Dream Theater kicks off tour in April

N.Y. progressive metal pioneers Dream Theater will embark on its 21-date North American “Progressive Nation” tour starting May 2 at Los Angeles’ Gibson Amphitheatre and concluding June 1 in Tampa, FL, highlighted by two shows at New York’s brand-new Terminal 5 (May 21-22), which sold out in just two days.

Opening acts Opeth, Between the Buried and Me and 3 were personally picked by Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy, who helped organize the tour: “I’ve wanted to do something that focuses on the more progressive, musician-oriented side of hard rock and metal for 10 years now,” he says. “I decided it was time to stop talking the talk, lace up and finally walk the walk.”

The tour will be preceded on April 1 by the release of Dream Theater’s GREATEST HIT (...and 21 Other Pretty Cool Songs) on Rhino, the album’s tongue-in-cheek title refers to “Pull Me Under,” the first and only major radio hit for the quintet; this is the band’s first-ever best-of compilation, spanning 14 years and 22 songs, featuring rare edits, B-sides and three new Kevin Shirley mixes. The two discs are divided into “The Dark Side” (the metallic) and “The Light Side” (the melodic), with songs ranging from their sophomore 1992 release, Images and Words, through 2005’s Octavarium.

The band’s 22-year career has seen them sell more than 8 million albums worldwide, with their last three DVDs each having gone platinum. The band has been on the road since June 2007, playing to growing crowds in Asia, Australia and South America, on the “Chaos in Motion” world tour in support of their most recent Roadrunner Records studio album, Systematic Chaos, one of the most successful of their career. “Forsaken,” the second video from the disc, shot in Japanese anime, recently debuted on MTV 2’s Headbangers Ball after “Constant Motion” was voted #2 Video of the Year by viewers of the show last year. They were featured as Artist of the Month on Microsoft Xbox Live in December 2007

The group continues to grow its fan base all over the world, including Central and South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Dream Theater topped the bill for the 2005 Gigantour alongside Megadeth, and has also co-headlined with both Queensryche and Joe Satriani. On April 1, 2006, the band played New York’s Radio City Music Hall, a show which sold out in just three days.

Apr 29, 2008 Mexico City, Mexico National Auditorium *
May 02, 2008 Los Angeles, CA Gibson Amphitheater
May 03, 2008 Oakland, CA Paramount Theater
May 05, 2008 Seattle, WA Wamu Theater
May 06, 2008 Vancouver, BC Orpheum
May 09, 2008 Calgary, ALB Macewan Hall
May 10, 2008 Calgary, ALB Macewan Hall
May 12, 2008 Minneapolis, MN Myth
May 13, 2008 Chicago, IL Rosemont Theater
May 14, 2008 Detroit, MI The Fillmore
May 16, 2008 Columbus, OH LC Amphitheater
May 17, 2008 Cleveland, OH Time Warner Amphitheater @ Tower City
May 18, 2008 Albany, NY The Armory
May 20, 2008 Boston, MA Orpheum Theater
May 21, 2008 New York, NY Terminal 5
May 22, 2008 New York, NY Terminal 5
May 26, 2008 Washington DC DAR Constitution Hall
May 27, 2008 Richmond, VA The National
May 28, 2008 Atlanta, GA Tabernacle
May 30, 2008 Miami, FL The Fillmore
May 31, 2008 Orlando, FL Hard Rock
Jun 01, 2008 Tampa, FL Ruth Eckerd Hall
Jun 04, 2008 San Juan, Puerto Rico Coliseo of Puerto Rico *

* the Mexico and Puerto Rico dates will be Dream Theater with special guests Between the Buried And Me (Opeth and 3 will NOT be appearing on these 2 dates)