LTE Reunite
- Thread starter Eternal Dragon
- Start date
The problem with that scenario being that LTE kicks ass. Also, not to go for cheap shots, but god forbid musicians be successful and can make money off of doing this kind of thing whilst doing something the fans have been asking for for years. I can understand why people on this forum would have a hard time understanding that.
CantoX
Member
You just basically called every person on this forum a retard. I for one cannot take this act. Portnoy, ATTACK WITH TRIPLE KICK DRUM 782/16 TIME SIGNATURE!!!
mark b
Prog 4 ever. Australia!!!
Jax
Forum Goddess
That's just it, I don't think there's been that big of a demand for it for any consistent amount of time, I think the biggest interest in LTE came and went years ago. To do this ten years later is a bit late (and considering they could've easily done LTE material on any of the DT tours where they played entire cds by other bands) & it makes it look a bit more like money's the motivation rather than a sincere reunion for the love of the music.
Also consider the fact that Portnoy is someone who sold his freaking beard shavings online, & that sheds a somewhat different light on his motivation and much of what he 'can make money' on (just because you CAN do something doesn't mean you should).
*shrug* Just my opinion as someone who's been working in the genre for over a decade; your mileage may vary.
To me it just seems like people are reaching for yet another thing to bitch about in relation to DT. They play material fans have been wanting to hear again for years, especially since the stuff wasn't even toured on extensively when it was first released. If you want to break it down strictly to a business standpoint (which bands that have had any degree of success and can make a living off of their music must do sometimes, believe it or not) then yes.....there's a demand and now, after years of that demand, there is a supply. The guys make money, the fans are pleased, everyone involved gets to play/hear some kickass music that hasn't been played in years. If they were strictly fishing for money, there are several more profitable moves they could make that would require a lot less effort. Besides, I hardly think that this is going to be a huge money maker.
Jax
Forum Goddess
Eh, if they want to bitch about DT, they're gonna bitch; I have better things to do, myself. I'm not impressed with this announcement personally because I don't much care for LTE, and I'm on the fence as to my thoughts on how big a draw an instrumental band is going to be as a headliner; for people who were around when the cds came out, it may be a big deal, but I don't know if the appeal is strong enough to really be worth the while to people who aren't already familiar with the music. Guess we'll find out, eh? 
EyeballKid
Shyamalan'd
It's amazing how quickly anything DT-related becomes a bigger hatefest than the political thread...
Jax
Forum Goddess
I haven't seen any hate in this thread..I see people who are excited, & I see people who are apathetic, which is about what I expected.
Eh, if they want to bitch about DT, they're gonna bitch; I have better things to do, myself. I'm not impressed with this announcement personally because I don't much care for LTE, and I'm on the fence as to my thoughts on how big a draw an instrumental band is going to be as a headliner; for people who were around when the cds came out, it may be a big deal, but I don't know if the appeal is strong enough to really be worth the while to people who aren't already familiar with the music. Guess we'll find out, eh?
So you think that their motivation for this is money, but have doubts that the tour will be much of a success. I wonder if Portnoy and company, who have been doing this for over 20 years, ever put any thought into this. You also agree that it'll be a big deal for the relatively small number of existing fans of the LTE stuff while it probably wont appeal to much (if any) of the newer fanbase or win over any new ones.....
Sorry if I'm coming off as a dick, but I'm just not seeing where your logic is working here.
I think either way, this isn't going to be a significant money maker for those involved. Levin could make more money in a weekend of session work, and DT could just as easily put out some new merchandise or just tag some solo dates on or around the Prog Nation tour. It's already being pretty well received by the fans and I think regardless of financial shit, the tour will go off very well.
progmetaldan
Member
Agreed.
And I think its unfair to see it as Portnoy trying to slightly change Dream Theater, for people who actually are familiar with the project (and therefore with a valid argument for or against it) would know that it started before Rudess had joined DT, it was Magna Carta offering Portnoy to fund an album, and he could choose the other musicians. He chose Jordan Rudess and Tony Levin, but couldn't find the right guitar player, until his wife suggested they get Petrucci seeing as that he was right there...
