2010.07.11 Iron Maiden & Dream Theater: PNC Arts Center, Holmdel, NJ
Iron Maiden & DreamTheater Tour
Tony, Al and myself took the drive to the PNC Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ to see Iron Maiden! This would be the first time seeing Maiden for Tony and Al, but it would be my third Maiden show. A major bonus for all three of us was the fact that Dream Theater was the opening act for the North American tour. Tickets were selling fast so we decided that instead of paying a premium for what were already crappy seats… we’d go cheap and sit in the grass.
We got to the venue early and did some hanging out in the parking lot, enjoying Maiden tunes and cold drinks with lots of other fans. When we finally made our way to the venue we found the longest entry lines we’ve ever seen. Lucky for us the multiple entrance gates kept the flow of people moving and before we knew it we were inside. We made our way to the grass seats and found a spot that was just about center stage.
Dream Theater came on right about 7:30 as promised delivered a set of their heaviest material. Mike Portnoy had indicated that they had tailored their set for the Iron Maiden audience, picking their heavier tunes hoping they would appeal to the heavy metal crowd. It seemed to work because while there were still people coming into the venue while they played, the overall reaction to their set seemed pretty positive. Hopefully Dream Theater gained some new fans!
Dream Theater setlist:
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01. As I Am
02. A Rite Of Passage
03. Home
04. Constant Motion
05. Panic Attack
06. Pull Me Under
Iron Maiden took to the stage while the PA played “Mars: The Bringer of War” from Holst’s “The Panets.” The stage was lit with colored lights and a jet black backdrop scattered with points of white like, looking like a portal into the depths of space. As the PA cut out the opening riff of “The Wicker Man” took over and the members of Iron Maiden scatter across the stage. From my position on the grass they look like insects buzzing about the stage, but the projection screens of the venue helped us keep track of the action on stage.
The setlist for this tour was designed to highlight their last three studio albums. While we always want to hear our favorite classics, the previous tour concentrated on their earlier material, so I can see why this time they chose to concentrate on “Brave New World”, “Dance of Death” and “A Matter of Life and Death.” A few old classics were tossed in along with one new song, “El Dorado,” from the upcoming album “The Final Frontier.”
Bruce Dickinson bounced around the stage like a man possessed and repeatedly coaxed the crowd into roars of approval. The remainder of the band also seemed full of energy, Dave and Adrian swapping from one side of the stage to the other and Janick spinning wildly as they played. At one point while addressing the crowd, Bruce informed us that they had sold out the venue! They also were sold out the following nights in NYC and Chicago! He then asked how many people were seeing Iron Maiden for the first time? He seemed rather surprised at the large number of hands that were raised. It seems that they experiencing a new increase in popularity.
The show closer was, of course, “Iron Maiden” along with required appearance of Eddie. Eddie strode onto the stage and taunted various band members and the crowd was treated to “Eddie Vision” … a camera eye view from Eddie’s viewpoint. From that angle we watched Janick poking at Eddie with his Stratocaster and Eddie’s massive arms taking swipes at Janick between guitar stabs! Before stalking off stage Eddie got ahold of a guitar and pretended to play!
The encore included “Number of the Beast”… the prerequisite “Hallowed be thy Name” and “Running Free.” I know they include “Running Free” for the crowd sing-along schtick… but really… it’s probably my least favorite of their songs and just about any other choice would have been preferable. Overall, it was an incredible show. I’m looking forward to the release of “The Final Frontier” on August 18th, 2010!
Iron Maiden setlist:
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01. The Wicker Man
02. Ghost Of The Navigator
03. Wrathchild
04. El Dorado
05. Dance Of Death
06. The Reincarnation Of Benjamin Breeg
07. These Colours Don’t Run
08. Blood Brothers
09. Wildest Dreams
10. No More Lies
11. Brave New World
12. Fear Of The Dark
13. Iron Maiden
encore:
14. The Number of the Beast
15. Hallowed Be Thy Name
16. Running Free
