Not even the 11 degrees Celsius that the thermometers showed when Dream Theater took the stage could cool down the fans who went to Tokio Marine Hall in São Paulo this Wednesday, the 31st.
When the lights went out promptly at 9 pm, the noise from the packed house already showed what the interaction with the São Paulo audience would be like, eager to see the Boston band again, who had last come to Brazil in 2019.
The show opened with “The Alien” from their latest album, A View from the Top of the World (2021). And even the fact that James LaBrie John Petrucci 's solo , when the microphone finally started working, the audience celebrated as if it were a goal!
In addition to "The Alien," throughout the show, Dream Theater also played three more songs from the new album: "Awaken the Master," "Invisible Monster," and the title track. It doesn't seem like much, but together they add up to more than 45 minutes!
Moreover, the band's already traditional long song lengths allowed for a meme to joke about the show's date, August 31st: "The Dream Theater show is so long that it starts in August and ends in September."
“6:00” from the iconic album Awake (1994) kept fans excited and singing along with Labrie. The song also showcased the incredible virtuosity of bassist and band founder (and shy) John Myung .
However, it was during "Endless Sacrifice," from the album Train of Thought (2003), that we had one of the show's highlights: Petrucci's impressive solo in partnership with keyboardist Jordan Rudess drew screams and applause from the audience. And when Rudess went to the front of the stage with Petrucci on his keytar, it was one of the most memorable moments of the night.
“Bridges in the Sky”, a song from the album A Dramatic Turn of Events Mike Mangini 's debut with the band, showed the drummer smiling and having fun the whole time. Not just in that song but throughout the entire show.
“About to Crash” from the album Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (2002) filled the gigantic screen with images of beautiful sculptures. Moreover, the audiovisual production with lights and clips throughout the performance created a spectacular effect, with beautiful images synchronized with the music, lyrics, and theme.
The classic “The Ministry of Lost Souls” from the album Systematic Chaos (2007), with its more measured and melodic feel, was another glorious moment of the performance.
Finally, the show's last song, "A View from the Top of the World," with its epic beginning and over 20 minutes of music, flooded the giant screen with images from the top of the world: climbs to Everest, tightrope walkers in the sky, parachute jumps, and other images lifted us to new heights.
But the best was saved for last:
Dream Theater returned for an encore consisting of a single song (a 20-minute one, it's true). "The Count of Tuscany," the band's best song in the last 15 years since Systematic Chaos , was the perfect ending to an impeccable show. The images of Tuscany, the supposedly eerie mansion of the count, and the musicality of the song's ending were enough to bring tears to your eyes and give you goosebumps.
And it was with this thrilling ending that Dream Theater said goodbye to São Paulo and headed to Rock In Rio where they will have the challenge of playing after Iron Maiden and closing out the metal day, this Friday, the 2nd.
Check out the setlist and our exclusive photos taken by our collaborator Leca Suzuki :
- The Alien
- 6:00
- Awaken the Master
- Endless Sacrifice
- Bridges in the Sky
- Invisible Monster
- About to Crash
- The Ministry of Lost Souls
- A View From the Top of the World
BIS: - The Count of Tuscany
READ ALSO: John Petrucci of Dream Theater doesn't understand why he doesn't have more female fans.
