Fans say Yes (No and Maybe) to Dream Theater

As many, if not all of you know, Dream Theater toured with Yes last August and September in North America. What many of you may not know is that Dream Theater really seemed to have a positive impact on many Yes fans. In fact, when asked about it, Mike himself stated: “My personal opinion is that this was easily the most beneficial non-headlining tour we’ve ever done...(even including the co-headliners we’ve done). Granted, there’s been a fair share of DT bashers, but I think we made a lot of new friends this summer...”

Perhaps you got to talk to some Yes fans after Dream Theater’s set, and explain to them what they are all about, as I did. I found it interesting to see their reactions to Dream Theater. What’s even better is that Yes has an excellent area on their official website for fan reviews.

Of the 754 posts for that leg of the tour (most of which, but not all, are individual reviews), 276 made some sort of mention of Dream Theater. In reading them over, I figure that 81 of these were made by people who already were Dream Theater fans, but the rest were made by those who weren’t fans – many of whom knew little to nothing about them; however, I must admit that it was sometimes difficult to determine who was already a DT fan and who was not, so those numbers may be a little off.

The overwhelming opinion was positive from those who already were DT fans – the only real complaints that they seemed to have were that the setlist wasn’t to their liking, that the set wasn’t long enough or they didn’t like the venue.

What was really noteworthy were the posts by those who were strictly Yes fans. It goes without saying that there were a good number of detractors – 58 of them, which isn’t surprising. But 30 Yes fans made relatively neutral posts and 107 actually gave Dream Theater appreciative reviews! Below is a sampling of all the different reviews that I sorted through, almost all of which are from non-DT fans.

Enjoy!

(DISCLAIMER: Please note that all the reviews have been kept anonymous for a reason – the individual identities of the reviewers are not important. Please do not try to contact any of these folks to discuss or argue with them on their opinions of Dream Theater as doing so will only cause harm to DT’s reputation and that of its fans. For the record, the purpose of this article is simply to show the impact that DT had on Yes’s fan base in an honest and balanced way – nothing more.)

To begin with, it was interesting to see the variation in length and detail when making mention of DT. Several were as simple as:

Dream Theater - no good

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Dream Theater was good as an opener.

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But then there were a few reviews on DT that were much longer. These came primarily from DT fans, but here’s an interesting one that came from a Yes fan:

First, a word about Dream Theater. Not being familiar with the band, I was told to be ready for a treat, and judging by the number of Dream Theater T-shirts in the audience (and Rush!) I knew they had a hard-core following there. Well, they did not disappoint their fans and I was basically turned into one! Sitting back and taking their sound all in, it was definitely Rush-like, but they have their own style with a harder edge. Several of their songs were simply jaw-dropping with the complexity and musicianship! Really, the variations in sound they accomplish, with the guitarist basically using his one guitar, and the keyboardist spinning around on his one Kurzweil keyboard is phenomenal. I have probably only one complaint and it is not with their playing (you couldn’t find 4 better musicians on their respective instruments in one band!) nor is it with their lead singer (a strong, if not atypical, rock vocalist!) it is more with their overall showmanship and presence. While a couple of songs did allow their personalities to squeek through, they are mostly a well-oiled and extremely efficient machine, guaranteed to blast your ears with their sonic speed and sound! Have a little bit more fun guys! You’re living a true “dream” opening for Yes! Maybe it’s their intensity and drive to impress Yes fans, I don’t know, but I’d like to see if they are capable of truly connecting with an audience through more than just their virtuosity. We’ll see, if and when they get to headline their own bigger venues...which they will eventually.

The whole purpose of Dream Theater touring with Yes wasn’t simply so that the guys could hang out with one of their biggest influences, but to play to an audience that largely is unaware of DT’s existence, and win over new fans. The quotes below show that they were definitely successful in their goal!

Dream Theater surprised me. I didn’t know much about them, other than they are apparently fans of Yes. Excellent musicianship, and I can only imagine that they will get better onstage with a few more years seasoning under their belts. A great opener for Yes.

