The word "talent" is not one I like to use. Perhaps ability is a better word? In this case, all the players have the ability to play their instruments to the utmost.
To explain the concert would be fairly hard to do if it wasn't for the band's name -- Dream Theater. Yes, the music is kind-of like "dream theater" for the mind. But, the stage show IS dream theater. A lot of acts have a stage show. More often than not, the visuals have little to do with the meaning of the song. That's not the case with Dream Theater. The sights combine with the sounds to create a show of shows.
Maybe part of the reason the show seemed so good was our seats. Not knowing that much about the band ahead of time, I wasn't planning on going. At the last minute, I bought tickets. American Express had a promotion if you bought the tickets with your AmEx card. I did, and we sat in some of the finest seats.
They played just about every song from the album Systematic Chaos with my favorites being Constant Motion, The Dark Eternal Night and In the Presence Of Enemies-Part II.
The Dark Eternal Night was a good example of
how to best combine the visuals with the song.
I'll forever remember the image of the
the band members as marionettes and the scissors
cutting their strings... no longer controlled
by the puppeteer. Another scene melded into
my mind was the audience during
In the Presence Of Enemies-Part II. On this one,
the audience was as much a part of the show as
what was happening on the stage. The crowd was
like an army singing every word to the song...
an army with fists raised in air chanting:
"Fight,
Fight and destroy until you canīt take anymore
Spill,
Hey! Spill the blood of rebels
They are the terror of hell!"