I was surprised to see a DREAM THEATER DVD listed among the promo inventory a couple of weeks ago, as I was not aware that they were releasing a new DVD. I found out when I received the actual promo that it is not an official release, but rather a concert that was performed and recorded in 1995 and released by a smaller video company, which is why you will not find any support or even mention of it from the band themselves.

Live At Tokyo Sun Plaza was recorded at the end of January in 1995 and was broadcast live on Japanese television. The band was still touring in support of their masterpiece Awake. Nothing from their upcoming EP A Change of Seasons appears in their set, despite sections of the song showing up on previous tours and shows. Founding member Kevin Moore had left the band at this point and is replaced by the underrated Derek Sherinian.

The setlist is, of course, excellent. Some of my favorites are 6:00 and the combination of The Mirror/Lie. DREAM THEATER was not yet adding sections of classic rock songs to their own songs like they did on Once In A Livetime, but there are plenty of extended jams and solos. One of the best parts comes during the drum solo at the end of Caught In A Web, where Mike Portnoy drums out the first minute of Raining Blood; he absolutely nails it.

The video quality is what would be expected, considering when it was recorded. It looks like a VHS tape. However, the sound is quite good. Do not expect the excellent sound of the past few DVDs DREAM THEATER has put out, but if you have good speakers then this will be an enjoyable listening experience. The DVD itself is very straightforward. It has the concert and nothing else. No backstage interviews, no supplementary footage, nothing. Had this been an official release I would have been more disappointed, but much of what was going on in the band at that time is chronicled in the 5 Years in a Livetime DVD, so this DVD including only a concert is OK with me.

Since the concert (as far as I know) is unedited, some of these songs are superior to the versions found on 5 Years in a Livetime; for example, Voices includes all of the verses and is not edited at all. This DVD is nothing extraordinary or groundbreaking, but for what it is, it is quite good. If this can be found at a fair price, then this is recommended for fans of DREAM THEATER, especially ones who wish the current band was more like the band back then.