Some of you may see this guest blog as a shameless plug for our upcoming tour. But really, I’m just rambling about s–t that I always love to talk about — kick-ass, good quality music.
Once upon a time, progressive music (or PROG) was a genre that was all about the best (or worst) excesses of music — virtuoso musicianship, long, daring arrangements, over-the-top theatrics, etc. But within five or six years, the artsy-fartsy approach had blown up to Spinal Tap proportions, and soon PROG became a very dirty word in the industry (maybe Peter Gabriel dressing up as a giant sunflower on stage was a sign that things had been taken too far).
After its introduction in the late ’60s and its heyday in the early ’70s with bands like Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Yes and Genesis, PROG was soon crushed by the commerce of disco and the attitude of punk, which took over music in the late ’70s. Sure, bands like Rush, Jethro Tull and Kansas continued to get occasional airplay from AOR American radio, but most of the fathers of prog needed to change their colors and sounds and created radio hits in order to survive into the ’80s. Pink Floyd, Genesis (and even Yes for a few minutes) all becoming multi-platinum stadium acts throughout this weeding process but only by writing “pop” hits.
Then, as the crap radio music of the early ’80s started to wear thin (perhaps the worst period in music history), along came metal to take over the mainstream. It started with Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple in the early 70’s and later evolved with Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Metallica in the early to mid ’80’s. Although MTV and Headbanger’s Ball in the mid-’80s were mostly concentrating on the glam side of “metal” (Motley Crue, Ratt, Cinderella, Whitesnake, Quiet Riot, etc.) there was a thrash scene on the horizon that this young lad from New York (yours truly) was becoming totally immersed in. Every weekend I was going to clubs like L’Amour in Brooklyn and Sundanec on Long Island to see bands like Anthrax, Slayer, Exodus, Overkill, Flotsam and Jetsam and Nuclear Assault.
So what happens when you have a teenage kid that loves the musicianship of bands like Rush and Yes, but also loves the power and aggression of Slayer and SOD? You get me! (and so the nucleus and blueprint for the sound of Dream Theater is born).
For just a little while there, in the early ’90s, Dream Theater seemed to be the posterboys for a whole new wave of PROG. But shhh… I’ll let you in on a little secret: we weren’t the first post-metal band to perform this hybrid of styles!! As much as I love taking the credit for combining prog and metal (like the man who first decided to put peanut butter and jelly together), if you look closely at metal circa 1985, Iron Maiden were playing 13 minute epic songs like “Rime Of The Ancient Mariner” and covering Jethro Tull, Metallica were playing long songs with odd time signatures and abrupt meter changes — and so were bands like Helloween, Mercyful Fate, Kind Diamond and Fates Warning. Then, there were bands like Queensryche, which was combining the power of Judas Priest with the theatrics of Queen.
But for some reason, Dream Theater got the attention (and the deadly PROG label) and kind of opened the doors for a whole new wave of progressive acceptance (or maybe just awareness) in the mainstream. But as time goes on, people began to notice that there seems to be many musicians and bands that grew up with this hybrid of styles.
Nowadays, bands as diverse as The Mars Volta, Mastodon, Tool, Radiohead, Muse and Coheed & Cambria all get the progressive tag thrown at them on a regular basis in the media. Some of these bands deny it and some of these bands embrace it.
Which brings us to the self-serving, shameless-plug part of our blog…
With all the U.S. touring festivals out there each summer (from Ozzfest to Gigantour to Sounds Of The Underground), I felt it was time for us metalheads that still appreciated some “real musicianship” to unite and bring an annual tour to all of the like-minded fans. Dream Theater has done summer tours with both Megadeth and Yes in the past, and the fact that we can fit in with both of those bands and crowds shows that WE ARE NOT ALONE!!!
This innaugural run of the Progressive Nation tour will feature three other bands whose “PROG tendencies” are all very different from each other and show just how diverse progressive music can be.
On the bill directly below DT are one of my favorite metal bands of the past 10 years: Opeth.
Opeth are progressive in that they can be as dark and evil as any death or black metal band out there, with riffs so brutal and death growls that can send a shiver up your spine. Then, a minute later they can play something as beautiful, moody and melodic as anything Pink Floyd ever wrote. That kind of diversity is TRULY PROGRESSIVE. Not to mention they are one of the few metal band out there that can challenge DT with their song lengths as most of the songs in their catalog are all in excess of 10 minutes.
Second on the bill are a band whose latest album was one of my favorites 2007, Between The Buried And Me. Their latest CD, Colors, is a post-modern, progressive, metalcore masterpiece. Essentially, it’s one long 60-minute song (now THAT’s f—ing prog!!!) with some of the most insane musicianship I’ve heard this side of Headbanger’s Ball. BTBAM are part of a whole new wave of bands that I am totally digging that incorporate insane, extreme, avant-garde, over the top musicianship and composition. Some other bands that, in my book, are leading the pack of this genre are Protest The Hero (whose latest CD, Fortress, is currently blowing me away on a daily basis), Unexpect (kind of Mr. Bungle meets Bjork!) and of course one of the pioneers of the genre: The Dillinger Escape Plan.
