Dream Theater and Trivium are normally two bands that I wouldn’t listen to while hanging out at my house or driving in the car, but when these two metal bands decided to make a stop in Orlando on their tour I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to shoot the show. Both bands played high-energy shows and had the crowds throwing up their “Rock Horns” every second of the sets.
First to the stage was Trivium, who was more than excited to be playing a show in their hometown of Orlando. The band originally started near Altamonte Springs, Florida and has now gone on to tour the country with a significant following at all stops. The screaming vocals of lead singer Matt Heafy sent chills down my spine during their intro song. One thing that I really enjoyed about Trivium was the stage presence of the drummer, Nick Augusto. Between the shredding guitar solos and high-tech light show, Trivium put on a performance to remember.
I had highly anticipated Dream Theater’s set just because they have such a talented group of musicians working together. One of the original founders of Dream Theater is John Petrucci, a great in the guitar world as far as most are concerned. Petrucci was first to walk on the stage and immediately went to town on a heavy guitar riff. A few bars later, the rest of the members came to the stage. One of the rules of concert photography is don’t forget about the drummer, and when Mike Mangini steps into his cage of a drum set, he makes his presence known. I was amazed at the amount of musical talent standing in front of me as I snapped photos. Just as Trivium did, Dream Theater also had a magnificent light display to accompany their set. I was only able to see the first 25 minutes of their performance due to restrictions on the press by the band’s label, but I am sure they kept the energy flowing throughout the night. I will be sure to catch the entire show next time they come to town!