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First things first, Dream Theater has a new fan...ME! They were great and a suitable warm-up for Yes.

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On the subject of Dream Theater, frankly, I thought they stole the show. I had the opportunity to see them last spring in a smaller venue in Cleveland and these guys are amazing. They did an instrumental version (clipped) of “Machine Messiah” that was incredible. I do not own any of their recordings yet, but will.

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Finally, I had never seen Dream Theater before; I bought their first album but wrote them off as technically proficient, lyrically challenged and not all that interesting overall. Their set was a pleasant surprise. The bass player actually used every fret and string of his 6-string during the set (no “wanna-be” there!). The guitartist is top-flight, though his mix was a little heavy near the end. I know the drummer (Portnoy) from his work with Transatlantic. Too bad I could not comprehend one word from the vocalist until the final two songs. Not a good mix at all. However, I will now have to give their CDs a second chance.

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Walking on the lawn area while listening to Dream Theater and saying to myself: Damn these guys are good.

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Dream Theater was definitely on I picked up Scenes from a Memory to get a feel for the band earlier in the week and was even more impressed with their live performance. Great musicianship, well polished and well performed material. A perfect opener for YES fans.

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The opening act, Dream Theater, demonstrated impressive instrumental skills and a solid lead singer. The passion shown by the young fans of Dream Theater at the concert reminded me very much of the passion shown for the music of Yes by my contemporaries and myself from the days of our youth up to the present time. Hopefully, the fans of Dream Theater get the opportunity to relive their passion when their band has its 35th anniversary tour in 2023!

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Dream Theater was vital. Refreshing to hear progressive music that is totally strong and current played by young masters! I am a new fan! I have never heard so many virtuosos in one band.

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I had heard Dream Theater a little before, but this was the first time I’ve ever seen them live. A nice solid, tight, well-practiced sound. Textured, dynamic, tasty. A couple of nods to Rush in some of their songs and of course, a jaw dropping Machine Messiah nod to Yes. Will be looking into this group.

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Definitely get there early enough for Dream Theater. Never saw them or heard of them before. Good enough to headline. Incredible band with incredible talent. IT’S ALL GOOD (People)--just go and enjoy.

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I’ll start with Dream Theater. I was very impressed with their playing. They were very tight, their guitarist could rip, and the drummer was very... charismatic. The singer had an excellent range, but it was kind of distracting when he walked off the stage to let the others play. The keyboardist was interesting... it looked to me like he had one keyboard and some kind of computer that he was feeding it through for effects. I think it’s more practical, but Wakeman’s rig just looks so cool... Anyway, bravo for Dream Theater.

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Sound guys got it together ultra-quick...very clean mix, too bad Dream Theatre didn’t have the same luck. The muddled sound made the vocals indecipherable, but the music was interesting, and I really liked the rhythm section, even if the drummer was a bit of a show-off...but being able to pound out those complex beats, maybe he deserves it.

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Dream Theater opened and I must say, I am now a fan. Didn’t know much about them before, but this performance hooked me. There was a lot of energy going on there - especially with Mike Portnoy. Being a drummer myself, I pay the most attention to them. That guy was litterally non-stop. I was a little suspicious when I heard he had 3 Bass Drums and a huge kit. But I believe he used every part of it. Although I enjoyed the instrumentals more, their entire set was better than I thought it would be.

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The musicians of Dream Theatre, excluding the vocalist, were quite simply superb. The band played complicated, rhythmic passages effortlessly while, at the same time, “playing” to the audience. The instrumental passages were certainly a major highlight. Wow!

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I really didn’t think I’d like Dream Theater after reading some of the reviews posted here. Although Chuck wasn’t won over, I was impressed! I thought their name fit them well. While they were very different from Yes, they share some things: extremely big sound, masterful musicians and long pieces with varied movements and time signatures......why they’re under the big Progressive Music umbrella. The instrumental jams were very moving.