Finally, opening the show each night on the Progressive Nation tour is the band Three. These guys bring a different style of Prog to the bill. They are less metal and more funk and pop, but with amazing musicianship and a great live energy that will really help round off the bill nicely.
So there ya have it…
And myself, as the music fan I’ve always been and always will be, gets to play ringmaster and dream bill matchmaker each and every year with Prog Nation, bringing the best in quality, kick-ass bands together to buck the system and do s–t our way.
Progressive Nation is musicians and music lovers with open minds and ears playing music for other musicians and music lovers with open minds and ears. One Nation, Under Prog!
DEAR MIKE,
bACK IN India,People are not quite familiar wit DT hits like Metropolis,Beyond This Life,Hollow Years,Etc.But ME and my pals are Truly addicted and soaked into the kind of music DT have produced since 20 YEARS.
I,being a drummer for my band(Luminious Intensity)AGREE WHOLLY THAT WE ARE UNITED UNDER A NATION NAMED “PROG”
THANKS,
Vignesh
P.S:Please read the blog i wrote on DT.
ITS
www.vigneshanddt.blogspot.com
your spirit carries me on……………
Hi Mike,
I went to Dream Theater’s show in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. It was fantastic! Especially about the sticks you gave me. Yes, I’m that girl who was near Petrucci, screaming and so happy to see all of you, remember? It was perfect and you don’t have any idea about the amount of people that could find me just to say the lucky person I am and take a picture! :S I want to say thank you for the show and, of course, for the sticks. I hope SEE you and maybe try to talk to you again! hahaha! Send a message, please.
M.
Hej Mike.
I am not so good to english.
Buy you a one big artist. My weif a I see Dream Theater on dvd on and to gange on yhe weekend. And thake one or to ioint. That the life. We hope Dream Theater come to Denmark, I well whis we have one day whit all 5 pepole and see DT one “ring side”
I will hope you have a good time.
13 may we see Roger Waters, her ind Denmark
Hej.
Yes!!!! Thank you Dream Theater for continuing to produce AMAZING music throughout these past 20 years (although I’ve only been alive for the past 17, and only discovered you guys 2 years ago)! You guys are my FAVORITE band of all time, and I listen to you guys EVERY day, and SFAM at least once every week. I can’t wait to see you here in Florida, at the Ruth Eckerd Hall! If only I had enough to buy the $300 tickets…
Anyway, keep on blowing my mind!
By the way, Opeth is amazing as well! I have Blackwater Park (their best), Morningrise, Deliverance, and Damnation, and all are amazing.
Dream Theater will be performing at The Gibson Amphitheatre in Los Angeles on May 2nd 2008. If you want presale tickets and preferred seating for Dream Theater then you need to become a Premiere Marquee Club member. The Premiere Marquee Club program offers fans the opportunity to choose from three levels of membership programs! You can create your own concert series by going to www.pmcla.com or by calling 818.622.9987. Hurry up and join, because this opportunity ends on March 25th!
Enjoy!
Geoff with The Gibson Amphitheatre
clevland? oh well. just knowing your out there giving love is all i need to sleep
hola como va todo, dejeme decirles que los estamos esperando una vez mas,si la primera vez que vinieron y se presentaron, fue lo mejor , me imagino esta vez, esperamos que todo salga bien, y que viva EL MEJOR ROCK DEL MUNDO , RICARDO FUQUEN DE Bogotá,Colombia
hey mike you are so inspirational, and humble. your view on music is spectacular. im seeing you guys in minneapolis on my 12th and i am psyched. i agree with most of the people above and think you should add planet X to your bill next time around. next question i think has been looming over evereybody’s head for years. when are you guys gonna do somethin with rush?? im sure you know this, but youve done work with all your major influences(queensryche,magadeath,yes) but you have yet to work with arguably the most obvious one i would be so psyched to see that anyway i know that all of you at DT will keep up the good work and continue to inspire i will remain your loyal fan
I am psyched for this tour. Got great tix to the Hard Rock Live show. The only thing I don’t like much is Opeth. I am more into the progressive side than the metal side of DT’s music. I would like Opeth more if they had a different singer.
Anyways, as for the variety of the “progressive” term be being viewed as good or bad, I think that many people have a narrow definition. If your music is taking music in a new direction and shaping music in new ways, then it is progressive. This is how it can apply to bands like Dream Theater to Porcupine Tree, etc.
My 2 cents.
