The Manila Times

One night on ‘Top of the World’ with Dream Theater

MARK BONIFACIO

THERE was a palpable air of anticipation among fans of progressive metal titans Dream Theater while lined up at The New Frontier Theater in Cubao, Quezon City, an hour before the quintet was slated to take the stage for the Manila leg of “The Top of the World Tour.” They were, after all, going to see their virtuosic heroes six years after their firstever show in the country since their highly anticipated return in 2020 was postponed because of the pandemic.

Just as precision is closely tied to the band’s brand of music, the opening show sequences started playing right on the dot at 8 p.m. to raucous applause from the crowd. The audience was expectedly composed of middleaged men who were relishing the chance to experience the technical wizardry that only groups like Dream Theater can offer.

An impressive LED screen served the production well in creating mental montages of the intricate imagery that the band’s progressive music evoked.

The applause turned into roaring cheers when the band opened with the Grammy award-winning “The Alien.” This was quickly followed in succession by signature longer pieces such as “6:00,” “Sleeping Giant,” and “Bridges in the Sky,” all the while entrancing the crowd with Mike Mangini’s complex and powerful drumming and John Myung’s steadying artistry on the bass.

Then came a moment of levity as guitarist John Petrucci took to the mic and revealed that it was the eve of frontman James Labrie’s 60th birthday, who was promptly serenaded by the crowd. Grateful, Labrie gave off a spirited and energetic performance worthy of this personal milestone.

It was at this point that Dream Theater went all out nostalgic and traveled back to the ‘90s with the ethereal “Caught in a Web” guided by their prodigious keyboardist Jordan Rudess.

The explosive cheers that met this number escalated shortly, with the next playlist featuring “Solitary Shell,” “About to Crash (Reprise),” and “Losing Time / Grand Finale” from their beloved sixth studio album, “Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence.” The magisterial Petrucci’s command of the guitar left everyone in awe and was a definite high point of the concert.

The loudest cheers, however, were still to come when the intro to mega-hit “Pull Me Under” started to play. Euphoria set in with fans singing along to Dream Theater’s most wellknown song, with many fans rushing to Petrucci’s side of the hall to get an up-close look at the iconic guitar solo. It was followed by the 20-minute epic “A View From the Top of the World,” the tour’s namesake.

Dream Theater ended the night with another well-loved masterpiece, “The Count of Tuscany,” that awesomely culminated a night of musical magic.

From a fan’s perspective, for a couple of hours on a random Thursday night, Dream Theater made them feel truly on top of the world.

Entertainment & Lifestyle

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2023-05-25T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-05-25T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://manilatimes.pressreader.com/article/282256669864089

The Manila Times