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The biggest surprise was Dream Theater. I had never heard of them and was surprised by the number of fans with Dream Theater shirts. I thought they were great and ordered one of their CD’s this morning. Most of their reviews have been so-so, but I loved them.

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First let me say that I have never seen DT, all I can say is that was some serious sh.t. The singer seemed a little upset from my point of view (6th row), but then maybe he has a permanent scowl. I have never been a big fan of the screaming vocalist genre and the drummers kit looked like something out of a Laura Croft movie. That said, I’ll be first in line to buy tickets at their next NM show. I’m SOLD!

A few went so far as to make (what would be to Yes fans) blasphemous posts!

Overall great show. Also, Dream Theatre, a good performance and pertinent and coherent choice to support Yes. In all objectivity, even technically superior to our Yesmen (oops, what did I say…).

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I have to say this was my 5th time to see Yes. I came to see Yes. Saw Dream Theater, forgot about Yes! Yes needs to give it up! They seemed old and worn out after watching the fantastic set by Dream Theater. Don’t get me wrong. I love Yes. But, I just wasn’t expecting that much from the opening band. After seeing what I saw, Yes should have opened for Dream Theater. I just can’t believe how so many of you suppossed fans of progressive rock are bashing Dream Theater. Just my opinion. May not be popular. But, that is how I feel.

Some new converts were extremely impressed by DT and appear to have become die-hard fans overnight judging by these comments!

Let’s talk Dream Theater for a moment. WHo the hell are these guys? What a nerve they have coming on stage like that and in one quick hour set completely blowing YES away. I had never heard of them before but never in my “prog” life have I ever heard rock musicians play with this type of musical/technical skill. There final song reminded me of the most mighty Glory Rock ala Genesis I have ever heard. Yes, I am a YES fan to the core but OH MY GOD!! I just spent all my money on Dream Theater CD’s!!

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I hadn’t seen a Dream Theater concert, and now I own a T-shirt and two of their albums.

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Dream Theater: This band was absolutely smokin’ last night!!! This was my first time seeing DT and I Thought the musicianship from these guys was outstanding!!! They tore up the stage with some very meticulous soloing and as a long time YES fan impressed me to no end. It was obvious where some of their influence came from!!! Their version of “Machine Messiah” remained faithful to the original, while staying true to DT’s own style!!! Anyway, they have a new fan who can’t wait to see them again!!

Of course, you can’t expect everyone to be won over, and plenty were willing to voice their displeasure. Opinions ranged from absolutely close-minded (complete with name-calling) to those who gave the music a fair listen but just couldn’t get into it. Realistically, some of these folks ought to remember that plenty of people have made similar comments about Yes in the past...but of course they don’t. Oh well – you can’t win them all! Nonetheless some of these post are downright funny, although some of you may disagree – just don’t get overly upset at them. Keep in mind that these were posted on a Yes website, so don’t go looking to lynch them – I’ve seen plenty of artists and bands get slammed on DT-related message boards (from Spock’s Beard to Britney Spears to Metallica and even DT themselves!), so this is nothing new.

Dream stomper was so bad I had to get some overpriced horribly stale domestic just to hang. Drop the opener and give us another hour of Yes.

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As for the warm-up band, Dream Theater, I thought that they were a disappointment. They seem to be a band without an identity. It’s like they can’t decide whether to be a prog band or a metal band.

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Dream Theater was somewhat impressive but they have no personality. I’m pretty difficult to please and something needs to strike me just right for me to like it. While some themes in their set appealed to me, overall I would have preferred a smaller set or a different group, like Alan Parsons or Kansas. The singer needs to stay on stage and act like he’s contributing...even if they use un-mic’d equipment.

