LIVE AT LUNA(2DV/3CD [DVD]

Personnel: James LaBrie (vocals); John Petrucci (guitar); Serdar Geldymuradov, Oleg Pishenin (violin); Joelle Pardaens (viola); Jordan Rudess (keyboards); John Myung (Chapman stick); Mike Mangini (drums, percussion).
Audio Mixer: Richard Chycki.
Recording information: Luna Park.
Animation: Robert Medina.
Director: Mike Leonard.
Editors: Mike Leonard; Matthew Krol.
Illustrator: Hugh Syme.
Photographers: Janet Balmer; John Zocco; Nidhal Marzouk; Raffaello Pavesi; Darko Boehringer.
Arranger: Eren Basbug.
Live at Luna Park is a concert document from Dream Theater's 2012 A Dramatic Turn of Events tour. The video and music were recorded over two nights at Argentina's famed Luna Park soccer stadium in Buenos Aires at the end of the South American leg of the jaunt. The tour was significant not only because the record was such a critical and commercial success, but also because it was band's first offering -- and tour -- with drummer Mike Mangini, who'd replaced Mike Portnoy. This five-disc special edition contains two DVDs (the concert film) and three audio CDs. The video discs contain not only the 160-minute concert footage but a wealth of bonus material, including a phenomenally well-conceived and executed documentary, a behind-the-scenes video, a cartoon intro, and a trailer -- the film was screened in several theaters across the United States. The audio discs reflect the concert and bonus performances. The show also boasts many of the band's classic tunes, including "Metropolis, Pt. 1," "The Silent Man," "Pull Me Under," "The Root of All Evil," "The Test That Stumped Them All," "The Spirit Carries On," and the recent "On the Backs of Angels." In addition, four tunes -- "Beneath the Surface," "Far from Heaven," "The Silent Man," and "Wait for Sleep" -- have the band playing with a string quartet. Though the rehearsals with the chamber group took place just before sound check, the charts and intuitive playing between the two groups are flawless. This is a truly inspired show. Culled between concert and bonus material are performances of all the tracks on A Dramatic Turn of Events. The sound quality is pristine, but the spontaneity and dynamics are showcased beautifully on both audio and video. Despite the fact that all of the drum parts for A Dramatic Turn of Events were scripted before the recording sessions, Mangini is able to improvise on them in the live setting, and put his own mark on the older material as well. The five-disc box comes with a booklet of photos from the show, and it is all contained in a deluxe foldout slipcase. For DT fans, this is a must-have addition to the band's live catalog. ~ Thom Jurek

• Format: DVD
• Genre: Rock