In a recent conversation with Dream Theater Argentina, Dream Theater guitarist John Petrucci opened up about the band’s ongoing “An Evening With Dream Theater” run. The tour features the group performing their latest album, Parasomnia, in full, along with the complete seven-part composition “A Change Of Seasons”, marking the first time they’ve revisited the piece in full since Mike Portnoy’s return in October 2023. The setlist also pulls in deeper cuts and longtime fan favorites from across the catalog.
Reflecting on how things have gone so far, Petrucci said (as transcribed by blabbermouth.net): “Yeah, well, we started the Parasomnia leg after the summer in the U.S., in the fall. And it’s been great. 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. And it’s cool. I mean, it might be a little self-indulgent [laughs] — it’s a whole new album — but, to us, [it’s been a lot of] fun.”
He also pointed to the audience response as a major highlight. Petrucci noted that the reaction from Dream Theater fans has “been fantastic. It’s been great. We just played Friday night in Mexico City to a big, big arena crowd there, and we opened that show with the Parasomnia album,” John said. “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. Yeah. Very, very cool feeling.”
Looking ahead, Dream Theater have confirmed that their April 22, 2026 performance at Movistar Arena in Santiago, Chile will be recorded and filmed for a future Blu-ray release. When asked if that changes his preparation, Petrucci kept it straightforward: “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. Don’t get too worked up about it. Don’t get too anxious about it. That’s the best approach. Because otherwise, yeah, you can kind of drive yourself a little crazy.”
He added that past filmed performances have come with some unfortunate timing on the health front. Petrucci commented: “Something keeps happening to me, which is a bit annoying, that I keep getting the worst-timed illness right before we film. Yeah, it happened to me many times. I’ll never forget the ‘Score’ DVD from Radio City [Music Hall], I was sick as a dog. And then the Paris Blu-ray [‘Quarantième: Live À Paris’], I got something horrible a couple of days before. I was on stage with a fever, but… I don’t know why that [always happen]. [But] it’s, like, the show must go on, right? So hopefully for Chile I will be okay.”
Parasomnia, released on February 7, 2025 through InsideOut Music, was produced by Petrucci, engineered by James “Jimmy T” Meslin, and mixed by Andy Sneap, with artwork once again handled by Hugh Syme. The album runs eight tracks across 71 minutes and was recorded at the band’s DTHQ studio in Long Island, New York.
It follows 2021’s A View From The Top Of The World, which landed in the top 10 across Billboard’s Top Hard Rock Albums, Top Rock Albums, and Independent Albums charts. Much of Parasomnia leans into extended compositions, with six tracks passing the seven-minute mark, and the closing piece “The Shadow Man Incident” stretching close to 20 minutes.
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