Some post-show reflections:
John Petrucci’s tone was phenomenal yet remarkably dry. His lead tone featured his signature delay settings, but they were mixed subtly. It also had more high-end presence than I’ve typically heard from him live, but he cut through the mix effortlessly.
John played his Black Frosting Majesty on a few songs. This finish looks absolutely amazing under the stage lights. I left the show with major GAS.
Mike Portnoy’s drums sounded absolutely massive! The subwoofers hit me in the chest throughout the entire show. Having grown up with massive audio systems in my cars, I absolutely love that sensation.
No Portnoy spit missiles to be seen.
During
“Hollow Years,” my friend turned to me and asked what effect John was using to achieve his acoustic sound. I explained that his guitars are equipped with a piezo system. He was astonished. It’s further proof that gear-obsessed players like me live in a bubble—my friend has been playing guitar just as long as I have, yet he had no idea.
The crowd seemed a bit subdued. I suspect it was because many parents were there with their kids, possibly attending their first metal concert. It wasn’t a huge issue, but we all know how a quiet audience can influence a band’s performance. Both James and John spent much of the show encouraging the crowd to raise their hands.
There were no spotlights or cameras providing close-up visuals for the audience. I’ve always appreciated this feature, especially for watching Jordan’s hands on the keyboards. Unfortunately, they’ve opted not to include it on this tour.
I know they’ve been doing three hour sets on this tour, but this one ended with like 10-15 minutes to spare. I would’ve loved to have had one more song in the set.
I’m still processing the whole thing so I’ll add additional thoughts as they come to mind.
