UAE rock fans are in for a treat: Dream Theater, the legendary progressive metal act, will perform in the UAE on October 6 at The Dome, Dubai Sports City.
The Grammy-nominated band — featuring John Petrucci (guitarist, co-founder), John Myung (bassist, co-founder), James LaBrie (vocalist), Jordan Rudess (keyboardist) and Mike Mangini (drummer) — will finally grace the region this autumn as they celebrate their sophomore album, Images & Words, which turns 25 this year, before they head to North America for a full winter tour.
While the official band website is yet to include the UAE date, event organisers, Mainstage, confirm Dream Theater’s gig. “Their concert will spread out for at least two hours and expectant fans can bask in the exceptional performance of their cult,” read a press release.
Said founding guitarist John Petrucci of the upcoming trek to the US, “We are so psyched to bring our Images, Words & Beyond tour to North America this [autumn]! It’s hard to believe that it’s already been 25 years since Images was released! We’ve been having a blast playing those songs each night, and sharing memories and stories from our time in the studio back in 1992. We know that this is such an important album to so many of our fans, both old and new, so we plan on making this a really special night by playing I&W in its entirety as well as breaking out some rare material, and a few of our latest tunes, in order to make this landmark evening complete. We hope to see all of you there! Don’t miss it.”
Dream Theater was formed back in 1985 by Petrucci, Myung and Mike Portnoy (drummer) while they were studying at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. The band, which was then known as Majesty, is said to be heavily influenced by progressive metal groups such as Rush, Yes, and Pink Floyd, and heavy metal bands such as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest.
After the release and mild success of their first album, When Day and Dream Unite, in 1989, the band was signed by EastWest records and they released Images & Words in 1992, where they finally scored their first radio hit, Pull Me Under, the video for which was heavily promoted on MTV.
Following albums such as Falling Into Infinity (1997), Metropolis Pt 2 (1999), Octavarium (2005) and A Dramatic Turn of Events (2011), saw the band experimenting with several musical and lyrical styles, earning them several accolades. On July 25, 2011, Dream Theater were placed on the list “The Best Prog Rock Bands of All Time”. A MusicRadar readers poll in 2010 placed Dream Theater among “The 30 greatest live acts in the world today”. The list included acts such as Metallica, Muse, U2 and Coldplay.
Over the years, a number of line-up changes have haunted the band, until founding member Portnoy left the band in 2010, citing burnout and commitment to other projects as major reasons, and current drummer Mangini filled in.
The band released their 13th studio album and second concept album, The Astonishing, in January 2016. The album, set in a dystopian future in the US, follows the fictional Ravenskill Rebel Militia in their efforts to defy the Great Northern Empire of the Americas using the magical power of music. The concept was inspired by franchises such as Game of Thrones and Star Wars.
Pre-sale tickets for Dream Theater’s UAE gig will be available soon.
