3!!
I've never heard anything like them. They were amazing! They could all shred, they had a percussionist, they were metal, but classical, heavy, but soft, and my god they could play their instruments. I had no idea what to expect and was completely floored.
Between the Buried and Me played two songs, so that was roughly 30 minutes, but their mix was crap, the worst one of the night by a long shot, you couldn't make out any of the sweeps or anything from where I was standing, and it seemed like they were playing tight, but I really can't get into these guys. They would play a sick groove and then just change it after two bars for no reason. It came across like they were trying too hard when they wrote the songs.
Opeth was awesome but made some dubious song choices.. played one tune I've never heard before.. didn't play Ghost of Perdition or the Grand Conjuration.. but they were very tight, very very tight, the sound was great, and they are Opeth. They played a different song off Watershed I haven't heard before, which is a bummer, because I really wanted to hear Lotus Eater. It was probably the most evil sounding song they have ever written though.
Dream Theater's set was huge and long and since I don't really like them, it was cool to see them at first, and the appeal eventually wore off. Towards the end it started to get ridiculous, how many solos John Petrucci had.. and then Jordan Rudess would play solos almost every time JP did, and that was annoying. I definitely respect them as musicians. But I don't like the music, aside from some of the detuned songs they had that petrucci was playing on his new baritones.. and then the Dark Eternal Night which just kicks so much ass.
But 3 struck a nerve with me like none of the other bands did. They were awesome! I'm choked because I was supposed to see them both nights they were here in calgary, had tickets to tonight's show as well, but I had to go north for three weeks of work so as I write this I'm not that far away from the goddamn Northwest Territories.
Which is a serious downer because Opeth said they were going to play a completely different set..