In September, Dream Theater announced they would postpone their North American tour to early 2022 due to concerns about the Covid-19 pandemic. At the time, guitarist John Petrucci shared that the band's decision was not unanimous.
In an interview with Metal Voice , singer James LaBrie spoke about the band's decision and Petrucci's frustrations with it.
“It all came down to how comfortable we were going out,” he said. “We were getting mixed messages from promoters and our agencies. Our management was looking into it comprehensively, with people who were there, tours that were happening, tours that had fallen through.”
“When you put together a tour, the amount of money invested is astronomical. The type of production we do is very large; it’s quite substantial,” LaBrie explained. He also mentioned hearing from other bands who had been on the road for a week or two and ended up contracting the disease. And then, because of that, they had to stop for 10 days or more.
“Well, that’s financially crippling for any tour of any magnitude. […] You’re talking about 10 days where you’re simply dead in the water,” he stated.
LaBrie also spoke about Petrucci's frustration with the decision.
“Sometimes you’re going to have to agree to disagree. And like he said, he was frustrated,” LaBrie said. “Well, honestly, we’re all frustrated that we’re not on tour. That’s what we love to do. We love going on the road. But some of us felt we weren’t willing to take that risk and contract this unfortunate virus.”
In an interview conducted by Robert Cavuoto of Sonic Perspectives , guitarist John Petrucci revealed his frustration with the band's decision to postpone the tour, saying: “Well, it’s an unfortunate decision. John ( Myung ) and I really wanted to tour, we’re dying to get out there and promote the new album. Unfortunately, we couldn’t convince the other guys that it was safe. So it wasn’t a unanimous decision, unfortunately.”
Although the change isn't ideal, Dream Theater fans will be able to listen to the band's new album shortly before they return to the road. The group's 15th studio album, A View From the Top of the World , has already been released.