My Prog Definition is:
a) oblique harmonies
b) frequent melody, rhythm and tempo changes
c) huge dynamic differences
d) droll, eccentric, grumpy lyrics
HIGH VIBRATION GO ON …
IF only Meshuggah was an opener then this would be a perfect tour for me.
Mike,
As excited as I am that you will be doing this tour, I wish your opener’s were alittle more Prog, maybe less metal. For a Prog nation tour it would have been great to get bands like Spock’s Beard, Porcupine Tree, and (I’m probably dreaming here) King Crimson. Would love to see a tour of DT, KC, and Rush…pipe dream or possibility in the future?
I think that this an excellent idea Mike. I could offer some ideas for future tours Dream Theater Blind guardian. I want to see the Dream Theater Blind Guardian world tour. Come on make it happen you know damn well that this would pack arenas.
Nice plug… will miss the tour but hope to see you tour with Coheed And Cambria at some point!
Totally love the take on today’s prog scene…and can’t wait for the tour to show up in Dallas. Oh, wait, it’s not coming within 1,000 miles of the guitar and metal hub of the central United States!!! Can someone please explain that to me???
Fantastic! Untill now I didnt exactly know how MP feels about music. I am a longtime DT fan and nobody will surpass them in my mind. I like every type of music however only if the musicianship is prestine. I tend to lean toward older Prog like Genesis (pre peter leaving), and Rush. I think that most bands these days dont live up to their prog label. It just doesnt really cut it for me. Coheed and Cambria? come on people I am eager to see what will be the future of Prog with DT leading the way. Hopfully all the DT wannabe bands will disperse and from this it sounds as if the future is bright for the best form of music.
Thanks for the last 22+ years- I’d never had made it if it weren’t for you guys!! I listen to you every morning on the ‘pod and I play along with you every time I pick up an axe- Long Live DT!! Free tickets on jetBlue for all of you and your families. Will we see you in Denver in 08?? I guess I’m going to have to fly all over the US to see you- oh well… and I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Kick ass in 08 guys- your time is still here.
I’ve got my VIP ticket for the Atlanta show so I’m so amped right now! It’s well worth a weeks pay to have this ticket. I’ll be bringing my Constant Motion drum DVD poster for signing… I can’t wait to meet you guys!
I enjoyed reading this because I have the albums of most of the artists he named. If all of those bands mentioned are prog, then prog is probably my favorite form of music. I just can’t get into that simple and unimaginative crap that MTV and radio insist on playing constantly. Headbangers Ball is the only time when MTV plays real music, and for the past couple of weeks, it’s seemed as if Headbangers Ball is essentially canceled. It was on at 3 or 4 in the morning on the east coast two weeks ago, and last weekend it wasn’t on at all. What gives?
“I’m floating towards the sun…
the sun of nothing…” - Between the Buried and Me from “Colors”
I have to say it was good to see that you feel the same about music that is played for real music lovers and musicians who listen for more than a love story or a good feeling. I listen to bands such as Dream Theater for the level and complexity that great musicians bring to the table, it gives me as a musician another tier to shoot for to bring my abilities to the next level.
I will definitely be looking for the anouncement on the Prog Invasion
You Da Man Mike
Thanks again
Les
Hey Mike!! Your my fav. drummer right next Neil Peart & Bonzo! I remember being on tour out east and sneaking in right past security with our band passes. It was at that theater right across from the Harvard library..Ever since Ive been a Fan!! Progressive Lives forever!!! Its the only way to be…We will see you guys in Mi. hopefully!! Later BB
Hey there Mike,
As always, another great idea! I am excited to see that the tour is going to hit Atlanta, any measures being taken to expand upon the south?
Hey Mike! I am sooooo excited that you are brining this tour to Detroit. Saw you guys in Detroit this past summer on the Chaos in Motion tour and can’t wait to see DT again! Would love to see, like some of the others who posted, Fates Warning and Circus Maximus on future bills.
Love DT and will always be one of DT’s biggest fans! Looking forward to seeing you in May! Keep on Rockin’!!!!
XO - Michelle
come to the uk with the tour please! and dont forget to bring opeth with ya!
Dallas anxiously awaits the prog invasion. Please Mr. Portnoy, don’t forget about us! Chaos In Motion was outstanding! Let us have another taste of real musicianship in 2008!
Hey mike, I can deffinitly see what you mean about prog. its true
I have only one question for you. As we know the PN tour is touring north america soon. how come you guys have decided to quite Toronto and keep it out of your touring list?
if there’s anyway you can answer, please do.
You are amazing, Dream Theater are one of the largest quality bands ever created
Rock on!
Dagan.
