Dream Theater
Live at Budokan

THE REVIEW

Live at Budokan, ladies and gentlemen

Yes, finally after an exceptional Train of Thought Tour, Dream Theater recorded on April 26, 2004, at the legendary Budokan Hall in Tokyo.
The evening begins as expected with Myung's bass introduction to announce the concert's opening with As I Am, which is followed inexorably and without pause by This Dying Soul, as always performed impeccably with its countless and lightning-fast musical scales. Already from the beginning of the concert, you can notice the great moment of the band, James LaBrie on this Tour returns to sing at very high levels. Without respite, they move to Beyond This Life, a great piece from Metropolis II, presented in an extended version enriched by a succession of guitar, keyboard, and drum solos in a tribute to Frank Zappa. This is followed by the wonderful Hollow Years where Petrucci delights us with a solo sharpened for the ToT Tour.
After these sweet notes, it's time for the two gritty and inseparable War Inside My Head & The Test That Stumped Them All, which conclude CD no.1.

CD no. 2 starts with Endless Sacrifice, always beautiful and engaging, which transports the audience with its arpeggios and the warm voice of James.
Finally, we come to the surprise of the evening: the instrumedley; something truly unique, the execution of a piece that in my opinion will remain in the history of prog. This exciting piece is performed impeccably and has The Dance Of Eternity as its main theme, with which it begins, ranging from Erotomania to Metropolis I, passing through Ytse Jam and the Liquid Tension to ultimately reconnect with the initial piece.
After this whirlwind of breaks, countertimes, and electrifying riffs, a slow is needed, and here comes the lunar introduction of Trial Of Tears, which makes the Budokan audience dream again, after which we move to New Millennium where Mike demonstrates truly unexpected vocal talents. It's time for Rudess's solo, which precedes the revised Only a Matter Of Time.
For the final part of this second CD, on my part, I would have preferred the keyboard solo performed at the Palalottomatica - RM while instead of New Millennium, I would have put Honor Thy Father, but all in all, the setlist needs to be respected, and the result doesn't displease me at all.

And here we are at the third and last CD, which begins with the two pieces from Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence, namely Goodnight Kiss and Solitary Shell, which as usual are performed perfectly and overwhelmingly one after the other to immerse the audience in the atmospheres of the 2002 album, then like a bolt from the blue comes the instrumental flow of consciousness Stream Of Consciousness, which charges the audience again with its dry and powerful rhythms, again from Six Degrees Disappear, which seems slightly different from usual, perhaps because it is accelerated by a few beats.
From the first notes, it is impossible not to recognize Pull Me Under, now a historic piece and the band's showpiece that excites all the ytse jammers present. At this point, the five pretend to have finished the show but come back in grande style performing the last and wonderful piece In The Name Of God, which now, in the absence of Acos, is great for closing concerts. Petrucci's solo pushes the strings to the limit, hitting the last note that shakes the heart, moving even those not present.
Sure, a finale with A Change Of Seasons would have been asking too much, but at the end of the concert, DT were more than satisfied with their work, and we thank them for once again letting us hear music with a capital M.