Dream Theater @ Hindley Street Music Hall, Adelaide 10/2/2026
Elite! Even on reflection the day after I am still blown away having seeing Dream Theater at Hindley Street Music Hall. The magnitude of the occasion and how much the music of Dream Theater resonates with fans was clear as day with the volume of people already in the line at 5.30pm or even earlier than that whether that be with a VIP fan package, early entry or just as a regular fan on top of the sweltering weather conditions. Nevertheless, moments like this are rare as hens teeth and with their last visit here playing Thebarton Theatre back in 2009 there was an element of making up for lost time with all the hallmarks of something special. Even better still was the fact that the first show on the Australian leg of fortieth anniversary tour was right here in Adelaide! What a score!
Equally impressive was all the different Dream Theater tour t-shirts from over the journey and there was a real excitable energy waiting for the early start time considering there was no support. Let’s be straight to the point, when you are this good, you definitely do not need a support. Don’t call this a nostalgia tour either. With what was presented it was an incredibly powerful validation of their legacy built on a strong back catalogue of works but recognising that they are also forward facing carving a new direction with new music not resting on the laurels which would be easy to do with a bankable back catalogue.
The production was next level with not one detail compromised bringing a full scale arena sized show in to the intimate surrounds of Hindley Street Music Hall. The stage was noticeably bigger and with the Dream Theater ‘XXXX’ curtain hung in front of the stage keeping the suspense and not revealing too much of the stage get up heightened the excitement. Much to the delight of fans is the return of founding drummer Mike Portnoy back on the kit and his presence alone makes this band walk ten foot taller. How integral he is to this band cannot be underestimated being a key part of the heart and soul of this much loved band. The excitement was palpable once a recording of Bernard Herrmann’s Prelude from the Psycho soundtrack.
Once that curtain dropped, woah!
Metropolis Pt. 1: The Miracle and the Sleeper set the tone for what was to come. This was a masterclass in musicianship and the talent is what premiership teams are made of. John Petrucci (guitar), John Myung (bass), Jordan Rudess (on keys but not just any keyboard) and Mike Portnoy on the drum set up of drums. Who plays on a drum kit this sized? Three kick drums and I lost count of how many cymbals there were but what an imposing sound. Front man James LaBrie on vocals is stellar also, singing his part, then moving side of stage. The intensity, immense concentration and intense detail was definitely something to be in awe of.
Metropolis, Pt. 2: Scenes From a Memory was an integral part of the first set pieced together with Act I: Scene Two: I. Overture 1928, Act I: Scene Two: II. Strange Déjà Vu, Act I: Scene Three: I. Through My Words and Act I: Scene Three: II. Fatal Tragedy. There was a brief mention of how horrible the Super Bowl result before welcome the fans to the fortieth anniversary and welcoming “the brother from another mother” Mike Portnoy back in to the fold. The remainder of the first set was nothing short of incredible with The Mirror, The Enemy Inside and the stand out Peruvian Skies with a nod and wink to Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here and Metallica’s Wherever I May Roam taking this one well further than its original form. Jordan Rudess influence can’t be ignored either. His unique keyboard rig that twists and turns complete with an LED ribbon that wraps around this set up elevates his performance even further which was a pleasure to watch. It is quite obvious that an intermission after As I Am is required to reset for the second act.
The second act upped the ante with the focus being more on 2025’s Parasomnia making for a subtle contrast to what we saw in Act One with the band playing “a big chunk of it”. The instrumental charged In The Arms Of Morpheus was epic beyond all proportions leading in to Night Terror and Midnight Messiah. It was unfortunate that some plonker threw a can at Labrie who flipped them the bird saying “don’t do that again”. Mobile phone lights lit up the room on Are We Dreaming. The emotional feels with the ups and downs felt like a roller coaster experienced on Bend The Clock and The Shadow Man Incident. Moments don’t any more grandiose than Octavarium, seriously mind blown! How did thirty minutes zip by! I’m in the awe and there’s not enough words that can do justice to this moment. The encore topped things off with Act II: Scene Eight: The Spirit Carries On and Pull Me Under being equally uplifting and “uniting”.
Experiences don’t get much better than this and what was reaffirmed (which we already knew) was that Dream Theater are at the peak of their powers. Leaving Adelaide with the message “see you in the next round” gives of hope that there will be more to come.
Live Review By Rob Lyon