Dan Marsicano: The band used to do “An Evening With Dream Theater,” playing three-hour shows. Lately, you guys have been leaning more towards tour packages. Is this where the future of the live show for Dream Theater is, at least in America?
James LaBrie: No, I wouldn”t say that that is set in stone and that’s how the way it’s going to be from here until the end of our career. I think at this point, this is the way we want to present ourselves and how we want to tour at this time.

I personally can see at some point down the road, eventually, more than likely, the “Evening With…” will come back. It’s not on the table right now, I can definitely tell you that. Whether it will be and when it will be, I don’t have the foggiest idea.
What, in you mind, is the most underappreciated Dream Theater song?
I’ve always been partial to “Scarred” from Awake. It really hasn’t been discussed as one of the songs we’re noted for. I think that “Trial Of Tears” is a very good song; probably one of our darkest moments in our career with Falling Into Infinity. I think “Blind Faith” is an amazing song as well.

How do you feel that digital age has benefited or hindered the band and the music industry in general?
Well, definitely, it’s hindered the industry, not just us. Because of the convenience of technology, people no longer have to pay and they don’t feel the least bit guilty of what they are doing. At the end of the day, it’s stealing; I don’t care what anybody says. Because of that, it has completely flipped the music industry upside down and on its ass.

I think that if somebody works very hard for what they do and they spent countless hours to create something that they are very passionate about and put something out there that is quality, that is good, and that is something that can be appreciated, I think the person should be rewarded monetarily, just like anybody else.

As bad as that is, on the flip side of that, you have the fact that the internet has been an incredible vehicle especially for a band like Dream Theater and we’re not alone on that. Most bands these days rely on the fact that the internet is their advertising and their promotion that will enable them to be exposed to many more people than they could ever dream of. Labels now too use the internet as well to promote and exploit their various projects. I think that technology is a double-edged sword. On one end, it takes from us, but on the other hand, it cuts through all the b.s. bureaucracy and corporate acceptability and allows for bands that have kept their integrity and are doing what they feel is unique and needs to be recognized.

What has made Dream Theater continue to remain relevant after all these years?
On one side, you have the fact that we are writing extremely epic-like music that is very diverse. The main element that we have always maintained is that we are current, that we are contemporary, and that we sound like we belong today. If we were starting to sound retro, then I think it would throw us in a corner and we would stick out even more so than we do now, but not in a good way. That’s been the thing that’s really enabled us to continue doing what we’re doing and to continue being successful.