How closely does Dream Theater try to reproduce live, what was done in the studio? Why doesn’t Dream Theater improvise more?
MP: Sonically, it’s very important to reproduce it as closely as possible. However, compositionally, I prefer to stray as much as possible. One of the great things about a live performance is to see a band improvise — it’s kind of pointless to hear a band play exactly what’s on the record. I’ve always appreciated bands like Led Zeppelin or Phish that are spontaneous onstage, and I try to incorporate that into our setlist as much as possible. At the same time, our music is very orchestrated and deliberate, so it’s hard to stray from that too much — we’re not a jam band like Phish, and there are moments when we really have to follow a structure. But segues and medleys are good opportunities for as many changes as possible.
