Progressive Nation Blog
PN08 is alive and well!
Welly welly welly my fellow Prog fans….. PN08 is finally underway and rocking its way across North America!!!
I am so very proud of this bill. I had such a strange reaction on Opening Night in LA….sitting on the side of the stage watching all three of the opening bands, grinning ear to ear like a proud father!! : )
I must tell you (as if it wasnt obvious enough having hand-picked the bands), I soooo love these 3 bands and am sooo enjoying getting to watch them each and every night.
Three are so incredibly musical and seem to be bringing the house down each and every night. (DON’T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF COMING LATE AND MISSING THESE GUYS!) I think they stand to benefit the most from this tour, as I’m seeing most people walking away from the show each night being most surprised by them.
BTBAM are so technically intense…they are like a hurricane just swarming over the audience everynight. I love looking out and seeing the audience sitting there with their jaws dropped. I only wish I could offer them more time to hear “Colors” in its entirety…..(sorry, the union fees are just too expensive for us!)
And Opeth…..what can I say about them that I haven’t already? I love these guys so much. I was telling them the other night that I just get such a “feeling” and “vibe” from their music that very few other bands give me….I just feel a real deep-rooted connection to their whole sound and style. It’s hard for me to put into words, but they are so dark and brutal yet hypnotic and beautiful at the same time. I have been a big supporter of them for such a long time and I am so happy to just be able to watch them everynight! (and Mikael specifically put “The Baying Of The Hounds” in their set for me as I told him I think it’s one of the greatest metal songs of the past decade!)
So far we’ve had some great friends and supporters coming out to see the show. In LA, my friends Nick D’Virgilio (Spock’s Beard), Nate Morton (the Rock Star Supernova house band) and Brendon Small (Metalocalypse) all came to show their support. And in Vancouver, Devin Townsend came out early in the day and spent some time hanging with Mikael Akerfeldt and myself.
Speaking of Vancouver, we had a film crew out to capture DT’s set for our upcoming DVD that I have begun work on. (it will feature live footage from all throughout the entire tour from the past year or so…)
There is also something very cool and special in store for fans of DT and Opeth, but I am not able to talk about it just yet….but stay tuned….. : )
OK gang, I’m looking foward to the coming weeks and seeing all of your shining happy faces out there. It’s a long and intense night of music, so make sure to eat your Wheaties before coming out!
C-ya, MP
Mike!!!! the mexico city show was OMFG O R G A S M I C A L
thank you so much for the show, i was crying because of the happiness. I even got my beard blue one day before the show, my mom did it =p she nows how much i love and respect DT. thank yo DT for make my life way easier, u r in every moment of my life, with ure songs i have the power to keep on trying. Take care MP, i send you a hug and take care of ure children.
I wanted to complement a technical aspect of your show that I just saw in Rosemont, IL. The camera work combined with the overhead video of the band during your various solos was finally at a level that I think is appropriate for DT. I couldn’t have been smiling more when the screen did that first split with Jordan’s keyboard on the left and John’s guitar on right as they blazed through a fast, technical section perfectly in sync. You know your fans love those sections of music, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen the cameras making an obvious attempt to always show the person(s) with a solo. The effort was obvious, and greatly appreciated. I assure you that I wasn’t the only fan to notice the difference.
i am so sad that i wont be able to see this kick-ass event over here in germany :(
i cant believe how awesome this whole concept and the bands are!
I can only say wow! The show in Vancouver was unreal!!! I am so glad I spent the money to get to Vancouver instead of missing you guys! Too bad you didn’t play in my hometown, but we are just a small city, and are not quite big enough to be on the radar of most bands tours. The tickets were my grad present, and I don’t think that there was any present more fitting than such a wonderful show. Please come back to British Columbia again soon! I definitely will be waiting to see you again! In the meantime, my CD’s will have to do. YOU ARE MY FAVORITES!!!!
