Match 12, 2025
Grammy award winners Dream Theater return to Montreal
They say time waits for no man, and that is a fact that is proven daily – for example, Dream Theater are currently on the road, touring for their 40th anniversary. How has four decades passed us by so quickly. Ponder that anyway way you so desire, the truth is it has happened.
Tonight was a little more special than Dream Theater shows in recent years, as it also serves as the first time founder member Mike Portnoy played with the band since his return to their fold in the waning days of 2023.
See Also: Voivod and the OSM at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, Montreal
Portnoy joins vocalist James LaBrie, bassist John Myung, guitarist John Petrucci, and keyboardist Jordan Rudess, and the quintet sounded as if not a day had passed since they were last on stage together. This is the first North American trek since Portnoy has retaken his drum stool, and it truly felt as if magic was in the air.
Dream Theater
When you’re as immensely popular as Dream Theater are; there is no use in having an opening act come out and warm up your audience – they’re already primed and ready to go. Red hot and ready and to be blown away by the complexities that come with the genre. Especially when tonight’s entertainment is now only at the top of the heap, but one of the pioneers of the discipline entirely.
Beginning the night with The Miracle and the Sleeper was all it took to get this sold out crowd into what was to come the rest of the night. There is a manic moment of musical genius at about the seven minute mark of this piece that quiet literally send the Montreal fans into a frenzy. Such technicality is impressive on a studio recording but when seeing it played live, is mind-melting. Despite this being a seated room, and a very classy one at that, normally reserved for orchestra’s and jazz legends – Germany’s Kraftwerk, for example, had played this room two nights prior, and tonight was to be a rather rowdy reception, as Montreal collectively showed their love for Dream Theater loudly, and often.
While Salle Wilfrid Pelletier is a seated venue, there wasn’t a single ass in a seat from the moment the show got underway. Not on the floor, nor on the three balconies either. Roughly three thousand people had turned out for this gig tonight, selling out the gorgeous venue – and they were going to make sure Dream Theater knew they were there.
Behind the band, as well as below them, were a series of screens that showed off an array of funky videos. Sometimes psychedelic and sometimes scenes that could have been taken straight out of a noir film – at times mesmerizing and other times enchanting. Always adding to the incredible display of musicianship that was going down on stage. To watch John Petrucci work his guitars fretboard is to be amazing and dazzled. Man, can that guy play!
The soiree was divided into two acts with the first containing nine tracks with an interlude giving the musicians a chance to breathe and regain their composure before returning for a second act containing six more tunes, before an encore – which we’ll get to later on.
Act one consisted of the aforementioned The Miracle And The Sleeper, followed by Overture 1928, Strange Déjà Vu, The Mirror, Panic Attack, Barstool Warrior, Hollow Years, Under A Glass Moon and The Dark Eternal Night. The segment concluded with a tape recording of the classic cinema piece Let’s All Go To The Lobby – which was rather amusing, to me anyway.
Prior to the start of the second set, a recording consisting of a montage of Dream Theater tracks played over the crowd. Then, the band re-appeared on stage to a raucous welcome as Night Terror began. Following that, were Midnight Messiah, This Is The Life, Vacant, Stream Of Consciousness and Octavarium. Quite an incredible setlist, if I do say so myself.
Seeing Jordan Rudess step down from his platform alongside drummer Mike Portnoy, to rip on his keytar during The Mirror was particularly awesome. In fact, Rudess showed off his cool toys throughout the set, with his revolving platform and fancy tilting keyboards – nobody was having more fun that Rudess with all his gadgets.
As previously mentioned, and to nobody’s surprise – the band returned to stage for an encore set, and given the amount of noise the gathering had made during Dream Theater’s brief absence from the stage, even if these encores weren’t already scripted into the game plan, I’m sure it would have been enough to woe the band back for another go-around.
First, Dream Theater churned through the six and a half minute long, Pink Floyd-esque track The Spirit Carries On, before playing their final piece of the night – Pull Me Under. What an utterly brilliant way to conclude what had been a blissful night of wonderful music. Few, if any, can do what Dream Theater appears to do with such ease – and that is what makes them truly special in the progressive rock and metal realm. What a treat is had been, to witness them in the flesh once more.
Each time I see Dream Theater live, I walk away in absolute awe of what I had just witnessed. The skill that emanates through these five musicians is mindboggling and incredible to sit and witness. Through all these years, that has never gotten old. In the years to come, I imagine I’ll still be just as blown away as I have been all these nights to date. What an incredible experience it is to see and hear Dream Theater.
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Having played roughly for three hours, without any other artists performing – meant that I was able to get home in time to catch most of the Montreal Canadiens game, as they continue their playoff chase against the Kraken in Seattle – a late start. I’m sure these Bostonians would appreciate that!
These lads truly had thought of everything! Cheers Dream Theater! Until our paths cross again!