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This was my 5th time seeing YES, overall the show was great. Dream Theater opened for YES and played well over an hour. As far as Dream Theater they are a decent band, but I have to say I was not that impressed with them. Maybe I’m starting to show my age, ten years ago I probably would have been into them a bit more. Also, no backing vocals? You have to have at least one other person providing backing vocals, it just sounded thin vocally and then it got boring. The guitar player for Dream Theater was ok, but fast treble picking scales get boring too, I was expecting a more refined technique from him, since he was the only guitarist... As I said the other members are fine, but it’s just not my cup of tea... Although, Machine Messiah was cool, even if they left out the lyrics and did only the intro, lead and ending? Why not do the whole tune? Can’t the “Fabio looking” singer hit the notes? Oh well, at least they played something I could relate to... However after they played Messiah I left for a beer, perfect timing as I was tired of hearing them play loudly.....

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Dream Theatre could be heard from the parking lot with your favorite beverage. Not worth going inside and then paying $6 a beer until Yes comes on.

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Dream Theater in my opinion is a wanker band where every chord played is stolen from a 60’s - 70’s or 80’s band that ring from Uriah Heap, Queen, Styx, Kansas, BOC, Deep Purple, BTO, Foreigner and many many others. Maybe that is their forte and intent? If so they have done well. Whoa boys and girls, this is not to say this band does have tallent. Lead singer has a great full range voice, provided of course he ever stayed on stage long enough to use it, Lead axe does a nice job fingering the frets, bassist extremely good, drummer ... I am biased as my son is a drummer in a band who plays quite a bit better with a lot less hardware. Dream Theater have a stage presence that needs a bit of work. But every band needs this tour experience and I wish them well in their future to become a really great band someday.

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The Dream Theater warm up band concert was one big wanna be group that may never make it big till they relax a bit and treat the crowds like they are part of the program and that they are not the world’s rave. The only singer sang with a voice like the lead vocal from Journey but most often his words were not distiguishable.

One of the major issues Yes fans had with DT is the claim that they had no emotion or feeling to their songs and/or the songs lacked any skilled songwriting – odd since I’m sure many have said the same thing about many of Yes’s epics. (Can you say Tales From Topographic Oceans?)

The musicians are EXTREMELY talented, especially the guitarist, but their music is un-interesting. There are neither catchy melodies nor interesting harmonic structures. They play very fast, but often it seems there is no motivation other than to show how fast they can play. The singer always sings the same way, so it’s hard to tell the difference between songs.

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As for noodle-meisters Dream Theater, they seem to be a good example of what sensible people hate about prog-rock. Long on technique, short on inspiration and hugely self-important. Yes should really distance themselves from bands like this. The association only encourages the mistaken view that Yes shares DT’s mission of showing how quickly one can get up and down a fretboard.

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With regard to Dream Theater, I guess I have the same opinion as many Yes fans have expressed. They’re excellent musicians, but their songwriting really leaves me cold. I’d have to qualify that opinion, though, by saying that I don’t really care for most prog bands other than Yes. They do put a lot of energy and emotion into their show, and there were many DT fans at the show.

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I’ve never seen or heard Dream Theater before. What incredibly talented musicians. And what incredibly awful music! What a waste. Part of the blame probably goes to Target center acoustics, but only a small portion. DT was lots of notes and very little soul. It didn’t move me in the least. What did the many obvious fans there see in them? You can’t argue taste.

Another issue that Yes fans had was with James – some nit-picked the fact that he left the stage during the instrumental parts (what should he do then?) and others complained about his vocal style. Different strokes for different folks, but it’s funny that many non-Yes fans have issues with Jon Anderson’s vocals as one Yes fan even acknowledges!

Hi.First i should say i was there for Yes but Dream Theater was a good surprise to me except their lead vocal.I think they have great music with the wrong lead vocal style.The guy is on the pitch but he sounds like “Heavy Metal” style.(ie His vibrato).

