By Howard Whitman

Set List: Bridges in the Sky, These Walls, Build Me Up Break Me Down, Endless Sacrifice, Drum Solo, The Ytse Jam

Acoustic: The Silent Man, Beneath the Surface

Outcry, On the Backs of Angels, Forsaken, Through My Words, Fatal Tragedy, Breaking All Illusions

Encore: Under a Glass Moon

2 hours

If any band’s had its share of drama lately, it’s Dream Theater. The progressive metal masters were dealt a major (some would say fatal) blow in 2010 when founding member/drummer/lyricist/co-producer Mike Portnoy quit the band in a very public break from the band he started. A much-publicized search for a new drummer to replace the iconic Portnoy gained the band plenty of media and online attention, as did the announcement of Mike Mangini (formerly of Extreme and Steve Vai’s band) as the new Dream Theater drummer.

Since then, it’s been a series of ups for Dream Theater; their first CD with Mangini on the skins, A Dramatic Turn of Events, came out in September to critical acclaim and chart success (debuting on the Billboard charts at #8). But to any hardcore DT fan, the true test was always going to be what happened on the concert stage. Dream Theater has always been a live band first and foremost, famed more for its spectacular performances than its accomplishments in the recording studio. Sure, Mangini did a superb job on A Dramatic Turn ..., but would he be able to cut it onstage with these guys, playing their complicated songs? Could anyone really replace Mike Portnoy? Could Dream Theater truly carry on?

Based on the show I caught on their 2011 tour, which swung into Philly on Oct. 16, the answer is a resounding YES. This was my first DT show, so I had no basis for comparison. Truth to tell, I was never the biggest DT fan. I liked some songs, didn’t like some others, and found the vocals of frontman James LaBrie to be grating at times, particularly when he strained his voice to reach notes out of his ideal range. My opinion has definitely been swayed by A Dramatic Turn of Events, which quickly has become my favorite DT CD ever, thanks to its well-constructed melodies, bold arrangements, tight playing and much-improved singing from LaBrie, who it seems has finally been given a set of songs perfectly suited to his voice.

But after their Philly show, call me convinced! Dream Theater is a world-class band operating at the top of their game with an enthusiasm and energy that is a joy to behold.

Following a good set from Washington, DC-based nu metal band Periphery, whose mix of death metal growling and Linkin Park-style emoting was marred by a poor sound mix but otherwise showed promise, the lights went up as the crew set up for Dream Theater. When Mangini’s massive drum kit—which resembles an enormous steel cage—was unveiled, cheers went up from the crowd as if the band themselves had hit the stage.

As the lights darkened heralding the start of the band’s set, an entertaining animated intro played on the three screens to the rear of the stage. The cartoon showed each of the members of Dream Theater in a fantasy setting, with keyboardist Jordan Rudess' depiction as an iPad-toting wizard a crowd favorite.

The band hit the stage as the low rumble of Tuvan throat singing heralded the start of “Bridges in the Sky,” a standout track from the new album. This song was a perfect opener, as it encompasses everything that is right about the new Dream Theater, showcasing Mangini's powerful and precise drumming, Rudess' more prominent keyboards, LaBrie's more restrained and polished vocals, and the stronger-than-ever one-two punch of the phenomenal guitar/bass team of John Petrucci and John Myung.

The band hit the heights right out of the gate with that opening song, and they never came down. “These Walls” from 2005's Octavarium followed, and then another new song, the rousing “Build Me Up, Break Me Down”.

It should be noted that unlike many bands that will do one or two new songs in a given show and devote the bulk of it to crowd-pleasing classics, Dream Theater bravely is doing the opposite on this tour, playing six tracks from the new CD at this show, and avoiding many of their best-known songs altogether. That's right—there was no “As I Am”, no “The Spirit Carries On” … even the band's biggest hit, “Pull Me Under”, was left out of the set. No one in the crowd seemed to mind—in fact, the new songs were as well-received or even better received than the older ones.

