Description

Festival Hall, Osaka, Japan 2nd March 2026

　Mike Portnoy returns to Japan for DREAM THEATER’s 40th anniversary tour. This in-ear monitor recording will immerse you in the legendary Osaka night.

　Of course, this work records the “March 2, 2026: Osaka Festival Hall” performance. It is an original IEM intercepted recording by “West Japan’s Strongest Taper.” The audience recording of the same performance, “OSAKA 2026 (Shades 2593),” will also be released at the same time, but this work’s rival may be the official “QUARANTIEME: LIVE A PARIS.” First, let’s check the position of this work from the overall picture of the 40th anniversary tour.

●2024
“40th Anniversary Tour”
・October 20th – November 24th: Europe #1 (24 performances) ← *Official
・December 7th – 22nd: Latin America #1 (9 performances)
●2025
{“PARASOMNIA” released on February 7th}
・February 7th – March 22nd: North America #1 (29 performances)
・June 3rd – July 29th: Europe #2 (31 performances)
・September 5th – October 25th: North America #2 (30 performances)
{“QUARANTIEME: LIVE A PARIS” released on November 28th}
●2026
・January 27th – February 22nd: Middle East/Asia/Australia (14 performances)
・February 25th – March 3rd: Japan (5 performances) ←★Here★
・April 8th – May 12th: Latin America #2 (17 performances)

　This is the “40th Anniversary Tour” that has been announced to date. Overview of activities for the “Anniversary Tour”. The official “QUARANTIEME” was produced at the beginning of the tour, “Europe # 1”, but the Osaka performance of this work was the fourth performance in “Japan” one year and four months later.

　This time, the venue was the Osaka Festival Hall. This was their second time performing there, and their first time in 33 years since the Kevin Moore era (incidentally, you can enjoy their first Festival Hall performance on our soundboard masterpiece, “DEFINITIVE OSAKA 1993: DAT MASTER (Zodiac 312)”).

[A superb IEM album of complete soundboard quality]
　The true essence of this work is James LaBrie’s in-ear monitors, and the sound is truly “complete soundboard quality.” And it’s direct from the mix desk! The IEM feel is fully unleashed, with no interference from the venue’s atmosphere or PA reverberations, creating a raw, direct feeling, as if listening to the output of the desk itself. Moreover, the mix balance is well-balanced, with clear separation of all instruments and a wonderful sense of unity as an ensemble. Aside from a brief countdown at the beginning of each song, there are no clicks or instructions from the staff. Although it does not have the polish and gorgeousness of FM broadcasting or official works, the vividness is tremendous, and you can immerse yourself in the feeling of synchronization where the performance and the whole body are perfectly in sync.

　It’s only through these raw IEMs that we can truly appreciate the unfading power of DREAM THEATER. While IEMs typically highlight the roughness of a performance, these guys deliver everything perfectly. Petrucci’s guitar is incredibly detailed, and even the tonal shifts in Rudess’ keyboards are clearly discernible. Myung’s basslines are stunned by their sheer definition, and Portnoy’s drums are controlled to the microscopic level, right down to the evenness of the double bass drums. LaBrie’s vocals are also incredibly free-flowing, free of the instability that has been noted in recent years. The unforgiving format of IEMs also exposes their incredible musical talent.

[IEMs that stream Portnoy’s epic trio
　of epic hits into your brain] Enjoy this otherworldly, synchronized sound with a full show that Portnoy himself proudly describes as “Epic Setlist!!” Towards the end of the day, they performed three consecutive 20-minute epic tracks: “The Shadow Man Incident” -> “Octavarium” -> “A Change of Seasons”, making it a special set that was only available on this world tour. Of course, it wasn’t just those three songs, the entire show also retained the essence of their latest “40th Anniversary Tour”. It’s very different from “QUARANTIEME” which opened the tour, so let’s compare them and organize them.

●Part 1 (DISC 1: 7 songs)
· Images and Words: Metropolis Pt. 1 / Take the Time (★)
· Metropolis Part 2: Overture 1928 / Strange Deja Vu
· Others: Panic Attack / The Enemy Inside (★) / Peruvian Skies (★)
●Part 2 (DISC 2: 6 songs + 1 song)
· Parasomnia: In the Arms of Morpheus (★) / Night Terror / Midnight Messiah (★) / Are We Dreaming? (★) / Bend the Clock (★) / The Shadow Man Incident (★)
Octavarium
Encore (DISC 3: Suite A Change of Seasons)
I The Crimson Sunrise (★) / II Innocence (★) / III Carpe Diem (★) / IV The Darkest of Winters (★) / V Another World (★) / VI The Inevitable Summer (★) / VII The Crimson Sunset (★)
*Note: Songs marked with a “★” are those that could not be heard on the official live album “QUARANTIEME: LIVE A PARIS.”

…And so it goes. Furthermore, phrases from PINK FLOYD’s “Wish You Were Here” are woven into “Peruvian Skies,” and even DEEP PURPLE’s “Smoke On The Water” pops up at the end. Festival Hall is a sacred place where the famous “MADE IN JAPAN” was recorded, and DREAM THEATER is such a big fan that they even performed a complete re-enactment of “MADE IN JAPAN” in 2006. It’s not hard to imagine that the band members are conscious of this sacred place, and the show is filled with a special feeling in every corner.

　The Osaka night is beginning to be whispered as the “legend of 2026.” This three-disc set lets you fully experience the full show with the superb IEM sound produced by “Western Japan’s Strongest Taper.” While the superb audience recording “OSAKA 2026” wins in terms of show experience and overall beauty, the pleasure of IEMs, where your entire body is filled with raw, live performance, is irreplaceable. The sheer power of the three epic hits and the sophisticated rendition of “Smoke On The Water” will be imprinted in your mind with the relentless resolution of IEMs. Enjoy to your heart’s content!

★ IEM intercepted recording of the “March 2, 2026: Osaka Festival Hall” performance. Master “Western Japan’s Strongest Taper” intercepted LaBrie’s in-ear monitors. Experience the legendary three-hit set with the reality of direct connection to the mixing desk with a fully soundboard-class product. The IEM’s relentless resolution reveals the flawless performance of DREAM THEATER. The stylish rendition of “Smoke On The Water” is also a must-listen.

Disc:1 (62:22)
1. Prelude
2. Metropolis Pt. 1: The Miracle and the Sleeper
3. Act I: Scene Two: I. Overture 1928
4. Act I: Scene Two: II. Strange Deja Vu
5. Panic Attack
6. The Enemy Inside
7. Peruvian Skies
8. Take the Time

Disc:2 (79:59)
1. In the Arms of Morpheus
2. Night Terror
3. Midnight Messiah
4. Are We Dreaming?
5. Bend the Clock
6. The Shadow Man Incident
7. Octavarium

Disc:3 (24:47)
1. Dead Poets Society
2. A Change of Seasons: I The Crimson Sunrise
3. A Change of Seasons: II Innocence
4. A Change of Seasons: III Carpe Diem
5. A Change of Seasons: IV The Darkest of Winters
6. A Change of Seasons: V Another World
7. A Change of Seasons: VI The Inevitable Summer
8. A Change of Seasons: VII The Crimson Sunset

John Petrucci (Gt)
Jordan Rudess (Key)
James LaBrie (Vo)
John Myung (Bas)
Mike Portnoy (Dr)