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But needless to say I was quite impressed with their set. The keyboardist was on a revolving keyboard which was cool because he could turn around and show you what he was playing. The guitarist was AWESOME and the songs they played created a whole atmopshere that was incredible. The only complaint is that the lead singer who always just looked pissed off, was very hard to hear at times. But I blame that on the lack of acoustics at Blossom. (He also was just dresssed BAD, blue jeans???)

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The only weak spot with them is the singer. Their best stuff happens when he walks off the stage and they go to town instrumentally. (Funny, alot of Yes’ detractors say the same thing about Jon’s voice!)

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The singer would leave the stage when he wasn’t singing and then would burst on stage for his parts. He looked like he has a bit of an ego.

The third noteable problem that many Yes fans had was that there was an opening act – period. It didn’t matter who was opening – it’s just that DT was to blame this time around. In all honesty, I can’t blame these folks, as given the choice between an “Evening With” DT show and DT with an opening band, I’d take the “Evening With” too!

I’ve been led to believe that Yes’ setlist is truncated when Dream Theater is also on the bill. Believe me, it is not a good trade. If I wanted a headache before the show, I would have drunk two bottles of cheap wine. The DT members act like they’re hot shit on stage too!

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Dream Theatre was “good” but for us old YES fogies, standing back in the grass was as close as we needed to be...We’d been happier to have YES playing the whole time!

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I won’t comment on Dream Theatre. I am a purist who beleives Yes doesn’t need an opening act.

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I wish it was only them. I have never heard anyone walk out of a 3 and a half hour show of Yes complaining that there wasn’t an opening band. If there are any complaints, it was that they could have listened for more. Yes does not, or ever will need an opening act. Dream Weaver was loud and obnoxious. I feel bad that the people on this leg of the tour are not going to see as good a show as the very similar last tour because of the opening act.

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There was one notable exception to this rule where a fan actually preferred having an opening act:

After reflecting on this concert for several days, I realize that I like the idea of an intro band. Especially when it gives me a chance to be exposed to new music. While Dream Theater is not the type of music I would listen to with any frequency, it was really nice to watch some extremely talented musicians play a different style of music than Yes. It made me appreciate the music of Yes and their phenomenal compositional skills that much more on the evening of Sept. 13th.

It goes without saying that some Yes fans already are Dream Theater fans, and vice versa. So when some Yes fans posted negative reviews, a few of those who already are fans of both bands felt the need to defend DT and educate the masses on what DT was really about, as was the case with this individual:

But I wanted to write here about Dream Theater because I have seen many uninformed, negative things said about them in these reviews. My sincere hope to anyone reading this that has yet to see this concert tour is simple: that these bits of DT information lead you to open your ears and your minds so that you can enjoy the concert even more than you expect to.

The pairing of Yes and DT is not an accidental one. Clearly, for 35 years, Yes has reigned supreme in the world of prog - even DT would happily acknowledge that. This tour is an important one for Prog Music because I believe that the it represents the celebration of Yes’s handing their crown to DT as Yes approaches the sunset of their careers. So why have Yes chosen DT to inherit their title?

DT is a well-seasoned band that started in 1988, and have an extensive discography. At the concert, you’ll notice a lot of DT fans. If you haven’t heard of them before, it is because they prefer to remain loyal to prog and play to their strengths rather than to sell out to radio stations with mindless 3 minute (albeit sponsor-friendly) songs.

Brace yourself for some hard-hitting facts about this band:

To those who critique the music as lyrically uninspired, I doubt you were listening. To wit, please consider the following small examples used to represent DT lyrics:

* “A Change of Seasons” an insightful view of life’s passing phases, using the earth’s seasons as a metaphor, was inspired by Mike Portney’s trauma in losing his mother in a plane crash.

* “6 Degrees Of Inner Turbulence” devotes an entire 42-minute disc to examining various aspects of mental illness, on both the afflicted and those around them.

* “In The Name Of God” examines the concept of hatred as a tenet in world religions.

* “The Great Debate” looks at both sides of the stem cell research issue.

