Dream Theater, Animals as Leaders & Devin Townsend
July 19, 2023
Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, Edmonton, AB
Canadian Beats Passport
Prog Titans Dream Theater bring their Dreamsonic 2023 tour to Edmonton
Marking their first Edmonton appearance in 13 years, Dream Theater brought their Dreamsonic 2023 tour to the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium on Wednesday, July 19. Along for the ride were fellow prog powerhouses Animals as Leaders, and Devin Townsend.
Animals as Leaders kicked off the night, delivering a 9-song set of prog mastery, covering 4 of their 5 albums. Missing was anything from Weightless, their second album. Tosin Abasi’s playing is almost mesmerizing to watch – the virtuoso is an incredibly diverse and proficient player.
Second up was Devin Townsend, and for me, he stole the show. Goofy, funny, and insane are 3 things that immediately come to mind – his stage banter is top-notch. He engages with the crowd, and has such a feel-good, happy vibe, that you can’t help but be pulled into an incredible experience. The music was otherwordly. So many elements that combine wonderfully to create these massive soundscapes and shifting moods… and his vocals are just so incredibly unique. I was a little bummed he didn’t play anything from Empath (released in just 2019), though he did cover material from six albums. With a discography as expansive as his, there’s just so so so much to choose from. I can’t wait to catch him again next time!
Finally – the return of Dream Theater! A band active for nearly 40 years, with 15 studio albums; are widely known as absolute masters of the prog genres, with each member bringing unique and absolute top-shelf mastery of their instrument to combine forces in a perfect storm of technicality, mood, and storytelling. Petrucci, Myung, and Portnoy met at Berklee College of Music where they all attended. Everybody was on point, with a note-perfect performance, stunning visuals and lighting, and a soaring vocal effort from James LaBrie. There’s a reason these guys define an entire genre, and it was certainly on display this night.
Ending their set with a “jam” of sorts, where the members of the 2 opening bands come out and swap places with some of the DT members, or add leads, essentially making a community production of the nearly 9-minute song. Fantastic sets all around, this was a lineup that every band complimented each other so well. What a great time.
