Dream Theater Proves to Be at The Top Of Their Game Even After 40 Years With Stellar Performance in St. Louis

October 16, 2025 Sean Derrick

–by Sean Derrick

Progressive metal masters, and one of the pioneers of the genre, Dream Theater has forged a path for many other artists over the course of their 40 years together. And while many bands who have had a long tenure like Dream Theater fade away, or sound tired or stale over the years, Dream Theater is an anomaly. And they proved it once again with a stop at The Factory in St. Louis on Tuesday.

Having released their 16th studio album, Parasomnia to rave reviews earlier this year the band has embarked on a combination tour of sorts. This year marks the band’s 40th year together (They were called Majesty from 1985-1988) but they are also celebrating the 30th anniversary of A Change of Seasons by performing the epic 23-minute title track (all 7 sections) as the encore. So, that really deters any real fan from trying to beat traffic and leaving after the main set.

The show is set into 3 main parts. The first set is the band performing Parasomnia in its entirety (A really good choice here since it is a concept album and really tells a story to the audience when they first hear it live, rather than piecing a few standout songs, like most bands would do.)

After a 20-minute break which the audience was treated to an interlude of Rossini’s “La Gazza Ladra” Dream Theater roared back with the 2nd set, a collection of songs throughout their history. For most shows they have returned with “As I Am”, but this time they performed “Panic Attack”, followed by “The Enemy Inside”. They added “The Dark Eternal Night” which was great because it hadn’t been performed yet in St. Louis and was only the 4th time this tour it had been performed.

The 3rd major part of the show was the 23-minute long performance of 1995’s “A Change of Seasons”. When the video of Robin Williams’s scene describing Carpe Diem started on the giant screen on the back of the stage the crowd was ecstatic.

The band (Vocalist James LaBrie, bassist John Myung, guitarist John Petrucci, drummer Mike Portnoy, and keyboardist Jordan Rudess) gave a nod to one of their influences during “Peruvian Skies” when they interjected a portion of “Wish You Were Here” by Pink Floyd. I love seeing a band pay tribute to artists that influenced them, no matter how long ago that was.

Portnoy, who left the band back in 2010, returned in 2023 and immediately picked up where he left off, with the precision and timing of one of the top drummers of his generation.

I can’t just lump the rest of the band like “the rest of the band played exceptional, blah blah blah” because that would be a disservice to the mastery that each performer has over their instrument. Or in LaBrie’s case, his instrument is his voice, and even though they are wrapping up a very long tour his voice still sounds awesome, not strained at all from the rigors of the tour. A true testament to the care he has taken for his vocal cords.

John Myung is a steady beast on bass, and even though he did move but maybe 4 or 5 steps (he rarely does) he doesn’t need to be flashy to show why he is one of the top bassists in the world. It really is amazing what that dude can do.

John Petrucci is a master on the axe and was shredding like he was teaching a master class (“Let me show you how it’s done, boys” style.)

Jordan Rudess continues to impress and bring a modern taste of classical to the mix.

But all of this information true fans already know. Their following is made up of rabid fans, musicians (amateur and pro) and those who love not only progressive metal, but technical expertise performed by artists who not only just regurgitate notes, but drive with feeling and devotion that you can feel exude form the stage.

This is a band that has influenced countless bands, but most notably artists like Gojira, Mastadon, and I Prevail, among others. While the average person on the street may not have heard of Dream Theater, and maybe it is they don’t like odd time signatures or complex arrangements, but those in the industry and contemporaries are well aware of the magic this band creates.

Dream Theater performed for nearly 3 hours and not one minute was boring or stale. How they have kept producing fresh and exciting material and performing it so well night after night is amazing, considering that most artists that have been around that long at least start to become stale and predictable. Not Dream Theater. They are truly an anomaly in today’s music scene.

Be sure to check out the gallery of photos from their St. Louis performance after the Setlist below.

Dream Theater Setlist:

Act 1:

In the Arms of Morpheus

Night Terror

A Broken Man

Dead Asleep

Midnight Maessiah.

Are We Dreaming?

Bend the Clock

The Shadow Man Incident

Act 2: