Dream Theater plays The Astonishing LIVE

**Prognosticator** · 04-21-2016

The North American leg of DT's The Astonishing tour is fully underway.
The controversial and daring move of performing the prog-metal musical
in it's entirety is putting their dedicated following to the test.
DT's desire is to present and perform the show as they envisioned it,
complete with a visual presentation (that could be their best ever).
This makes the statement that despite the incredible catalog of epics and
classics that helped to classify them as the icons of the genre they are content
to deal with the here and now come what may.

Was able to catch the show at the venerable Orpheum Theater in Boston on Tuesday.
Most in attendance were aware that this was not a typical Dream Theater concert BUT was
The Astonishing performed by Dream Theater...Once this was fully realized an appreciation
of this effort was obvious.

The group as always was flawless and though the music was not as heavy or
consistently technical as other efforts many memorable melodies filled the hall.
With many and varied voices for LaBrie to perform, the enigmatic singer was up to the
task with the help of an occasional triggered backing vocal.
JP and JR's solos were short and sweet and complemented the music well.
(Many fans of course missed the legendary trade-off & unison solos of the virtuosos-me too)
Myung & Mangini hard to hear on the recording sounded great in the live environment.

Having seen Yes perform Tales-Genesis do the Lamb-Floyd crank DSoTM-and Tull perform TaaB & PP
live in their entirety I can fully appreciate the effort DT put into this project. With a video show that
helps to explain the not so complicated story the concert is certainly an enjoyable evening.

There may be a little too much Disney-esque cheese and schmaltz in the story and some musical
passages to have The Astonishing achieve legendary status but two thumbs up

: for giving it
the old Berklee College try....

......off to Radio City for encore performance !!!

**DoubleDrummer** · 04-22-2016

Somebody has to take over for Andrew Lloyd Webber !

**Yodelgoat** · 04-22-2016

Wow looks like they are skipping the south completely. No shows in Tejas or anywhere near. Bummer, My kids love the astonishing.

**Mikhael** · 04-22-2016

I wonder if they'll have the same problem Yes did, performing "Tales" in its entirety live.

**Progatron** · 04-22-2016

PLEASE tell me Rudess is going to eat a curry on stage!

**Steve983** · 04-23-2016

I missed the chance to see them live here in England but I think they've done an excellent job with this album and performing it live in full on tour is no mean feat. Kudos to DT for this brave and unexpected move - they pulled it off, bravo.

**hFx** · 04-23-2016

It's beautiful music but as a concert, well... There's no "participation" from the band and close to zero interaction with the audience, except some gestures from Petrucci. LaBrie were struggling to reach the high notes, often landing somewhere in between. The light show and video background was nice, but lacks in variation. Towards the end of the first set (90 mins) I saw quite a number of fans drowsing. However the second set (60 mins or so) had more energy and contains the more interesting compositions of the album. Most of the audience left with a contented smile. Expect no encores...

**Dan Marsh** · 04-24-2016

I was at Radio City tonight....I still don't really know how I feel about the music.

I applaud the band for going out of their comfort zone.

Some asshole yelled out for Portnoy during a quiet part....thankfully someone else yelled for Mangini right after.....the audience booed the first guy and applauded the second, as it should be.

**viukkis** · 04-25-2016

Originally Posted by Mikhael

I wonder if they'll have the same problem Yes did, performing "Tales" in its entirety live.

At least Tales was only a double LP. This thing is a quadruple when pressed on vinyl.

**Prognosticator** · 04-25-2016

A few thoughts on the Radio City show for The Astonishing..
Of course RCMH is the go-to venue for a concert, the art-deco
jewel is immaculate and has great sightlines and flawless sound.

The grind of the tour may be getting to JLB a bit as at this show
his vocals were a bit more breathy and shouty than at Boston...
Of course there are a lot MORE vocals in TA than the typical
DT recording (one of the projects pitfalls).

The music and video presentation came off without a hitch but with
the album length (as Viukkis noted 2x the size of Tales) keeping up
the momentum is no easy feat. But all and all a fun show and
why not break from the ordinary once in a while.

