The penultimate performance of the tour showcased three of the biggest names in prog in what was a live masterclass skill, spectacle and precision.
Words and Images by Steve Rose
The inaugural Dreamsonic tour features a triple header of prog-rock heavy hitters consisting of Dream Theater, Devin Townsend, and Animals as Leaders. The penultimate stop on this tour was at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles, California, which was a fantastic venue for these bands to showcase their progressive musical prowess.
The night began with a trio of musical titans known as Animals as Leaders. Guitarists, Tosin Abasi and Javier Reyes, are known for their unique playing style and technical dexterity as they perform complex passages on 8 string guitars. Drummer, Matt Garstka, is an absolute monster behind the kit, executing fills and patterns at blazing speed with pinpoint accuracy.
About half of the set consisted of material from their latest release, Parrhesia. Of those songs, “Gordian Naught” and “Micro-Agressions” were standouts early on in the set and they closed with “CAFO,” which is the song that got most fans introduced to band back when it was released in 2009. They played 9 songs and proved commanding from start to finish. It’s a challenge to process how a lot of their music is made – it almost has to be seen in person to watch them pull it off.
Next on the bill was Devin Townsend. Recently, Devin announced that he would be taking a break from touring once his current commitments are complete, so it was a treat to catch him and his band before his self-imposed hiatus from performing.
Devin and his band were a collective group of musical geniuses. Having someone like multi-instrumentalist Mike Keneally in the band really elevates the overall musicianship. Drummer, Darby Todd, and bassist, James Leach, held down the low end and with that type of cohesion, it really allowed Devin to captivate the audience with his performance and really engage with them as he worked all ends of the front of the stage to get their energy level up to match his all set.
Their set featured notable songs like “Kingdom,” “Deadhead,” and “Deep Peace.” Their final song was the catchy, “Bad Devil,” which had the crowd up and moving – at Townsend’s request, and featured all band members wearing oversized foam cowboy hats with horns on either side. Visually it was a sight to see and audibly it was a treat for the ears as well. If these remaining shows serve as the final ones for a while, Devin Townsend and his band left the crowd with a very memorable experience.
Headliners Dream Theater took the stage shortly after 9pm and kicked off the night with “The Alien” from their album, A View From the Top of the World. Guitarist, John Petrucci, bassist, John Myung, Keyboardist, Jordan Rudess, and drummer, Mike Mangigi, kicked off the song while singer, James LaBrie, ran out on stage and delivered his vocals right on time. This New York-based quintet has been at it for nearly forty years and have long been kings of the progressive metal genre.
Myung had a noticeable bandage across his forehead from an injury sustained earlier in the week. Fortunately, the injury did not seem to affect his playing as he played at a high level all night. Dream Theater is one of the few bands that not only brings out everybody’s inner air guitarist, but in this case, also their inner bassist and drummer.
Petrucci, still the sensational string sorcerer, is at the top of his game pulling off flashy riffs and deftly solos seemingly with the greatest of ease. Rudess’ hands were flying all around his hydraulic equipped keyboard as he would spin, dip, and dig in during certain key parts while adding the right amount to texture and flawless delivery of his parts. Mangini’s performance behind the kit was exceptional and always a treat to behold. Lastly, LaBrie sounded fantastic all night long. Every song sounded exactly as recorded and you could see the joy that performing these songs gives him as he sings them.
Dream Theater’s selection of songs had favorites across a number of albums, ensuring that many many fans would be happy with what they heard that night. Some favorites were “The Alien,” “Caught in a Web,” the epic “The Count of Tuscany,” and “Pull Me Under.” When the beginning of that song started, the audience’s enthusiasm built up till the rest of the band kicked in along with the heavy guitar and then horns were up, phones were up, and the whole theater was headbanging in unison to the main rhythm of the song.
Hopefully this tour will be something that happens every year, because based on the success of this night, the fans were into it. Each of these bands are great, but it was very special to be able to get them all on one bill on this tour.
See the comprehensive gallery of images from Steve Rose below.
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