Photo by Mark Maryanovich

DREAM THEATER, two-time GRAMMY-nominated and millions-selling progressive music forerunners are set to kick off their European festival tour, beginning in Solvesborg, Sweden on June 7th.  Performing over 30 concerts in the nearly two month span, each date will feature a specially curated set list of material spanning the band’s illustrious career as titans of the Prog genre. Each festival performance will have the band playing to a fresh audience throughout Europe, presenting not only established catalog classics, but also new fan favorites from the band’s most recent studio album, the 14th in their history, Distance Over Time. Distance Over Time showcases a newfound creativity for Dream Theater while maintaining the elements that have garnered them devoted fans around the world. The album also marks the first for the band’s new label InsideOut Music/Sony Music.

The band look forward to bringing their show to Europe for the Summer festival season, and in many cases, with some special guest participation. Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess reveals that the band “are incredibly excited about these upcoming European festivals that will feature great friends of ours, some fantastic musicians!”  Expanding on the quote, founding member, producer, and guitarist John Petrucci identifies the specific artists Dream Theater invited to perform with them on some select dates throughout June and July, enthusiastically stating that “Some of my personal favorite players who I’ve had the pleasure of sharing stages with have agreed to come out to Europe with us.  We can’t wait to bring this amazing show to our fans in Europe, and I’m incredibly excited that we get to do so alongside some unbelievable artists like Andy McKee, Jason Richardson, and Tosin Abasi with Animals as Leaders.”

The following dates will feature the additional artists, as noted:

June 15 – (DE) Oberhausen, w/ Andy McKee
June 17 – (LU) Luxembourg, w/ Andy McKee
June 19 – (SE) Gavle, w/ Andy McKee

June 23 – (CH) Pratteln, w/ Andy McKee + Jason Richardson/Luke Holland
June 25 – (NL) Ghent, w/ Andy McKee + Jason Richardson/Luke Holland
June 26 – (DE) Dresden, w/ Andy McKee + Jason Richardson/Luke Holland
June 27 – (DE) Berlin, w/ Andy McKee + Jason Richardson/Luke Holland

June 30 – (DK) Aarhus, w/ Animals As Leaders + Jason Richardson/Luke Holland
June 02 – (GR) Athens, w/ Animals As Leaders + Jason Richardson/Luke Holland

July 03 – (BG) Sofia, w/ Jason Richardson/Luke Holland
July 06 – (IT) Turin, w/ Jason Richardson/Luke Holland
July 09 – (MT) Valletta, w/ Jason Richardson/Luke Holland
July 10 – (IT) Taormina/Sicily, w/ Jason Richardson/Luke Holland

Complete Dream Theater tour dates available here: http://dreamtheater.net/tour/

Beginning on June 7th in Sweden and concluding July 26th in Romania, Dream Theater are set to bring their particular brand of progressive music to European audiences for the first time since the immensely successful release of Distance Over Time. Rudess expands on his enthusiasm for the opportunity to share the festival stage with such talented artists as “Animals as Leaders, Jason Richardson who will feature Luke Holland on drums, and the amazing Andy McKee who is one of the world’s greatest acoustic guitar players…“.  Vocalist James LaBrie shares his excitement for the European festival tour, emphasizing how Dream Theater is “looking forward to it, and it’s going to be a kick-ass show…see you real soon!”