LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT
January 21 - February 1, 1999
Mike Portnoy, John Petrucci, Jordan Rudess and Tony Levin

January 21 - The Bowery Ballroom, New York City
January 22 - T.L.A, Philadelphia
January 30 - JaSabian show at NAMM in LA (exclusive to NAMM attendees)
February 1 - The Roxy, Los Angeles, CA

LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT - In the Studio - November 1998

John and Jordan  John  Jordan  Mike and John  Mike in Mylar  No, I hadn't been drinking  Jordan  Vintage amp tops

LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT - On the Road - January 1999

LTE in New York City - 1/21/99  LTE on Tour  Ready to go on - 1/21/99  LTE in Philly - 1/22/99  John at soundcheck - 1/22/99  Mike, during our Duo - 1/22/99  Philly set list - 1/22/99  Jordan in the dressing room - 1/22/99  John & Jordan's onstage duo - 1/22/99  LTE - 1/22/99  To The Encore - 1/22/99  Backstage at the Roxy  Jordan at the Roxy 

LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT - Tour Diary

January 21 - NYC.
Start of the Liquid Tension tour - Next week�s events in L.A: King Crimson DVD release, Hollywood RockWalk event, Stick night, and the NAMM show.

Tonight, at the Bowery Ballroom, was the first (ever) concert of Liquid Tension Experiment. We (Mike Portnoy, John Petrucci, Jordan Rudess) had only two days to rehearse, and the music is very complex, so mistakes were expected (at least from me!) Nevertheless, it was a fine show - my first exposure to the enthusiastic Dream Theater audience, who helped me and the band make it though a night of many many notes. Aside from learning the previous album, we decided to do some material from the new, yet to be released one. Tomorrow (Friday the 22nd,) we'll be playing at the T.L.A. in Philly - I hope that will be as successful as the first.

Next week in Los Angeles, I have two 'events' on Wed. the 27th. First, at noon, on the sidewalk in front of the Hollywood Guitar Center, I'll be putting my hand prints (along with some other bassists) in their "Rock Walk" I'm hoping they�ll let me wear funk fingers for the thing - it'll certainly give my prints a unique look.

That night is a press party, with invitations to "Collectors Club" members, for "Deja Vrooom," the new Crimson DVD. The new release has, among other things, a long biography of the band, written by Robert Fripp. It has many of my home movies of the band on the road. And concert footage, which I'm told can be viewed from different angles. Also there is a version of "21st Century Schiziod Man" which enables the viewer to mix up different incartations of the band and have them play together. Since I don't have a DVD player myself, I'm looking forward to the event, which will be my only chance to see these things.

I�ll update this page with photos from all these.

On Thursday, the 28th, there is a "Stick Night" at a club near L.A, with many Stick players on the bill. Though I'm not playing at it, I'll try to attend. It's at a club called La Ve Lee in Studio City.

The NAMM show is a music retail biz show, with many musicians and equipment manufacturers enclosed in a large building for four days! I'll be at the Trace Elliot booth (which this year is in the Gibson display) greeting people, and somewhat trying to place my new book with some music stores. Liquid Tension will be playing a concert for Sabian Drums, on Saturday the 30th. Still in L.A, another public show of Liquid Tension will be at the Roxy, on Feb. 1st. We're trying to tape it for a possible live cd, since it's unlikely there will be more shows of this group.

More shots and updates tomorrow after the Philly gig.

January 22 update - Philadelphia
( it�s late at night, so really it�s the 23rd.)

Alas, with the second show, the East Coast tour has ended! More exciting music, more wrong notes from the bass player (actually, I�m only playing the Stick in this band, which makes it a bit easier to keep up - so maybe it�s not me making those mistakes?!) and more photos taken from stage (including one I took of Mike when we were supposed to be duo-ing together.)

January 31 update - LA

Those of you who are musicians won't be surprised by the less than methodical events of Saturday -- others usually think that shows go like clockwork - you set up, you play. The event of the day was Sabian Drums presenting a night of drummer-oriented bands, including Liquid Tension with Mike Portnoy. Because we were scheduled to be the last act (going on at 1am) we had the first soundcheck - 11 in the morning. Hours later, at 2:30, with the sound still not adjusted, and John and Mike late for an appearance at the NAMM show, we finished up the soundcheck and all ran over to the show. It was the weekend, and NAMM was quite crowded and noisy. As before, I ran into some friends and checked out equipment. I returned at midnight for the 1am concert. We waited... and waited... finally at 1:40 in the morning, as Liquid Tension went on the stage, the stage manager told us we could play only a half hour (we'd planned an hour show.) We went onstage, readjusting our set to be shorter, and as we began the first piece, the guitar amp and pedals self-destructed. Throughout the show, John Petrucci had to keep working on his equipment, while trying to play. I'm sure he was grateful when, at 2:15, it ended. Not that the show was all bad - but we had spent 3 hours trying to prepare the sound for a half hour show, and the equipment failed us!

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