Live in Athens

United States of America
United States of America
3.5 /5
Rating
Written by Michel Renaud
Published October 12, 2006

Well, I'll be damned. These guys aren't paralyzed and can actually move on stage! "Live at the Dynamo" had led me to believe otherwise. This DVD beats its year 2000 predecessor hands down - better set list, band members who look alive on stage, and same goes for the audience. The main feature is a show professionally filmed in Athens in a decent-sized venue. There's enough camera filming this to show the band from just about every angle, and the only problem I've noticed is that sometimes the camera movements were a bit jerky - not unlike what you see on some audience bootlegs, for example (but rest assured, as I mentioned previously, this is professionally filmed.) While personally I'm no fan of this band and found this a bit tedious to watch, fans of the bands will get a kick out of this. The band seems to be having a good time on stage, and the audience is obviously charmed by the performance - some audience shots are pretty cool, like the two guys standing side by side doing a good job of air-drumming. :) Overall a very good show, much better than the Dynamo show they had released in their previous DVD.

The extras are limited and will most likely only appeal to die hard fans - the behind the scenes stuff is OK but kind of dry - some shots from Bulgarian TV (including a song played live), and rehearsal and sound check in Athens - nothing you haven't seen as filler on a hundred DVDs before this one. There are two songs filmed in Holland in 2005 which feature Mike Portnoy on drums.

This is not the kind of DVD that will kick your ass through amazing content, but the main feature presents a good performance of the band, and that's the most important thing. Recommended for fans.

Additional Information
<p><b>Main Feature:</b></p> <ol><li>One</li> <li>A Pleasant Shade Of Gray Part III</li> <li>Life In Still Water</li> <li>Simple Human</li> <li>Heal Me</li> <li>Pieces Of Me</li> <li>Face The Fear</li> <li>Quietus</li> <li>Another Perfect Day</li> <li>A Pleasant Shade Of Gray Part XI</li> <li>The Eleventh Hour</li> <li>Point Of View</li> <li>Monument</li> <li>Still Remains</li> <li>Nothing Left To Say</li> </ol> <p><b>DVD Extras:</b></p> <p>Behind the scenes:</p> <ul><li>Bulgarian TV</li> <li>Athens rehearsal</li> <li>Athens soundcheck</li> </ul> <p>2005 Holland Headway Festival featuring Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater):</p> <ul><li>Another Perfect Day</li> <li>The Eleventh Hour</li> </ul>