Progressive metal titans Dream Theater brought their ‘Dream Sonic 2023’ music festival to Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida on Thursday, June 22nd, for the fifth stop of the American tour.
The festival included Dream Theater, Animals As Leaders, and Devin Townsend. The opening slot was held down by Animals As Leaders and their djent style of metal. The D.C. trio enthralled the crowd with technical wizardry and jazz compositions. Next up was former Strapping Young Lad frontman Devin Townsend. With poppy ballads and thrashing guitar work, Townsend kept the audience on their feet the entire set. The music was the highlight but Townsend’s self-deprecating banter and witty humor was a welcome interlude between songs.
When Dream Theater finally took the stage, the crowd was rightfully pumped for the melodic metal of John Petrucci and his mates. With a catalog fifteen albums deep, there were songs both very old and quite recent. The blistering guitar solos of Petrucci coupled with the vocals of James Labrie shredded the night much to the delight of the crowd.
As the crowd filed out of the arena the crowd was left hoping that the promises of this becoming a recurring event will come to fruition.