Rudess joined DT AS A RESULT of the LTE sessions chemistry, so the whole LTE is just DT in another disguise argument is crap, and out of chronological context...
And I for one am glad Portnoy is big on dvd's, I actually enjoy being able to see various live shows, even moreso because it is highly doubtful they'd come to Australia, so I appreciate live dvd's, and Portnoy usually delivers, unlike some bands. Not saying I expect one, but I do appreciate them.
And I gotta agree, the perfect setlist for me would be:
Paradigm Shift
Kindred Spirits
Freedom Of Speech
State Of Grace
--------------------
Universal Mind
Acid Rain
Biaxident
Another Dimension
--------------------
When The Water Breaks
Jax
Forum Goddess
To put it plainly, I simply think they're overestimating the demand for such a show. But as I said before, that's just my opinion, & obviously your mileage may and does vary; we'll just have to agree to disagree, I guess.
However, let me explain part of the basis for my opinion: Conception reunited for a set at PPUSA a few years ago. They were a HUGE band back in the day, and we 'old schoolers' who'd been fans of the band back in the late 90s were peeing ourselves over their set. At the same time, a large majority of the people there who hadn't been fans back in the band's heyday (which were a far larger percentage of the crowd than us old time fans) had a much less fanatic reaction as a whole. I am of the mindset that LTE may have something similar happen.
See, I've seen a much more balanced response between excitement and apathy in the forums/mailing lists/etc. that I'm involved in, so how well received it is depends a lot on what groups you're observing. Interestingly, on what's basically the oldest online progmetal forum there is, it hasn't even been mentioned yet, where you'd think a large percentage of 'fans from back in the day' might still be.
Time will tell..much as I don't care for the band, the nostalgic side of me hopes they do well, so I guess we'll see..
Detective Clarence Beauregard
Dehumanized
Yngvai X
Dark Emperor
I hope they don't record new LTE material, because given the recent DT output, anything new from LTE would be so forced and trite, and lack the spontaneous energy that the first release, and the majority of the 2nd one had.
edit: btw I think the notion that Portnoy and Petrucci, as much as I dislike their musical output of the last 7 years or so (however long its been since SFAM), did LTE for "woohoo more money" is retarded. LTE was made in the late 90's when Dream Theater were still playing venues like Irving Plaza in NYC and right after their record label pressured them to get more commercial with their writing on Falling Into Infinity, and then a small underground prog rock label asks Portnoy to do a supergroup album. If anything, when I listen to the first LTE album I hear the exact opposite of what you're accusing them of. I hear music being made for the passion of making music, and nothing else.
if they made a 3rd LTE now, then, yes, I would probably agree with your sentiments.
edit #2: "That Tony guy" is one of the most legendary musicians in the prog rock scene, and I'll be seeing LTE at least once for him alone.
edit: btw I think the notion that Portnoy and Petrucci, as much as I dislike their musical output of the last 7 years or so (however long its been since SFAM), did LTE for "woohoo more money" is retarded. LTE was made in the late 90's when Dream Theater were still playing venues like Irving Plaza in NYC and right after their record label pressured them to get more commercial with their writing on Falling Into Infinity, and then a small underground prog rock label asks Portnoy to do a supergroup album. If anything, when I listen to the first LTE album I hear the exact opposite of what you're accusing them of. I hear music being made for the passion of making music, and nothing else.
if they made a 3rd LTE now, then, yes, I would probably agree with your sentiments.
edit #2: "That Tony guy" is one of the most legendary musicians in the prog rock scene, and I'll be seeing LTE at least once for him alone.
