DREAM THEATER

(The Rave, 11/4)

OK, I’ll be honest, I’d seen these guys a couple times on the last tour, and wasn’t expecting much more this time around... and as I type this, I still haven’t gotten my foot out of my mouth.

Let me explain myself – as far as musicianship goes, there is absolutely no band that compares to these guys. Mike Portnoy is an incredible drummer, the best in the business, and one of the few who can get away with a solo that doesn’t send fans screaming for the beer lines. John Petrucci... well, he’s just John Petrucci, and if that doesn’t say it all, go get your head checked. John Myung, the unsung hero in the band, totes his seven-string around the stage and barely picks his head up long enough to recognize the rhythmic stupor his bass is sending throughout the crowd. Ah, yes, and lest we forget James LaBrie, the fiery Canuck who transforms Dream Theater’s instrumental masterpieces into living, breathing, sensuous offerings.

And for you keyboard fanatics out there... well, you can whip the ivories at me, because this is where I tread lightly. While Derek Sherinian is extremely talented, Kevin Moore reinvented the keyboard, and his adeptness added a musical dimension that was previously unheard of – even in the most aspiring prog-rock circles. Like I said, I know Sherinian’s talented, it’s just tough picturing him as a vital cog in the Dream Theater wheel. While the ability is there, I think he’s (understandably) still trying to find his niche – until he does, I’ll have a hard time forgetting Kevin Moore.

The biggest difference in Dream Theater? They look like they’re having fun. They’ve lost those “we’re from Berklee, we’re serious, look at how great we play” faces, and have discovered a contagious congeniality onstage that can’t help but flow through the crowd. LaBrie interacts and reacts, as opposed to the last tour, when he just seemed to be going through the motions. Petrucci smiles... I swear, this was the first time I’ve seen him smile onstage.

One thing’s for certain, if it sounds like the band was having fun, you should’ve seen the crowd.