Jordan Rudess: it was time for something big

As Dream Theater warm up for two shows at London’s historic Palladium venue, keyboard player Jordan Rudess spoke to TeamRock about the scale of the band’s new concept album, The Astonishing.

“We needed lot of music because we wanted to write a show,” says Rudess. “From the moment of it’s birth, this has been a large concept. We knew we wanted it to be big in scope. So we put together a lot of ideas, and wrote a lot of music.”

Watch the full interview below. Dream Theater play at the London Palladium on February 18 and 19, before the tour continues to Europe and North America (full dates below). Tickets are on sale now. Earlier this month, guitarist John Petrucci spoke of his nervousness ahead of the shows.

DREAM THEATER 2016 TOUR DATES

Feb 18: London Palladium, UK
Feb 19: London Palladium, UK
Feb 22: Amsterdam Carre Theater, Netherlands
Feb 23: Amsterdam Carre Theater, Netherlands
Feb 24: Amsterdam Carre Theater, Netherlands
Feb 26: Oslo Konsethus, Norway
Feb 27: Oslo Konsethus, Norway
Feb 28: Oslo Konsethus, Norway
Feb 29: Oslo Konsethus, Norway
Mar 01: Stockholm Cirkus, Sweden
Mar 02: Stockholm Cirkus, Sweden
Mar 04: Hannover Kuppelsaal, Germany
Mar 05: Paris Palais de Congres, France
Mar 06: Paris Palais de Congres, France
Mar 08: Copenhagen Dr Koncerthuset, Denmark
Mar 09: Berlin Friedrichspalast, Germany
Mar 10: Bochum Ruhrcongress, Germany
Mar 12: Vejle Store Sal Vejle Musikteater, Denmark
Mar 13: Brussels Forest National, Belgium
Mar 14: Nurnberg Meistersingerhalle, Germany
Mar 15: Frankfurt Alte Oper Hall, Germany
Mar 17: Milan Teatro Degli Arcimboldi, Italy
Mar 18: Milan Teatro Degli Arcimboldi, Italy
Mar 19: Milan Teatro Degli Arcimboldi, Italy
Mar 22: Stuttgart Liederhalle Hegel-Saal, Germany
Mar 23: Zurich Kongresshaus, Switzerland

Apr 14: Quebec City Le Capitole De Quebec, QC
Apr 15: Montreal Bell Centre, QC
Apr 16: Toronto Sony Centre, ON
Apr 18: Albany Palace Theatre, NY
Apr 19: Boston Orpheum Theater, MA
Apr 20: Wallingford Oakdale Theatre, CT
Apr 23: New York Radio City Music Hall, NY
Apr 26: Greensburg Palace Theatre, PA
Apr 27: Cincinnati Taft Theatre, OH
Apr 30: Chicago Theatre, IL
May 01: Minneapolis State Theatre, MN
May 03: Denver Paramount Theatre, CO
May 07: Los Angeles Wiltern, CA
May 10: Portland Schnitzer Auditorium, OR
May 11: Seattle Paramount Theatre, WA