There is always the knucklehead shouting for "free bird" or "whipping post"
at concerts seems the new request will be "portnoy"..as some jerk shouted out
in a quiet moment. All DT fans love and respect what Mike P brought to the group
But HE left them and Mike M certainly has the talent to carry on.

In closing I think the TA was something that DT wanted to try as a one off
and though it ultimately was enjoyable will go back to the "rock and awe"
approach that is their bread and butter.

When the group left the stage at the end they made it clear that they would see
everyone again very soon. I think that means a quick return to a mixed set list tour
maybe later this year.

**Yodelgoat** · 04-25-2016

Lets hope they actually "tour" the country if that is the case. Seriously, it seems like prog bands are avoiding traveling to the southern states. I would love to see this album, or any DT album would be spectacular. Its been years since I've seen a decent band. I'm ready to move to NYC just so I can see some decent prog.

**sotdude** · 05-04-2016

I was at the Radio City show in NYC as well. I've seen DT well over 20 times, basically every tour since Images and Words (and on more than a few occasions multiple times per tour), and I have to say this was the first show that I was somewhat bored at. The album does come off a little better live, but it wasn't hard to feel some fatigue about a third of the the way through the set...and it seemed like I wasn't the only one. Give them credit for wanting to do this, but it I think it might have made more sense for them to perform the 'meat' of the album (minus all the little interludes and things) with some of their older material sandwiched around it.

**DoubleDrummer** · 05-04-2016

Originally Posted by sotdude

I was at the Radio City show in NYC as well. I've seen DT well over 20 times, basically every tour since Images and Words (and on more than a few occasions multiple times per tour), and I have to say this was the first show that I was somewhat bored at. The album does come off a little better live, but it wasn't hard to feel some fatigue about a third of the the way through the set...and it seemed like I wasn't the only one. Give them credit for wanting to do this, but it I think it might have made more sense for them to perform the 'meat' of the album (minus all the little interludes and things) with some of their older material sandwiched around it.

Not surprising...............and not the first time I've heard this.
Bordering on musical theater, a tough act to pull off.

**Dan Marsh** · 05-04-2016

Glad to know I wasn't the only one bored at Radio City.

**Baribrotzer** · 05-04-2016

They're playing Portland on Tuesday, so The Portland Mercury - our local hipper-than-hip-ster rag, heavy on the snark and light on the content - published the following article on DT and The Astonishing. The Mercury is, as I already said, heavy on the snark, and this is a full four-sided Round Table of Snark, so the whole thing may be annoying to DT fans. But even with all the cheap shots, it is fitfully amusing. Anyway, you can't say that DT didn't really stick their chins out on this one.

http://www.portlandmercury.com/music...rs-magnum-opus

And to be fair to the Mercury, I should add that Dungen are playing here on Monday, and one of those same four snark-meister reviewers also recognizes that the Swedes have something special and worthwhile to offer:

http://www.portlandmercury.com/event...ngen-boogarins

**Prognosticator** · 05-05-2016

Snark- pretty funny ...not bad for four basement dwelling 7th year literature students, bravo..
if you cant do--teach--cant teach--write--cant write--criticize..

**Yodelgoat** · 05-05-2016

Originally Posted by Prognosticator

if you cant do--teach--cant teach--write--cant write--criticize..

Oh wow, I like that...Touche!

**yamishogun** · 05-05-2016

Originally Posted by Prognosticator

if you cant do--teach--cant teach--write--cant write--criticize..

hey... That hits a little too close to home!

**JJ88** · 05-06-2016

Originally Posted by Baribrotzer

Anyway, you can't say that DT didn't really stick their chins out on this one.

Quite. The highly elaborate 'narrative' sections quoted in there...they've made a rod for their own backs with this one. I hope the Mercury is prepared for the onslaught of outrage, though.

Originally Posted by Progatron

PLEASE tell me Rudess is going to eat a curry on stage!