2011-2012 tour program essay

I will remember January 3rd 2011 as both an exciting and yet surreal day. It was the first day back to the recording studio for Dream Theater after being on an extensive world tour in support of our previous album and we were to commence work on our 11th studio release. In some ways it was business as usual; Cove City Sound Studios on Long Island was a familiar place to us after having recorded “Train Of Thought” there as well as the song “Raw Dog” almost a year prior to the date. Yet as I walked up the stairs of the studio and the familiar smell of coffee mixed with seasoned hardwood and fired up recording consoles filled the air, I couldn’t help but notice a slightly anxious and pensive feeling overcome me. The truth is, a lot had changed for the band since our last album, “Black Clouds & Silver Linings” yet nonetheless, here I was. Besides the live stage, the recording studio is the place where I’ve always felt most at home. I have to say that what happened next was nothing short of remarkable. When I opened the door to the studio, and peered into the live room not really knowing what to expect to see, there was my friend and bass player for the past 30 years sitting amongst a sea of gear practicing away as always. It was seeing John (better known as JMX these days) in that familiar scene and inviting setting that immediately erased any thoughts of “Hey, something seems a little different around here”. The fact is, we had come there to work hard for the next several months, make some great music and enjoy one of the greatest processes that any band could experience together. And that is really all that mattered.

Having our master engineer Paul Northfield at the helm once again was also very reassuring. Over the past several years beginning with “Systematic Chaos”, Paul has become an integral part of DT’s recording process. Always incredibly patient and infinitely capable, his seasoned engineering skills and unwavering dedication in the studio has been something we’ve come to look forward to and rely on. This album was no exception. Constantly striving to capture the ultimate sounds, Paul was a welcome sight behind the board at Cove City once again.

As the band’s producer, my biggest priority was to make sure I came in to the studio prepared with a clear sonic and creative vision for the new album. My laptop was filled with song demos, intros, chord progressions, lyrics, melodies and riffs I had been collecting over the past few months as well as at least a dozen e-mails from JMX containing bass ideas, album and song titles and song lyrics as well. There was a bunch of correspondence with Jordan about the musical direction, spirit and focus of the upcoming recording session and the compositional and creative goals we wanted to achieve. There were e-mails between James and I about the vocal approach he would take both melodically and from a recording standpoint including the decision to hire Rich Chycki to record the vocals in a much needed, comfortable and non-imposing environment. I was especially inspired reading multiple messages dripping with excitement and anticipation from Mike about the upcoming recording session, drums, mics and the DT studio process in general.

It was those first few days in the studio together with John that just sort of set the tone for the rest of the session. That familiar feeling of sitting down with your band mate, one on one, trading riffs and ideas as we did when we were 15 hanging out in our old neighborhood, jamming in a quiet basement, bedroom or garage and just having a great time. That peaceful, comfortable and conducive creative environment and head space that we all work so hard to try and achieve.

During the next few days as JMX and I were working out ideas, something strange and magnificent was being built to my left. It was a mecca of keyboards, bizarre stringed instruments and electronic gadgets so immense that it could only mean one thing... the wizard was on his way! Jordan’s musical capacity and ability on both a performance and compositional level is just mind-boggling. The anticipation was building... The amazing chemistry that Jordan and I have always experienced while composing music together was in full effect and needless to say we had a blast writing for this album over the next couple of months.

Enter James... determined to be an important part of the writing process, earnestly listening through headphones, eyes closed, rockin’ out to the music all while belting out melodies, some of which would later become vocal parts or lines to be crafted into guitar passages or weaved into chord movements. I can only imagine what it must be like to be the vocalist in this band. It’s nearly impossible to get a word in edgewise with all the notes and riffs flying around the room!

During the two and a half months it took to compose the album, we were simultaneously engaged in detailed pre-production to the point where each song was not only fully arranged and demo’d, but all tempos, arrangement markers and meters were settled upon and documented. Such that when it came time to start the actual tracking for the album, we had everything laid out and ready to go for Mike to begin to record the drums. From January through the 2nd week in March, as songs were completed, I would send them to Mike and practically every Saturday morning we would have detailed conversations about the songs, his ideas and thoughts and just how incredibly pumped and excited he was to get to work and put his creative stamp on the album.

