what's next, opening for Rush finally? Of course this tour is nowhere to be found in Minnesota. Maiden hasn't played my hometown since '97 or '98 I believe.
I'd be curious to see some of the comments from the anti-prog anti-Dream Theater fans on some of the Metal forums; although with Maiden, there has often been more respect given I sense since Dickinson has been a flag-waver for Dream Theater for many years. But that doesn't mean the Maiden fanbase is on board with them just because of that.
Also significant they will finally play at MSG. Hopefully they will find their way back here with another big name (Rush? or Metallica maybe?) and they'll have the chance to play at XCel finally too.
RoadRunner Link
Prog rock/metal icons Dream Theater will spend their summer supporting Iron Maiden on the band’s month-long tour of major US and Canadian markets. The tour launches on June 9 and runs through July 20, and includes a stop at the storied Madison Square Garden in NYC, marking the first time in a lengthy and respected career that Dream Theater have played the world’s most famous arena. This tour will mark another milestone in Dream Theater’s history, which continues to expand and evolve twenty-five years deep.
Of touring with Iron Maiden in North America, drummer Mike Portnoy said, “It is a bit of a dream come true for us. After 25 years together, at this stage in our career, there's honestly only three bands Dream Theater would consider opening for and Maiden is one of them. It is an absolute honor. Through the years, we've done many one-off shows with Maiden and they've almost all been overseas. It is very exciting to finally be doing a full tour with them and on our side of the pond no less. These are gonna be amazing shows that the fans won't want to miss. Up the f***ing irons!”
Playing MSG for the first time is also a huge accomplishment for the band and they are thrilled about the prospect. “Dream Theater has achieved so many dreams through the years, from playing the Budokan in Tokyo to Wembley Arena in London to Radio City Music Hall in NYC,” Portnoy recalled. “But the one remaining dream that has eluded us through all of these years was to play at Madison Square Garden. Well, on July 12, along with Iron Maiden, that dream will finally be fulfilled.”
Guitarist John Petrucci was equally stoked about the MSG play, saying, “I am unbelievably excited to be finally playing Madison Square Garden, and with the almighty Maiden to boot! They have been heroes to the band since the beginning and are iconic in our eyes. There is nothing like achieving success and recognition in your own country, in your own city. It's going to be an incredible night for sure.”
Portnoy has proof of this career-long dream, saying, “About a month ago my family and I were watching a video of my first band Intruder from back in 1983, and in the video before the show, I was interviewed and asked what my dream goal was. I responded ‘to play the Garden.’It took almost 30 years, but it’s surreal that I will now be able to check it off the list.”
Dream Theater’s Black Clouds & Silver Linings was released in 2009 and debuted at #6 on the Billboard Top 200 Sales chart.
Tour dates for the Iron Maiden/Dream Theater run are as follows:
June 9 – Superpages.com Center – Dallas, TX
June 11 -The Woodlands - Houston, TX
June 12 - AT&T Center - San Antonio, TX
June 14 – Fiddler’s Green – Denver, CO
June 16 – The Pavilion - Albuquerque, NM
June 17 – Cricket Wireless Pavilion – Phoenix, AZ
June 19 - San Manuel Amphitheatre – San Bernardino, CA
June 20 – Sleep Train Pavilion – Concord, CA
June 22 – White River Amphitheatre – Auburn, WA
June 24 – General Motors Place – Vancouver, BC
June 26 – Rexall Place – Edmonton, AB
June 29 – Credit Union Centre – Saskatoon, SK
July 3 – Molson Amphitheatre – Toronto, ON
July 11 – PNC Bank Arts Center – Holmdel, NJ
July 12 – Madison Square Garden – New York, NY
July 14 – Post Gazette Pavilion – Pittsburg, PA
July 15 – Blossom Music Center – Cleveland, OH
July 17 – DTE Energy Music Theatre – Detroit, MI
July 18 – First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre – Chicago, IL
July 20 – Nissan Pavilion – Washington, DC
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