SyXified
Member
The phrase 'just because you CAN do something doesn't mean you SHOULD' is very true. However, I think it's a tough sell to apply that to a person wanting to make money for himself. If someone is willing to pay a person for his beard shavings, anyone not willing to sell them is out of his mind. I would never fault Mike for his desire to make money with sales of his products - in fact he's one of the most admirable figures in the music industry. So many musicians just want to coast along and play music and just assume money will fall into their lap. Mike took control of his future in the music industry and became as clever a businessman as he is a musician (and that's a LOT for any one person to take on). The guy works tirelessly and makes a lot of things happen while 99% of musicians sit around waiting for those things to happen on their own.
I think 'just because you can do something doesn't mean you should' is more applicable to the writing style of LTE (it terms of musical quality and art aesthetics). Music written in that jam format never has the concinity and purpose of music that is written with foresight and direction. A jam album is almost without question destined to yield 20% cool and 80% crap. If you sit down at a keyboard and just start messing around, you're going to come up with some acceptable music, chances are it will be nothing fantastic, but it will not be horrid. However, whereas most people would be messing around at the keyboard on their own and discarding all the mediocre stuff until they come up with something truly excellent, LTE seems to pretty much just toss whatever happens to come out onto the record as if it were of a quality worthy of other people listening to it. Jams are far more fun for the people involved than those listening on and it is completely indulgent to think every jam one is involved in is worth the time of others. Monetarily, if people want to pay you to listen to your mediocre jams, it's a no brainer that you ought to sell your mediocre jams. But in terms of musical quality, I can't imagine anyone being able to justify to themselves that a brilliantly crafted and conceived piece, like say Through the Looking Glass, which surely took a great deal of time and thought, would be comparable in quality to some silly improv jam over the first chord progression that fell out of your brain.
DinoB
Member
^^^ I agree for the most part, but I'm not going to argue or anything. All I have to say is that I try to get into LTE, but I never seem to be able to. I don't hate it, just nothing seems to be catchy enough for me to crave listening to a song of theirs. I may go see them at the SF show, that is if I have enough money 
. One band that I do absolutly love that is instrumental is Gordian Knot.
. One band that I do absolutly love that is instrumental is Gordian Knot.
progmetaldan
Member
rockyracoon
...
1. This is not for money. In fact, it's because these guys all HAVE money that they can afford to do shows like this, even at an expected loss.
2. It's not like they're playing huge venues either. Hell, The Vic in Chicago is pretty damn small. However, to go much smaller for practicality purposes they'd probably end up at someplace like The Pearl Room. My guess is that Portnoy would rather play a cooler venue and fill less seats than a bad venue just for the sake of size. Especially in Chicago where there's plenty of nicer places.
3. MJR's The Dark Chapter. Russell's Atomic Soul. Just two on a list of hundreds of side projects I'd kill to see performed live. Will most ever happen, hell no! So fucking hats off to LTE for not just creating a studio side project that never see's a live audience.
4. It's not about "whether they should do it." It's about knowing how to give something special to the fans. They do. Other bands/musicians should take notice.
Yeah, "That Tony Guy." I laughed out loud when I read that ridiculous comment. And you're right, Levin is reason alone to attend.
2. It's not like they're playing huge venues either. Hell, The Vic in Chicago is pretty damn small. However, to go much smaller for practicality purposes they'd probably end up at someplace like The Pearl Room. My guess is that Portnoy would rather play a cooler venue and fill less seats than a bad venue just for the sake of size. Especially in Chicago where there's plenty of nicer places.
3. MJR's The Dark Chapter. Russell's Atomic Soul. Just two on a list of hundreds of side projects I'd kill to see performed live. Will most ever happen, hell no! So fucking hats off to LTE for not just creating a studio side project that never see's a live audience.
4. It's not about "whether they should do it." It's about knowing how to give something special to the fans. They do. Other bands/musicians should take notice.
Yeah, "That Tony Guy." I laughed out loud when I read that ridiculous comment. And you're right, Levin is reason alone to attend.
nckissfan
Civil War reenactor
I would buy a dvd of this, just for the fact that I will never get a chance to see them live, unless I feel like spending gobs of money just to get to the show, let alone get in.
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