To those who critique the music for its instrumentation, I believe that you were hearing, but I doubt you were listening.

Among so-called professional musical critics, Dream Theater is THE band to which all other bands are compared (That hardcore Yes fans don’t know this is surprising to me).

Dream Theater members’ accomplishments include the following:

Mike Portnoy (drummer), John Petrucci (guitar) and John Myung (bass) all attended the prestigious Berklee School of Music and their individual clinics on musicianship are much sought after by accomplished musicians around the globe.

Mike has won every major peer and fan award, and has been named Prog Drummer Of the Year for each of the past eight years (!)

Petrucci himself cites Steve Howe as a major influence and they have even played together in a club several years ago. Steve obviously enjoyed it as much as DT did.(if you can, grab a copy of their DVD, 5 Years in a Livetime). The following isn’t a fact, but an opinion: I truly believe that his technical prowess is so readily noticable, that his heartfully inspired playing choices often get overlooked.

Jordan Rudess (keys) is a Juliard grad (frickin’ A!) and is not only accomplished as a soloist, and with DT, but is a hot commodity by more mainstream acts such as Billy Idol and David Bowie when they need real talent sitting at the ivories.

James LaBrie with his amazing range is a noted and well-respected prog vocalist. In “Pro Secrets Of Heavy Rock Singing” by Bill Martin, James is interviewed and quoted in almost every chapter. Besides DT, James is sought after to front other supergroup bands, namely Madmen & Sinners (with Tim Donahue on guitar) Explorer’s Club (with Myung on bass), Frameshift and Ayreon. He even does stage work (Berg Off Broadway).

In summary, listen to the music with an open mind and with the fine-tuned, dedicated ears that I know you possess to form your own opinion. As a Yes fan, I think you’ll find that as one chapter closes, a new one begins and DT is a band that is worthy to receive the torch from our life-long heroes.

As another reviewer here put it: “I bet many did not realize that when they saw DT they were watching probably the best (and most influential) progressive rock bands in the world today.”

I’ve heard Prog genre be called “the most undervalued currency in popular music.” I love that quote; it really does hit the nail on the head. DT are the new reigning Kings of Modern Prog. Although some Yes fans (especially the older ones) may not appreciate their harder metal sound on first listen, great music is great music.

After the first two shows opening for Yes, DT decided to start including an instrumental excerpt of the Yes track Machine Messiah as an extra tip of the hat. Because Jon Anderson (lead singer for Yes) refuses to perform Machine Messiah or any other material from the Drama album (which he did not sing on), it seemed an obvious choice to win over some new fans or at least for DT to put themselves in a more favorable light. Whether the reviews on DT were positive or not, all Yes fans seemed to be happy hearing at least part of this rarely played Yes song, although some would have preferred to hear it in it’s entirety.

Dream Theater’s cover of Machine Messiah was a nice touch. Maybe they follow the setlist debate. Can you imagine the outcry if they would of played “Roundabout”.

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I’m not a Dream Theater Fan so I can’t say much about them except that they are not my thing at all (although their cover of Machine Messiah was amusing).

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Dream Theater’s version of MACHINE MESSIAH was probably the best YES song of the night. For a band with the great history that YES has, I felt they were going through the motions.

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...when Dream Theater came onto stage I was a little hesitant... I had heard they were good but I wasn’t sure... They started up and I didn’t know any of the songs they were playing because I don’t listen to them... but when they played Machine Messiah I imidiately knew it... that was cool... but I was waiting for Yes to come out...

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Walked in during Dream Theater. They had just started an Instrumental Machine Messiah. That was really good but otherwise they did nothing for me.

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ps. loved dream theaters take on machine messiah, they had me from that point on!

When you hear a new band and are telling others about it, generally you compare them to other bands/artists that you and others will already be familiar with, for better or worse. It’s almost like a recipe – 1 part band A, 2 parts band B, a mixture of band C and band D, with a little of band E thrown in for good measure. Here’s a series of the “recipes” used to describe DT by Yes fans:

I liken them to a cross between Rush, Metallica and YES.