The inclusion of so much new material reminded me of what Van Halen did when Sammy Hagar first toured with that band, emphasizing the new stuff and playing very few “classics”, as if to say that even though the name was the same, this was a new band with new music. While replacing drummers hasn't led to a huge change in Dream Theater's sound, Portnoy was such a huge personality and guiding force in the band (as well as an incredible drummer), this is definitely a new beginning for DT.

As a band with 11 studio albums (long studio albums—usually about 80 minutes a pop) under their belt, Dream Theater has plenty of material to choose from, and they chose well for this set list, playing songs that may not be their best-known but fit well with the new tracks and gave the show an ideal flow and pacing.

Following a stirring rendition of “Endless Sacrifice” from Train of Thought (2003), the band left the stage to Mangini, who captivated the crowd with a jaw-dropping drum solo. Not only did he provide all the showmanship you'd expect from an old-school drum solo—with arms flailing all around the kit—but he played some incredible rhythmic configurations, often performing independent rhythms with each hand that many drummers couldn't accomplish with both appendages. If anyone in the audience was doubting that Mangini was the right man for the job, their doubts were silenced by the end of that astounding session of pure percussive genius.

Following that workout, the rest of the band (minus LaBrie, who usually leaves the stage during the band's instrumental flights) came back out for “The Ytse Jam,” which dates back to the first DT album, 1988's pre-LaBrie When Day and Dream Unite.

Myung and Mangini took a well-earned breather at that point as LaBrie and Petrucci took center stage for a surprising, and welcome, acoustic set. Leading off with “The Silent Man”, the duo (backed by Rudess on symphonic keys) moved on to the final track on A Dramatic Turn of Events, the absolutely beautiful “Beneath the Surface”, for which Mangini returned to play percussion.

Then it was back to the full band for two more Dramatic songs “Outcry” and the lead-off single “On the Backs of Angels”, followed by fan favorites “Forsaken” (from 2007's Systematic Chaos) and “Through My Words” and “Fatal Tragedy”, both from 1999 concept album Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory.

Next came the final Dramatic song of the night “Breaking All Illusions” and a single encore of “Under a Glass Moon” from 1992's Images and Words, capping off a generous two-hour performance of progressive metal at its best.

Dream Theater is truly having a winning season, and it showed onstage. Based on what I heard from friends who've attended many past Dream Theater shows, the band members never interacted as much, or seemed to enjoy what they were doing, as much as they did during this concert. The presence of Mangini seems to a catalyst for this new-found enthusiasm. Even the usually stoic Myung was hopping on the drum riser to exchange glances with his new rhythm section partner.

Instrumentally, the band was flawless, a gold-standard inspiration for the many musicians who probably were in the audience (like Rush, DT's always been a musician's band). Petrucci continues to be one of the most fluent, precise and powerful guitarists in the business. He can solo speedy like Steve Morse, but he can also play with the finesse of Queen's Brian May.

As on the current CD, Rudess really has stepped up within the band, adding colors and tones, as well as contributing some mind-blowing solos himself. Amazingly, he mainly used only one keyboard, and frequently only one hand. He also provided showmanship not usually seen from keyboardists, who often play a background role. Not many metal bands have a keyboard player, but Rudess has a well-defined and crucial role within Dream Theater, which wouldn't be the same without him.

Myung is Petrucci's perfect counterpoint on bass, matching him note for note and giving the band a perfect low end. He's not a showoff, not flashy, but man is he skilled.

LaBrie did a great job. The carefully chosen set presented his voice in its best light, especially the new songs. He never sounded strained or out of his range, and he was an effective and entertaining frontman as well.

And Mangini? A home run. Stepping into shoes that many thought would be irreplaceable, the man is a powerhouse, plain and simple, sure to be the perfect component for Dream Theater for many years to come. This isn't simple stuff to play, folks, but he made it all look easy.

Dream Theater has reached a new peak with its current album and tour, turning drama into triumph. If/when they come to your area, I can't recommend catching them enough.