Dream Theater Performs Full Parasomnia Album on Current Tour With Mike Portnoy

Dream Theater plays its complete 16th studio album, Parasomnia, during its ongoing An Evening With Dream Theater tour. The group also performs "A Change Of Seasons" in full for the first time since drummer Mike Portnoy rejoined in October 2023.

Guitarist John Petrucci discussed the tour's momentum in an interview with Dream Theater Argentina. "Yeah, well, we started the Parasomnia leg after the summer in the U.S., in the fall. And it's been great," said Petrucci. "It's been a lot of fun doing something different and creating a visual world of Parasomnia. We really try to make it so that the fans that come to the shows are really transported into the world of Parasomnia. And it's been a blast being able to play it in its entirety."

The guitarist admitted the setlist might test boundaries. "I mean, it might be a little self-indulgent — it's a whole new album — but, to us, [it's been a lot of] fun," Petrucci added.

Petrucci described the fan reaction as "fantastic" and mentioned a recent Mexico City arena show where they opened with the full album: "And it's essentially all new music, and the fan reaction was incredible. It was over the top. It was just as if we were playing deep cuts. So, very satisfying," he said.

The band will record and film its April 22 concert at Movistar Arena in Santiago, Chile, for a future Blu-ray release. When asked how preparation shifts for filmed shows, Petrucci stressed consistency. "Well, really, the best thing is if it doesn't shift at all. You have to sort of approach it like… First of all, every show, we try to put everything into it, put our best, have our best performance. For me, the best mentality is it's just another show."

The current lineup includes Petrucci, James LaBrie on vocals, John Myung on bass, Jordan Rudess on keyboards, and Portnoy on drums. The current tour of South America goes on until May 12. All dates and ticket links are listed on the band's website.