largely to John Petrucci’s killer riff and a superb crowd participation section.

3. “Sacrificed Sons” – This song is from Octavarium (2005), my least favorite Dream Theater album of this decade, so I was not exactly excited when I saw it in some previous set lists. But this 9/11-inspired song came across with much more power live than on CD, highlighted by James LaBrie’s expressive vocal performance.

4. “A Rite of Passage” – The first single from the new album is one of the most fun songs Dream Theater has ever it written and that translated to the stage. I’ve never seen so many fists in the air at a Dream Theater concert.

5. “The Dance of Eternity” – Selections from Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory (1999) are always welcome in the set list by me. This seems, to me, to be one of the technically challenging pieces the band has ever recorded, and they executed it flawlessly. The musicianship on display was simply mind-blowing.

6. “One Last Time” – “The Dance of Eternity” led directly into this, another Scenes tune, another showcase for LaBrie and a more relaxed song at an opportune time in the set.

7. Solitary Shell” – It’s one of the few acoustic-based Dream Theater songs, but the highlighted was the extended improvisational jam. Petrucci and keyboardist John Petrucci traded solos, while drummer Mike Portnoy and bassist John Myung held it together. Rudess even picked up a keytar to move out from his corner of the stage and get a little closer to the fans.

8. “In the Name of God” – Another great epic, this one from the face-melting Train of Thought (2003), finished the main set.

9. “The Count of Tuscany” – Speaking of epic, the 19-minute-plus Black Clouds closer served as the encore. This song is like a Dream Theater greatest hits all by itself, plus an ambient, Pink Floyd-like section in the middle.

Ninety minutes flew by, and thanks to Portnoy’s extensive research, the set list did not repeat a single song from the last Dream Theater show I saw. It also was something of a milestone, as it was the band’s first show without a song from their breakthrough album, Images and Words (1992). It was better for it, showing a band that remains a vital creative force rather than one coasting on past success.

The instrumental band Scale the Summit began the festivities, but I missed their set because I was backstage interviewing Portnoy. So Bigelf, a band Live-Metal.net has been behind since we heard their album Hex a couple years ago, was the first band I saw. They put on a solid show, with frontman Damon Fox often playing two keyboards simultaneously as they mixed hard rock with Floyd-style prog. I’d like to see them play a longer set.

Queensryche, who joined Progressive Nation for this show only after touring with Dream Theater in 2003, followed. I’ve never been a big fan, but they were very good when I saw them six years ago. This time, with the bulk of their set focused on their new concept album American Soldier (they’ve been playing it in its entirety at their own shows), I was less entertained. I apparently was not the only one who felt that way, too, as the crowd didn’t come alive until they broke out a few hits toward the end, including the closer, “Empire.”

Zappa Plays Zappa, with guitarist Dweezil Zappa leading a band through the music of his father, the legendary Frank Zappa, held down the direct support slot. It was cool to hear for a while—Zappa was a true original—but I didn’t know the music well enough to get into it. The band looked like they were having a blast, though, and so did most of the audience. However, 75 minutes seemed like a long time when Dream Theater only got 90.

It was a package tour (an extra-large package for this show), but the headliner is who it was all about in the end. Dream Theater is the best at what they do. I’ve seen them enough times to know that, for them, their awe-inspiring performance on this night was just another day at the office.