Waking Up the World Tour

For further information see also Dream Theater album: Awake

Waking Up the World Tour was a tour by progressive metal/rock band Dream Theater promoting their third studio album Awake.

After a headlining concert called Pre-Awake show on September 9, 1994 at the Foundations Forum in Burbank, California, with Jordan Rudess performed with them at the show, but decided against joining the band for the entire tour, the band held another round of auditions and were impressed with Derek Sherinian, who studied at Berklee College of Music the year before Petrucci, Portnoy and Myung did. He had previously played with Alice Cooper and Kiss and enjoyed similar music to the other members of Dream Theater.^[1] He was offered the position on a trial basis at the beginning of October 1994, giving him just two weeks to learn two hours of highly complex music.^[2] Derek Sherinian was officially asked to join the band as a full member in February 1995.^[3]

The North America leg of the Waking Up The World tour began on October 20, 1994 and finished on December 9, 1994. Over Christmas, James Labrie went on holiday to Cuba with his wife, where he had violent food poisoning.^[4] Upon his return home he consulted an ears, nose and throat specialist, who told Labrie that he had ruptured his vocal cords, advising him not to sing for six months to a year. "I was in total shock and devastated", Labrie said. "On the US leg I had been so psyched and couldn't wait to blow everyone away around the rest of the world. We weren't in a position for me to take a six-month break so I had to keep touring."^[5] LaBrie was able to continue performing, but his voice became unpredictable.

The band continued with Japanese leg on January 14, 1995 until January 25, 1995. The Great Hanshin earthquake struck Japan while Dream Theater were touring there.^[6] Although none of the band was injured, they seriously considered calling off the tour, but only ended up canceling one show. The band held a minute's silence at every show in Japan in memory of those who had died.^[7] During the soundchecks for the Japanese shows, the band rehearsed a series of cover songs.

The band continued with European leg on January 31, 1995 in Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, London. The show, performed to an invitation-only audience of three hundred, featured guest musicians such as Barney Greenway, Steve Hogarth, Steve Rothery and Steve Howe.^[8] A selection of covers and medleys performed by Dream Theater at this show were released on A Change of Seasons.^[9] The European leg wrapped up on March 15, 1995 in London, England, continued with North America leg on June 9, 1995, European 2nd leg on June 18, 1995 until July 9, 1995, and the whole Waking Up the World Tour concluded on August 3, 1995 in Providence, Rhode Island, United States.

Setlist

North America 1st leg

1. Little Green Bag/Wake Up! (intro tape)
2. Pull Me Under
3. 6:00
4. Innocence Faded
5. Take the Time (with extended keyboard solo)
6. Caught in a Web (with drum solo)
7. Lifting Shadows Off a Dream
8. The Ones Who Help to Set the Sun (no keyboards)
9. The Mirror
10. Lie
11. Another Day
12. A Mind Beside Itself:
    1. Erotomania
    2. Voices
    3. The Silent Man
13. ----------encore----------
14. Metropolis Part I
15. Eve (outro tape)

• Notes: Derek Sherinian did not play keyboards on The Ones Who Help to Set the Sun, since it was low on his priority list of songs to learn, though original plans were for him to learn it later.^[10]

Japanese leg

1. Little Green Bag/Wake Up! (intro tape)
2. Pull Me Under
3. 6:00
4. Take the Time (with extended keyboard solo)
5. Caught in a Web (with drum solo)
6. Lifting Shadows Off a Dream
7. Awake jam
8. Derek Sherinian keyboard solo
9. A Crack in the Mirror
10. The Mirror
11. Lie
12. Another Day
13. A Mind Beside Itself:
    1. Erotomania
    2. Voices
    3. The Silent Man
14. ----------encore----------
15. Metropolis Part I
16. Eve (outro tape)

European 1st leg

Uncovered gig at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, London, January 31, 1995