When it was time to bring in the kit, the studio was transformed into some sort of drummer’s paradise. Maddi (whom I give the MVP award to for these sessions) would send me hourly pictures from his iPhone documenting the building of the drum kit at Cove City over the course of a couple of days. As Mike would say, this kit was absolutely off the charts (“charts” must be said with a thick Bostonian accent for full effect). I mentioned my guitar tech Maddi for a second there and I would be remiss in not explaining why he gets the MVP award in our eyes... Not only did he brave out the entire 5 month process in the studio with us as my tech, but he also became the official drum tech, bass tech, key tech, studio runner, tour manager, caterer, counselor, travel agent, accountant, chauffer and snow shoveler of the ADTOE sessions! Wow!

Recording Mike Mangini was one of highlights of the album experience for me. Mike’s impeccable preparation and positive spirit were refreshingly infectious and set the mood for the kinds of performances we would capture from everyone on this album. Between the sheer technical mastery of his instrument and the raw musicality that just oozes from his pores, his performances not only brought all of the songs to life but also infused an intensity and passion into the music that was a sight to behold, a pleasure to listen to and just incredibly inspiring.

Once the drums were done we went on to record the guitars (my favorite part!), bass, keys, solos and sound fx until everything was completed and ready for the next step. One of the discussions we had prior to the recording was to be really cognizant of the vocal role on this album. Since a lot of our focus is largely instrumental, we made a vow to commit just as much attention to the vocal melodies, range, lyrics and sonic presentation as we did the music.

After completing the guide vocal melodies, we decided James would be more comfortable working in his native Canada. The results were phenomenal. He was in an environment that was familiar, scenic and serene where he could really just take in the music and deliver his best vocal performances to date. The depth, character and beauty of his voice shined through in a way that was unmistakably signature LaBrie. I would send James the lyrics and a demo of the vocal part; him and Rich would record for a few days and then send files back to me. Subtle and quick changes of phrasing, pronunciation or attitude here and there was all any song ever needed before I was able to sign off on the final vocal. There were two songs that were just not as stellar by no fault of James, but were falling short as to how I was imagining them in my head. This prompted me to head up to Canada for a few days with James and Rich (always one to keep the spirit light and fun) and dial in the finishing touches on those tracks. We had a blast and I’ll always be grateful for Rich’s hospitality and hot sauce!

During this process, as I was writing lyrics for the album, reading through James’ and John’s words and listening to the finished vocal tracks, the daunting task of coming up with an album title was weighing pretty heavily upon us. The working title of the album was actually “Bridges In The Sky”, taken from the song of the same name originally called “The Shaman’s Trance”. In fact, master artist Hugh Syme’s album cover artwork stemmed from that original title. The problem was that the title “BITS”, as it did relate to the subject of that particular song, did not really represent the album’s message as a complete work. There was something eating at me as I read through all the words over and over. I knew there was a common and underlying motif throughout the lyrics but couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Themes of ‘revolution’, ‘uprising’, ‘spiritual journeys’, ‘crossing of thresholds’, ‘political, religious, economic and social unrest’, and ‘metamorphoses’ were evident yet everything seemed too typical and cliché. When the idea of “A Dramatic Turn Of Events” hit me, I knew that was it. This was the illusive phrase that encompassed the general theme and message woven throughout the album! The impact and transcendence of the title to me far outweighed the idea that it might be construed by many as a reference to the band’s own personal and professional turbulence of the past year. The great thing is that it magically complimented Hugh’s artwork even better than the original title and that was indeed the clincher.

Having this album mixed by the legendary and wonderfully brilliant Mr. Andy Wallace was a dream come true for the band. We had wanted him to mix a Dream Theater album for at least a decade and it was now about to become a reality. I knew that Andy was the right man for the job not only based on his previous work, but on our initial phone conversation prior to the start of the mix. He had asked me how I heard this album being presented sonically. I answered with descriptive words such as “Epic” “Cinematic” “Broad” “Dynamic” “Powerful” “Clear” “Polished” and “Hi-Fi”. Well, as Andy put it, that’s exactly how he likes to mix! And he delivered far beyond all of our expectations.

So, that brings us to tonight. Here we are. “A Dramatic Tour Of Events” is in full swing and we are all present to celebrate the spirit of music in this amazing setting, amongst an incredible community of fans, musicians and music lovers with our heads and our hearts all in the same place. We thank you for all that you give back to us and for the numerous ways you support, inspire and humble us as we continue on this journey together.

Now... time to deliver the goods!!

John Petrucci – September, 2011