Live-Metal.Net - Concerts: Dream Theater

When Dream Theater left the stage of Pier Six Pavilion for the first time, they had played the following songs: “Constant Motion,” “Panic Attack,” “Blind Faith,” “Surrounded,” “The Dark Eternal Night,” “Lines in the Sand,” “I Walk Beside You” and “In the Presence of Enemies.” That’s eight—count ‘em, eight—songs. Yet by the time they had completed an encore medley of five album-closing songs from their career, the progressive metal outfit’s show had filled two hours. That’s shorter than fans have been accustomed to thanks to the band’s many recent “evening with” tours but longer than most bands play today and more than anyone should expect on a bill with two opening acts.

Canada’s Into Eternity began the evening with their mix of power metal and death metal. It is an odd combination, and though I don’t consider myself a fan of either genre, they kept me entertained. The shifts in style highlight the versatility of frontman Stu Block, who wails like Rob Halford one minute and growls like George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher of Cannibal Corpse the next.

Up next, Redemption, featuring Fates Warning singer Ray Alder, was a more natural fit for the Dream Theater audience. The players’ musicianship easily won over a large portion of the crowd. Stage presence was lacking and the songs could use stronger hooks, but there is no questioning the technical ability of this band. Their lineup has been in flux ever since the band formed early this decade; if it stabilizes, Redemption could leave quite a mark on the prog-metal landscape.

The king of the genre, of course, is Dream Theater, and that’s who everyone in the packed house was there to see. They wasted no time getting down to business, opening with the Metallica-flavored “Constant Motion,” the first single from their latest release, Systematic Chaos. The band seemed to enjoy the new songs the most, especially the heavy crunch of “The Dark Eternal Night,” which followed an extended, extra proggy version of “Surrounded” from their “hit” album, 1992’s Images and Words. The easy highlight of the set was “In the Presence of Enemies.” Split into two parts for the recorded version, the band performed it as one epic, 25-minute piece. The song ranks as one of Dream Theater’s finest works.

I could ramble on forever about the virtuosity of each band member, but what makes Dream Theater so great is that it’s bigger than any one man. They all take moments to shine, and they do it within the confines of great songs. “In the Presence of Enemies” is a perfect example. It’s 25 minutes long, yes, but it never loses its grip on the listener and its “dark master” refrain is unforgettable.

JOHN PETRUCCI OF DREAM THEATER

In 1999, Dream Theater released Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory, probably my favorite album of all time. On this night, they played only a portion of one song from that album in the show-closing medley. And it was still one of the best live performances I have ever seen.

DREAM THEATER SET LIST
Constant Motion
Panic Attack
Blind Faith
Surrounded
The Dark Eternal Night
Jordan Rudess keyboard solo
Lines in the Sand
I Walk Beside You
In the Presence of Enemies

(encore)
Medley:
I. Trial of Tears
II. Finally Free
III. Learning to Live
IV. In the Name of God
V. Octavarium (Razor’s Edge)