Jordan Rudess interview (excerpt)

Asked how it feels to be back on the road in Italy, Rudess said: “Europe is a hotspot for Dream Theater, and Italy is probably among the hottest spots, so it’s great to be here. I know the fans are really excited about everything, and we are too. And personally, I love coming to Italy, ‘cause it’s probably my favorite place of all the choices of where we can go. I have a lot of friends [here], and there’s a lot of pluses [to being in Italy], as you know.”

Regarding whether there has been a difference in reactions to Dream Theater’s new, self-titled album between the audiences in America and those in Europe, Rudess said: “This album’s been very well received, but I guess the main difference that I would say is the general difference that happens all the time at the shows, and even as reaction to the music, which is that there’s certain places in the world, like where we are right now, that it is more passionate about things, and especially with music that’s a little bit more demanding, more challenging, that you need to invest more personal energy into to get back the satisfaction, I find that the European audiences are more willing to go along for the ride than the American audiences. That’s not to say that there aren’t a lot of people in the U.S. that will go along for the ride, but I find it more happening around here.”