Dream Theater — Tower Theatre, Philadelphia

August 26, 2007 · USA North American Tour

by Daniel Brouse

Dream Theater

Though they've been around for quite some time, I had never seen Dream Theater. In fact, I was only slightly exposed to their music before the show. That’s pretty unusual for me—I usually go to concerts after I’ve already fallen in love with a band. This time, it turned into a huge surprise: a reeeeeeeeeally great show. Since then, I’ve become a massive fan. The songs now have an entirely new meaning.

The word “talent” is not one I like to use. Perhaps “ability” is a better word. In this case, every player on stage had the ability to play their instrument at the absolute highest level.

The best way to explain the experience is in the band’s name—Dream Theater. The music feels like dream theater for the mind, and the stage show truly is dream theater. Many acts have visuals, but often they have nothing to do with the meaning of the song. With Dream Theater, the sights and sounds fused together to create a true theatrical experience.

Part of why the show felt so powerful might have been our seats. I bought the tickets at the last minute through an American Express promotion and ended up in fantastic seats, which made the whole experience even more immersive.

They played most of Systematic Chaos, with my favorites being Constant Motion, The Dark Eternal Night, and In the Presence of Enemies — Part II.

The Dark Eternal Night was a perfect example of how visuals and music combined. I’ll never forget the image of the band as marionettes, their strings being cut by giant scissors. During In the Presence of Enemies — Part II, the crowd became part of the show—an army of voices with fists raised, chanting:

“Fight,
Fight and destroy until you can't take anymore
Spill,
Hey! Spill the blood of rebels
They are the terror of hell!”

Setlist

Also sprach Zarathustra, op. 30 (Richard Strauss cover)

Constant Motion
Panic Attack
Scarred
Surrounded (’07 extended version, with excerpts of “Mother” and “Sugar Mice”)
The Dark Eternal Night
Keyboard Solo
Lines in the Sand
Misunderstood
In the Presence of Enemies — Part I
In the Presence of Enemies — Part II

Encore:
Schmedley Wilcox
(Trial of Tears / Finally Free / Learning to Live / In the Name of God / Octavarium)