Score: 20th Anniversary World Tour Live with the Octavarium Orchestra
DREAM THEATER
Rhino
The operatic prog-rock quintet celebrates its 20th year with a Madison Square Garden gig, the second half of which is augmented by a 30-piece orchestra. Score is exactly what you'd expect from this meticulous, disciplined outfit: an inspiring (if not exactly animated), perfectly shot and mixed concert full of spot-on performances and close-ups of hands doing crazy musical shit. The welcome extras include an interesting doc and three songs captured at various stages of the band's career; none of this is likely to convert non-fans, but for those enthralled by the band's aesthetic, it's a must-have. 4 stars
This article appears in Nov 1-7, 2006.