Keeping it short and simple: the music was great; tickets were not. Of the two bands my friend and I saw (we showed up about an hour and a half after doors opened), both were very appropriate for the Progressive Nation Tour, bearing in mind that Dream Theater runs the show.
Zappa Plays Zappa was fantastic. After having attended last year's Progressive Nation Tour, I was expecting a series of heavy acts, but they weren't heavy. They were out there, and it was awesome. Never really listened to much Zappa before, but after a show like that, I feel that I should be. Dweezil is an incredible guitarist, and the rest of the band are excellent at what they do as well.
Dream Theater blew me away again. I don't think there was a single moment I couldn't feel the rhythm of the song, even when Mike left the set so John could show off, haha. The video screen was a godsend, as my horribly overpriced perimeter tickets and 5'10" stature left me staring at a wall of headbanging heads, occasionally getting glimpses of the band members through windows of the crowd. Lighting was fantastic, and it was loud as anything, as it should be.
My only complaint would be that for $50, I feel like I should have been a part of the audience. Instead, I was stranded next to a bunch of drunk dudes at the bar, who TALKED through several solos. Unbelievable. I don't understand why Hard Rock opted to put seating on the main floor; last year's standing room ground floor was ideal. Oh, that's right. Money. They wanted money. And then they wonder why people prefer concerts at smaller, more personal venues.
But, in the end, the music made the price tag worth it.