My wife and I attended the show in Albany on May 18th. Met Mike at a local music store before the show. I can’t express my appreciation for what DT does for their fans. All the travel, in store appearances. It’s amazing. Mike signed a bunch of stuff for us. Got a picture with him. Then the show itself was great!!! Was there to see DT (my favorite band) and 3 (have seen 3 a few times now and we both really love these guys). Both DT and 3 were amazing. Seeing these two bands play on the same night was all we needed. We did a meet and greet with DT after the show. Just a fantastic day!! I’m already looking forward to DT’s next tour. 3..hope to see you guys again real soon in the Kingston/Woodstock area.
It’s so so sad that you didn’t include Toronto/Montreal in this tour. I saw Opeth and 3 a few days ago in TO, they were really good yet DT is DT. Please guys keep in mind that you have some really dedicated fans out here. Looking forward to seeing you soon.
First time in Calgary Ab, Cn. What a blast. I’ve been listening to DT for the last 5 yrs. I feel bad I missed the first 15yrs. Superb show, just wished DT played a little longer. Three was phenomenal. Opeth likewise. I was going to hit the second show Saturday night but my wife threw the evil eye on me. She also asked me how old I thought I was. 1 small criticism more applicable to the the venue… I dropped the extra $$$ to go front of line. More importantly, I was hoping to collect on guitar picks as part of the ticket deal. Didn’t get any swag as part of the deal. A minor disappointment. Nothing like a set of Petrucci picks as a souvenir. Since 2004(Paramount-Seattle) I’ve been limited to DVD’s. Keep Calgary on the radar for the next tour.
Just saw the show in ATL. All the bands were great but 3 stole the show….they were incredible. BTBAM was pretty cool. That guitarist could really sweep ! Opeth was fantastic….very interesting in a good way. Dream Theater was great as always but were butchered by the sound man. They had the worst mix of the night but that’s not their fault….they were awesome as always. Thanks for bringing the show to Atlanta.
Man, it has been quite a road across time between DT and I. Back on LI in the early ‘90’s, the guitarist and keyboard player of my band Monolith used to hang with John and Kevin quite a bit. We’d be gearing up for releasing our demo whilst DT was going through the audition process to find a lead singer. Anyone ever hear John Hendrix sing ‘Forever’? For the love of God is all I have to say …
Anyway, I am forever (no pun intended) indebted to you, Mike, and the band for sticking it out and keeping the music coming. In fact, I quit playing live for a few years but you and your band’s persistence lit a fire under me and I got back into it. Music isn’t dying, it is transforming and so are the musicians associated to it. The show in Atlanta 2 nights ago was testament to this. I saw fans in thier 60’s and in their teens all enjoying the array of bands and the delivery of music from another realm. Who would of thought hot chicks would be at such shows? Cheers to them!!
What was particularly cool was talking with the drummer of Three AND HIS MOM. He happens to be from upstate NY where I used to live … hi neighbor. It is not everyday you get to ask a drummer-god questions at the local bar. Very cool.
Anyway, I am babbling and am at work, so I have to go. But, Mike, if you are out there. Cheers to you for keeping and open mind and opening the door for other bands. The foot you rammed in the closing door of the record companies is a very respected foot (man, that sounds so stupid). Perhaps someday we’ll meet again. Best regards to all and keep supporting the bands you love.
Mike and DT, Heading to Orlando from Hilton Head tonight to see Prog08. Bringing my two sons 14 and 11. Their first show ever was Gigantour in Orlando ,05. Hope to be on the rail for all 4 bands!
Saw the ProgNation08 show in Orlando and was blown away by DT. Nice change up to the set list by adding Dark Eternal Light and thank God a song from Train of Thought (As I Am) This was my first time seeing DT and I was awestruck by Petrucci and the whole band. CD quality sound that was just huge! I could have stood there for the whole 5 hours and listened to DT the entire time. would have liked to have heard Endless Sacrifice or These walls, and of course Pull Me Under but hey ya can’t play them all at a festival. Please comeback by yourselves and play for about 3 hrs…the more DT the better. Wes