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2020-01-12 DE – Oberhausen - Turbinenhalle

The Distance Over Time Tour - Celebrating 20 Years Of Scenes From A Memory

One could say that the NOCTURNAL HALL MAGAZINE traditionally starts a new concert year with a Prog show. One, two times it was Steven Wilson, but also Blind Ego and, if you expand the term “Prog”, you can count in Amorphis too, can’t you? However, don’t change a running system or so ;) We also started 2020 with Progressive music. Much more, we started the 12 days old new year downright with a Progressive Metal manifestation! No one else than DREAM THEATER invited to “An evening with…” to present their new album Distance Over Time as well as to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory, round here too. That I call an adequate musical introduction to a new decade!

The format “An evening with…” has it to play extended shows without support. And so DREAM THEATER did. They delivered and almost 3 hours long running show of two sets (with a break in between) and a bigger stage production. The :: Turbinenhalle :: Oberhausen, was, less surprising, packed to the max, sold out if I got it right, or nearly sold out. Wisely, organizers had put one and a half hour between the opening time and the show begin, so the long lines in front of the door were processed quickly. Merch was expensive but common when it comes to an US band. Shirts 35 Euro, LS 40 Euro, zippers 70 Euro. I know way smaller bands that take much more money for their stuff. Ok, let’s dive into a mind-boggling night of high level progressive epicness!

:: pics :: DREAM THEATER ::

Several times prior the show an announcement came out of the speaker that every kind of smoking was strongly forbidden inside the hall. I heard grumbling here and there but, at the end, I really did not see even the smallest cloud of smoke within the crowd (as it happens so often). Perhaps, the large amount of securities roaming the crowd did it too.
The stage setting and especially the drum set was quite impressing and raised expectations. I lived the scull holding robot hand as a micro stand ;)

Act 1 - The Distance Over Time Tour

Lights darkened and Kraftwerk’s Radioactivity called the fans into the hall and draw their attention to the stage. Then lights went out and the cinematic intro Atlas brought the band on stage. One after another, the musicians showed up, accompanied by a welcome applause, while DREAM THEATER’s complete album history was running up on the huge backdrop screen and then broke into Untethered Angel, the opening track of the brand new album Distance Over Time. Sound and lights were bombastic, perfectly tuned with the visuals to every song. The band seemed to be in high spirits, no sign of jetlag as it was just the second day on tour. Singer James LaBrie acted relaxed, made some fun with his pals and also joked with the cactus someone had placed on stage. But he didn’t say that much. There was actually only one announcement during the first act.
Next to other songs from the current album,:: DREAM THEATER :: played to older songs, A Nightmare To Remember and In The Presence Of Enemies, Part I. Finishing Pale Blue Dot one hour was already played and a 20 minutes break followed.
Musically as well as technically DREAM THEATER are of course beyond any reasonable doubt. It is just a pleasure to watch the musicians do their magic with such ease and delight. I normally don’t like lengthy solos, here, everyone was welcome and responded by frenetic applause. Though, I had the feeling that James LaBrie had some probs with his voice, yet nothing that would have had any negative effect on the show.

Setlist Act 1: Atlas (Intro, Two Steps From Hell), Untethered Angel, A Nightmare To Remember, Paralyzed, Barstool Warrior, In The Presence Of Enemies, Part I, Pale Blue Dot

Act 2 - 20 Years Of Scenes From A Memory

The intermission was (almost too) long but finally lights went out again and a comic strip introduced to the conceptual story behind the anniversary album Metropolis, Part 2: Scenes From A Memory. The album was played uninterrupted, in its entirety in the same order as on CD, each song supported by the visual story.
The audience seemed to be much more awake, responded much livelier at every song and now I even saw raised fists in the air. Well, the old songs always do it a bit better, don’t they? ;)
As you know, Metropolis, Part 2: Scenes From A Memory is 77 minutes long, so we got another good hour of excellent musicianship. To see drummer Mike Mangini working, especially on the high hanging cymbals, was stunning. Play and fitness program in one ;) But also the keyboard of Jordan Rudess was fascinating, moveable in all directions and giving him space to act and play much livelier than other keyboard player normally do. I looked at older images and compared the keyboard constructions to see how it developed to what it looks today. Awesome. John Petrucci and John Myung however, acted much more introverted. At least, John Petrucci used the stairs and gallery to act out a little more.
Last night’s show in Amsterdam had a very emotional moment during part one and two of Metropolis, Part 2: Scenes From A Memory, when DREAM THEATER hold 30 seconds of silence in honor and memory of the iconic Rush drummer Neil Peart, who passed away on Tuesday. And it was as quiet as a mouse in that big hall.

Anyway, every show must come to end. This one too. And so it happened after around two hours and forty minutes. Ultimately closed by the encore At Wit's End.
No doubt, DREAM THEATER still reign supreme. They are called Prog Metal titans. And rightly so. That was a night of outstanding musicianship in sound and vision. That’s the way I love to start a new concert year with and will surely go on that way over this new decade!

Band: James LaBrie, John Petrucci, John Myung, Jordan Rudess, Mike Mangini

Setlist Act 2: 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 // At Wit's End