Dream Theater, Toyota Oakdale Theater, Wallingford, CT 4/9/19

Sometimes things need to break before you take a look at your past, see what made you great and rebuild.  Arguably, that’s what happened to Dream Theater.  Beginning in 1992 when vocalist James LaBrie joined, the band spent the next decade putting out a string of classic records  – Images & Words, Awake, A Change of Seasons, Falling Into Infinity, Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory and 2002’s Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence. Then it seemed like the path became a little clouded.  Always incredible musicians, it felt like the musicianship no longer served the song but rather the song was just an excuse to create elaborate, over the top solos.  It began to feel bloated, culminating in the over two hour sci-fi conceptual album The Astonishing in 2016.

Then something interesting happened.  The band followed their 2016 tour, where only The Astonishing was played (and a few encores at select shows) with a 2017 tour celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the iconic Images & Words.  Perhaps this look back reminded them of how great a band they are.  The result was a change in writing process, contributions from the entire band, and the release earlier this year of Distance Over Time, a return to the classic Dream Theater approach and the bands strongest and best record since Six Degrees.

Dream Theater kicked off this tour on March 20 and it rolled into the Toyota Oakdale Theater in Wallingford, CT on April 9.  The night was billed as “The Distance Over Time Tour 2019 Celebrating 20 Years of Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory”, letting you know right away that these two records would be taking center stage.

The first half of the show begins with the first single from and first track on the new record “Untethered Angel” and immediately sets the tone.  The crowd was on it’s feet and the band, including LaBrie sounded in fine form.  Although a new song, the crowd recognized it and was very much into it. An interesting choice was next, the 16:00+ minute long “A Nightmare to Remember” from 2009’s Black Clouds & Silver Linings, the last record with original drummer Mike Portnoy. It may have been a little early in the set for such a long, dense song but the crowd stayed on it’s feet.  Two highlights from the new record, “Fall Into the Light” and “Barstool Warrior”, were next.  Both songs were fantastic but it felt as if the crowd was unfamiliar with them.  “In The Presence of Enemies, pt. 1” from 2007’s Systematic Chaos brought the crowd back before ending the set with another new song, “Pale Blue Dot”.  As the one hour first set closed, it felt like the band and crowd were just warming up.  While the new tracks went over pretty well, it felt rushed. It would be interesting to see how these songs fit in a longer set, surrounded by some of their classic material.  The crowd was on it’s feet the whole time, but the buzz was anticipation for the second half.  It almost felt like the strong new record was shortchanged a bit as everyone waited for what was coming next.

After a 20 minute intermission, the lights went down and the video screen lit up, reintroducing the crowd to the familiar characters, Nicolas, Victoria, Julian and Edward.  During the original 1999 shows, the video showed live action characters,  this tour had the look more of a graphic novel.  The crowd erupted during “Regression” and “Overture”.  The elephant in the room however was the addition of Mike Mangini on drums, replacing original drummer Mike Portnoy.  While Mangini has been in the band for nearly a decade and played a lot of these songs live, it’s different in a full album setting like this.  At first it felt like putting a new engine in your favorite car – the same but a little different.  After a few songs, however, it became seamless and felt natural.  Hearing this record live after 20 years brings back just how monumental a release it really is.  Every member rose to the task and shone throughout the performance.  The crowd loved every minute, singing every word.  When Dream Theater is at their best, as they were on this night, the five members have the ability to move you, to make you feel the emotions only music, their music, can bring to the surface.  The Act I climax, “Through Her Eyes” caused the most denim and leather clad attendee to tear up. During the emotional song, the video screen showed a cemetery, the names on the stones are those that we’ve lost – Rhodes, Squire, Mercury, Vaughn, Abbott, Emerson, Bowie, Cornell and Zappa.  A subtle but well done tribute.

The only time LaBrie addressed the crowd was between Acts.  He talked of the memories they had recording the record and the introduction of Jordan Rudess to the band at that time before launching into an incendiary version of “Home”.  The second Act built up to the impassioned “The Spirit Carries On”.  While Dream Theater has played this song regularly over the years, there is something that happens when it takes it’s spot in the whole of Scenes From A Memory.  On this night, these five musicians took this song and did exactly what music is supposed to do…they made you feel every word and every note.  It made you feel your own mortality, it made you remember every loved one you ever lost, it made you feel joyous, it made you want to live life to the fullest, it was religion.  Not every band can do that, not every song can do that, but on this night, Dream Theater did exactly that with “The Spirit Carries On”.

As Scenes ended, the band did come back for the traditional encore of “Pull Me Under” which almost felt anti-climatic after what we just witnessed.  As mentioned earlier, I do think the band shortchanged the new record by combining it with the anniversary of such a classic piece.  I’m not sure how many people remembered the new songs after being blown away by the second half.  Hopefully this “rebirth” of the classic Dream Theater sound will continue on as there are few bands that could put on a better show than they just did.

Setlist:

Set 1

Untethered Angel

 Nightmare to Remember

Fall Into the Light

Barstool Warrior

In the Presence of Enemies, Part I

Pale Blue Dot

Set 2 – Metropolis Pt. 2 – Scenes from a Memory

Regression

Overture 1928

Strange Déjà Vu

Through My Words

Fatal Tragedy

Beyond This Life

Through Her Eyes

Home

The Dance of Eternity

One Last Time

The Spirit Carries On

Finally Free

Encore:

Pull Me Under