MUMBAI: Mumbai did get dark at Dream Theater’s debut concert in India on 8 October. The clouds covered the bright sky and soon the rains took over with some lightning, but the fans did not move an inch away from the MMRDA ground. It was this progressive metal band that was holding them back.

The Grammy-nominated progressive rockers were finally in Mumbai after 27 years of calls from their Indian fans. And, nothing could stop them from just living in this moment.

The event expected to begin by 6pm was delayed by an hour, making the fans more anxious. But the wait was worth it! As the band entered the stage, the crowd gave them a cheerful warm welcome. As a symbol of equality, the entire crowd came dressed in black.  

The concert began with James Labrie (vocalist) interacting with the crowd. They also expressed their joy of performing for an audience that had waited for 27 years. And then began the roaring performance.

The band performed on a wide numbers of crowd favourites along with their trademark surprise teaser. They started the show with The Dark Eternal Light went on to The Bigger  Picture, Hell’s Kitchen, The Gift of Music and Portrait of Tracy among others followed with As I Am that featured an extract of the metallic epic hit. Pull Me Under, Take The Time, Metropolis Part 1, Wait For Sleep, deliciously paced with solos from Petrucci, Mangini and Rudess and Change Of Seasons to close the grand performance.  

Dream Theater’s performance was a part of their grand ‘Images, Words and Beyond- 25th Anniversary tour’. The iconic band that has a massive fan following in India is well known for technical proficiency of its instrumentalists and each band member stands out for their individual accomplishments. For the uninitiated, the two-time Grammy-nominated band consists of James Labrie (Lead Vocals), John Petrucci (Guitars and Backing Vocals), Jordan Rudess (Keyboards), John Myung (on Bass guitars) and Mike Mangini (Drums, Percussion).