1. Funeral For a Friend (originally performed by Elton John)
2. Love Lies Bleeding (originally performed by Elton John)
3. Perfect Strangers (originally performed by Deep Purple)
4. Red Hill Mining Town (originally performed by U2)
5. The Rover (originally performed by Led Zeppelin)
6. Achilles' Last Stand (originally performed by Led Zeppelin)
7. The Song Remains the Same (originally performed by Led Zeppelin)
8. Tears (originally performed by Rush)
9. Damage Inc. (originally performed by Metallica)
10. Happiness is a Warm Gun (originally performed by Beatles)
11. Easter (originally performed by Marillion)
12. Winter (originally performed by Tori Amos)
13. In the Dead of Night (originally performed by UK)
14. Machine Messiah (originally performed by Yes)
15. Heart of the Sunrise (originally performed by Yes)
16. Close to the Edge (originally performed by Yes)
17. Siberian Khatru (originally performed by Yes)
18. Starship Trooper (originally performed by Yes)
19. In the Flesh (originally performed by Pink Floyd)
20. Carry On Wayward Son (originally performed by Kansas)
21. Bohemian Rhapsody (originally performed by Queen)
22. Lovin, Touchin, Squeezin (originally performed by Journey)
23. Cruise Control (originally performed by Dixie Dregs)
24. Turn It On Again (originally performed by Genesis)

For the rest of 1st European leg setlists included some or most of the following songs (not always in the same order):

1. Little Green Bag/Wake Up! (intro tape)
2. Pull Me Under
3. 6:00
4. Take the Time (with extended keyboard solo)
5. Caught in a Web (with drum solo)
6. Lifting Shadows Off a Dream
7. John Petrucci guitar solo (For Rena/Lost Without You)
8. Derek Sherinian keyboard solo
9. A Crack in the Mirror
10. The Mirror/
11. Lie
12. Another Day
13. A Mind Beside Itself:
    1. Erotomania
    2. Voices
    3. The Silent Man
14. ----------encore----------
15. Metropolis Part I
16. Eve (outro tape)

1st American One-off Shows

1. Little Green Bag/Wake Up! (intro tape)
2. Under a Glass Moon
3. The Mirror
4. Lie
5. Lifting Shadows Off a Dream
6. Showdown (instrumental excerpt)
7. Caught in a Web (with drum solo)
8. A Change of Seasons:
   1. The Crimson Sunrise
   2. Innocence
   3. Carpe Diem
   4. The Darkest of Winters
   5. Another World
   6. The Inevitable Summer
   7. The Crimson Sunset
9. Surrounded
10. Derek Sherinian keyboard solo with Eruption (Van Halen)
11. A Mind Beside Itself:
    1. Erotomania
    2. Voices
    3. The Silent Man
12. John Petrucci guitar solo (For Rena/Lost Without You)
13. Pull Me Under
14. ----------encore----------
15. Wait For Sleep (acoustic version)
16. Learning to Live
17. Eve (outro tape)

European 2nd leg

European 2nd leg setlists included some or most of the following songs (not always in the same order):

1. Little Green Bag/Wake Up! (intro tape)
2. Under a Glass Moon
3. The Mirror
4. Lie
5. Lifting Shadows Off a Dream
6. Showdown (instrumental excerpt)
7. Caught in a Web (with drum solo)
8. A Change of Seasons:
   1. The Crimson Sunrise
   2. Innocence
   3. Carpe Diem
   4. The Darkest of Winters
   5. Another World
   6. The Inevitable Summer
   7. The Crimson Sunset
9. Surrounded
10. Derek Sherinian keyboard solo
11. A Mind Beside Itself:
    1. Erotomania
    2. Voices
    3. The Silent Man
12. John Petrucci guitar solo (For Rena/Lost Without You)
13. Pull Me Under
14. ----------encore----------
15. Wait For Sleep (acoustic version)
16. Learning to Live
17. Eve (outro tape)

Tour dates

Personnel

Dream Theater

• James LaBrie – lead vocals
• John Petrucci – guitar, backing vocals
• Mike Portnoy – drums, backing vocals
• John Myung – bass guitar
• Derek Sherinian – keyboards

References