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First off I Would like to say dream theatre full of talent reminds me of The Flower Kings but aliitle Queensryche thrown in.

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Dream Theater was hot! Great musicianship, and at times I felt as though I was hearing Kanstyxyes.

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Dream Theater was awesome. I loved their sound, like a mix of Yes,Rush, Styx and Starcastle. I will be buying some CD’s.

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One final thought, Dream Theatre were ok. They are what I would call a progressive heavy metal band ( a cross between Metallica and Rush, ELP and Yes)with a lead singer that sounds like the lead singer of Triumph or Queensryche.

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Dream Theater came on exactly at 7:30. They defintely sounded like a combination of Rush and Genesis.

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As far as Dream Theatre - They sounded like a good cover band that played YES,Rush and others at some point and wrote their own music in those styles. Sometimes they sounded like Rush,sometimes YES and even Styx during one song.

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My favorite “recipe” has to be this one – a slam on DT, yes, but funny nonetheless. One has to wonder what this person’s problem with DT is, since he seems like he appreciates all the artists he compares them to!

I got higher and higher [climbing up to the venue] as showtime approached, until I thought I heard Geddy Lee singing down in the amphitheater a little after 6pm. Then as I began my descent I swear I heard Queensreich playing! A couple of songs later it sounded like they had both been joined by Rick Wakeman!! Suddenly I realized this was just Dream Theater playing so I headed over to the Upper North lot to mix it up with some of the tailgaters.

Everyone has their own opinion but it’s funny how different people can look at the same exact thing and still come up with two completely different opinions. While there’s quite a few opposites, these two reviews from Yes fans (which come from the same show) about Mike take the cake!

The singer is ok, band ok, but the drummer has to GET OVER HIMSELF. Standing up while playing and winking at the crowd over and over. Sit down and impress me.

-compared to-

Mike Portnoy’s percussive pulse was jaw-dropping to say the least. What a tremendous player! He made full use of his enormous drum-kit with brilliant execution along with a flair for showmanship.

Seeing DT from a different view point than us DT fans resulted in some amusing observations and comments by some Yes fans...and some are just plain ignorant! FYI, I’ve added italics in some cases to emphasize the amusing/ignorant parts and made few comments too (I just couldn’t resist).

Hey did anyone think the guitar player looked like Ben Stiller?

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...the lead singer’s voice did not complement the music in my opinion. He reminded me of the speed metal bands of the 80’s...

(One has to wonder what “speed metal bands” this guy is referring to!)

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I give Dream Theatre credit for being incredible musicians for that type of music. They were technically proficient, and flawless, however music like that is a dime a dozen...

(Ah yes, music like DT’s is soooo commonplace that it can be found everywhere – NOT!)

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The lead singer didn’t connect with the audience and instead kept leaving the stage like he had diahhrea or something. Even my 11 yr old kept asking where he was going.

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On the other hand, since my tastes in 2004 now tend to run more toward the jazzy side of the street (and I was raised on classical), DT’s work has the subtlety of a steamroller.

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Those of you who were there for that opening band, (what was it, Drive In Theater?) and felt that Yes did not rock. Open your ears. That opening act rocked all right - about as good as the garage band down the street. Lots of chords and volume so loud that it is distorted does not make for good progressive rock. I felt like I saw my son’s grade school band open for the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra. Who the heck are those guys? If they are as popular as it seems with the yonger folks then I am deeply afraid for the state of new music. Another sign of the “dumbing down” of the next generation of music fans.

(We can only be so lucky if most new music was as good as DT’s! This person needs to listen to your run-of-the-mill radio stations to hear how truly bad the state of new music has become!)

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To the guy sitting next to me in Row U, Sec 109, I apologize for repeatedly bugging you with, “What album is that song from?” - what can I say, my friend & I are hooked on Dream Theater!