Hey Mike! Thanx for your gig in Helsinki, it was awesome! Please tell the guys from BTBAM to come to Finland. I wanted to fly to London on saturday just to see them play, but I couldn´t afford it
Anyway, stay metal! (I know you will).
i think you guys are the greatest and the U.S. gave you a raw deal. i would love to see you play in philly sometime. People here are missing out on some great music hope to hear from you soon!
I would rather experience Redemption live again than any opening band on this tour or Fates Warning!
Dude. This is necessary. Bring it to Aus, for the sake of Aussies and all them New Zealanders who came over for your fantastic sydney concert! Truly one of the best, best nights of my life. Prog On!
Just saying, good call on Between the Buried and Me. I’ve loved Dream Theater for a long time, and there would be no Extol without Opeth. Between the Buried and Me is hands down one of the most original and talented bands I’ve ever heard. Their solos are off the page, and Dan Briggs bringing jazz elements into metal is just ecstatic for the next generation. Not to mention, Blake seems like he’s learned quite a bit from you. Drum battle maybe?
Let’s hope this tour goes well so next year the Powers That Be might consider having more than three bands on the bill. But then prog has never really been more than a blip on on the average American’s radar anyway, so I’m not holding my breath.
It just doesn’t get any better than DT…
Leaves me on a natural high for days when
I see you live, and gets my motor runnin’ and
the fantasies flowing when driving.
Time flies when listening to your
masterpieces.
Love from SoCal…
Thanks a lots Mike for giving me how progressive music really is. I think I would try to listen “Opeth” and “Colors” sometimes soon!
Cheers!
Bring this shiz to toronto!!!
I wish I could express how dissapointed I am that this tour will not be making a stop in Denver, CO.
None the Less, I hope that the tour is a huge sucess and all of the DT and PROG fans here in Denver get a chance to be part of the magic in the near future.
Thank´s Mike for giving us a chance to hear a really progmetal music with the Progressive Nation tour. I hope that we can see soon in the next Prog nation tour bands like, Planet X, Circus Maximus, Thought Chamber, Evergrey, Spheric Experience Universe, Kamelot, Symphony X, Pagan´s Mind, etc… See you on tour!!!!
Hey mate! Heard you guys jamming to Kiss’s Destroyer during the Sydney soundcheck. Great stuff! Come back soon!
hey!!! mike!! good intro and in site of the music of my live since I was 13 and now I am 37 and still progging hard!!! but I think you should have some different type of prog band on the bill. Prog fans like me like prog metals but I love prog rock, and prog fusion bands as well.
bands like Nebelnest, Ahvak, The tunnels, Arena, Anektoden need more attention.I think it will exposer to your fans a different spectrum of the prog-world…
BOOYAKASHEN!
Mike all the way from Cyprus! LOVE DT AND U ENCOURAGED ME TO START DRUMS! GOOD LUCK! AND PROVE THAT PROG IS THE BEST GENRE OUT THERE!
Mike, thanx a million for the last 20+ years of gutting it out through a time when your support was, lets say….less than good (from a record label standpoint)??!! Dream Theater’s shows never disappointed. Prog. 2008 will be NO exception. Give a shout to the rest of guys in DT, nothing happens without your mates!!
Jay
I hope you bring Prog Nation to Arizona. We love us some DT here in the South West! I am glad that you and DT were chosen as the fathers of Prog awareness. I don’t think anyone else could bring it to the younger generation quite as well as you guys!
Show the world what Prog is all about Mr. Portnoy!
ERIC
I can’t wait to see this tour and take some of my co-workers with me to show them what is metal all about. I’m tire of haters that said that prog is crap, c’mon Mike, you show them.
could you guys consider coming to Edmonton Alberta Canada, as well as more canadian cities on upcoming tours? keep on proging in the free world! i bow before GOD (Mr. Portnoy)
id like to hear your take on the newer progressive deathcore like the faceless and all shall perish and such lol
Planet X would be a great addition to upcoming tours like Frank said earlier, but I would really like to see the likes of Circus Maximus. Some of the best new prog out there. Still very excited for this show though.
wonder how many times I brushed elbows with Mike at Lamours Brooklyn in the 80’s
Prog Nation is one of the best ideas I’ve heard in a long time. It’s a great set of bands with a reasonable amount of variety between them. And, based on all the hype I’ve seen and the excitement I’ve been sensing, this could be successful enough to turn into an annual thing.
And that would be awesome! Thanks for all the hard work, Mike!
Hey Mike,
Just wondering if you could consider bringing along PLANET X for the second PROG NATION tour?
These guys are so awesome and do not get the exposure they deserve. Derek Sherinian on keys… shouldn’t be too hard to contact!
I hope that you’ll be reading this.
Thanks for YEARS and ALBUMS of inspiration and for getting me to play drums. You’re the man!
Cheers,
Frank Tinge
www.xplanetx.com/msgboard moderator.
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