Dream Theater Concert Review Mesa Arts Center Mesa, Arizona October 07, 2025

Concert Review and Photos By Roc Boyum

Dream Theater Unveils Their 2025 Tour

The fall leg of their “An Evening With Dream Theater,” tour commenced on September 5th, featuring a sold-out show on October 7th at the stunning Mesa Arts Center in Mesa, Arizona.

Before the band even took the stage, the atmosphere was charged with excitement. Enhanced by enigmatic gothic soundscapes and a captivating visual backdrop, the audience at Mesa Arts was ready for an evening filled with extraordinary musical brilliance and eager to extend an enthusiastic “Welcome Back” to Mike Portnoy.

This time, the band presented a comprehensive show divided into three acts:

• ACT I: The complete Parasomnia LP
• ACT II: A curated selection of songs from their extensive catalogue
• ACT III: A special 30th anniversary performance of their entire seven-movement masterpiece, “A Change of Seasons.”

Act I: Parasomnia:

Act I kicked off with the instrumental piece “In the Arms of Morpheus” from Parasomnia, setting the tone for an unforgettable evening filled with technical prowess, powerful grooves, and stunning guitar melodies.

Throughout the performance, Mike Portnoy displayed remarkable energy, frequently standing while playing and encouraging audience participation with visual cues. Ultimately, it is Portnoy’s drumming abilities as a master technician and musician that thrill audiences worldwide.

Considering that Portnoy has won 31 Modern Drummer magazine readers’ poll awards is a testament to his talents and why a considerable portion of the audience are drummers as well.

His innovative drum setup is also particularly noteworthy. While drummers often enhance their sound with multiple bass drum configurations, Portnoy has cleverly combined two distinct drum kits into one massive drum kit. His primary kit includes two bass drums along with their respective toms and cymbals, while a single bass drum kit, outfitted with a double pedal setup, is positioned to his right. This arrangement creates a unique sonic landscape compared to his main kit. As a result, he can customize the drum sound for each song or even within the same piece, much like John Petrucci engages various pedals and effects to generate specific sounds and enrich the listening experience, ensuring their recorded work is represented at its best.

John Petrucci’s performance was impeccable as always as he unleashed his remarkable talent for harnessing intense raw emotion alongside a wide range of dynamics and sheer technical brilliance that had the entire audience captivated with every note.

James LaBrie made a striking entrance as he took the stage for the second song, “Night Terror,” which elicited an enthusiastic cheer from the audience. From the very beginning, LaBrie’s vocals were flawless during Act I and throughout the entire show, perfectly mirroring his studio recordings—brilliant!

The ethereal soundscapes and technical wizardry by keyboardist Jordan Rudess set the imaginative moods that flowed over each song that were interspersed with his flawless keyboard mastery that exemplifies the sonic hallmark of Dream Theater.

Bassman John Myung might be considered as the binding agent in the band that keeps everything together, which is most certainly true, coupled with his technical abilities that are second to none. What often goes unnoticed, or perhaps isn’t fully appreciated, is that many of his bass runs are perfectly synchronized with John Petrucci. This is nothing short of astonishing, especially coming from someone performing on the thick strings of a six-string bass guitar.

Experiencing the Parasomnia LP in its entirety was a remarkable endeavor, yet this outstanding album truly thrived during their live performance.

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ACT II featured a remarkable selection of songs from the albums Metropolis Part 2 – “Scenes From a Memory, ACTS I & III,” Black Clouds and Silver Linings – “A Rite of Passage,” Dream Theater – “The Enemy Inside,” Falling Into Infinity – “Peruvian Skies,” Images and Words – “Take The Time,” and Train of Thought – “As I Am.”

The sing-alongs during this set were absolutely extraordinary, as fans of all ages joined in, singing along with every word from LaBrie. It was fantastic to witness younger fans knowing all the lyrics and passionately enjoying music from an era that predates them, perhaps when they were still pre-teens or not even born.

ACT III: Change of Seasons:

The band performed the entire first movement from their highly acclaimed Change of Seasons EP, consisting of seven parts, which is both musically and vocally demanding. As expected, they executed it flawlessly. Notably, singer LaBrie sounded better than ever while tackling this challenging material, especially after already singing for 2.5 hours earlier in the show. LaBrie’s renewed vocal vigor truly engaged the audience, leading to fans throwing up horns, pumping their fists, and singing along to the best of their ability.

The Parasomnia, “An Evening With Dream Theater” fall 2025 tour promises an unforgettable experience for every Dream Theater and prog rock/metal enthusiast, making it a show you won’t want to miss.

If you haven’t had the chance to see Dream Theater live yet, now is the perfect opportunity; just be prepared for intricate time signatures that might not be suitable for headbanging… unless you’re a dedicated prog musician yourself.

Dream Theater Photo Gallery: