Dream Theater

Birch Hill, Old Bridge

New Jersey, USA (6/9/95)

At the entrance, we were informed that the show would be violent. People were crammed like sardines right up to the door of Birch Hill, not to mention the enormous difficulty in seeing the band up close – even though the place was small – in a club that was hotter than we had allowed ourselves to speculate when June began (summer in the northern hemisphere)! It is clear that Dream Theater fans are tireless. Throughout the set, they pushed each other into the “human oven” and not even the heat kept them from the center of the dance floor, where, with their bodies, they formed the agitated ‘pit’, designated for the insane ‘slam dancing’ of rock shows. The heat did not tire Dream Theater; on the contrary, it fueled the group. The set was perfect. The thunderous roar of the drums came from behind the stage. The frontman’s voice reverberated vigorously and the audience became accomplices. The guitar and drum solos, which are very common, could not be missed. And it was better that they were brief – despite the interesting change in tempo – given the time given to the keyboardist, who played a few notes alone with his instrument. Between the heat, standing for two hours and feeling profane in front of such meticulous, not to say sacred, compositions, I admit, the last moments dragged a bit. Unmissable nonetheless. (DS)

Original text

Dream Theater

Birch Hill, Old Bridge

New Jersey, EUA (9/6/95)

Na entrada, já fomos informados que o show seria violento. As pessoas estavam espremidas como sardinhas até a porta do Birch Hill, sem falar na dificuldade enorme em se enxergar a banda mais de perto – ainda que o lugar fosse pequeno – num clube que ficou mais quente do que nos permitimos especular quando o mês de j unho começava (verão no hemisfério norte)! Nota-se que os fãs de Dream Theater são incansáveis. Durante todo o set eles empurraram um ao outro para o “forno humano” e nem o calor, nem o calor os afastava do centro do pista, onde, com seus corpos, formaram o agitado ‘pit’, designado para o ‘slam dancing’ insano dos shows de rock. O calor não cansava o Dream Theater, ao contrário, alimentava o conjunto. O set foi perfeito. O rumor trovejante da bateria vinha detrás do palco. A voz do ‘frontman’ reverberava com vigor e a platéia ia virando cúmplice. Os solos de guitarra e bateria, muito comuns, não poderiam faltar. E melhor que tenham sido breves – apesar da interessante alteração no compasso – dada pelo tempo cedido ao tecladista, que soltou algumas notas a sós com seu instrumento. Entre o calor, ficar em pé por duas horas e sentir-se profano diante de composições esmeradas, para não dizer sagradas, admito, os últimos momentos se arrastaram um pouco. Imperdível mesmo assim. (DS)