The anticipation is palpable as Dream Theater gears up for their highly-anticipated 40th-anniversary tour, marking drummer Mike Portnoy’s return to the fold after a staggering 14-year hiatus. Portnoy, in a candid chat, revealed that prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, a reunion seemed unlikely. However, the unexpected downtime of lockdowns provided the perfect opportunity for reconnection.
Reflecting on the serendipitous chain of events that reignited their musical and personal bonds, Portnoy disclosed, “But once we were all locked down, John [Petrucci] asked me to play on his solo album. Then, from there, Jordan [Rudess], John, and myself did the Liquid Tension Experiment album. And then I did John’s tour. So there were just these series of events of reconnecting us — not only on a musical level but also on a personal level for many years prior to that.”
With Portnoy back in the fold, the band entrusted him with the monumental task of curating the setlist for their upcoming concerts. Speaking on the Pure Saturation radio show, Portnoy shared the band’s eagerness to inject fresh energy into their live performances:
“They have expressed to me that they kind of have been missing it and that they kind of want me to take the reins with the setlist and with the ideas of crazy sets and crazy shows and unique things. It seems to me — I mean, John Petrucci and I talked about it briefly. I think he really wants me to take those reins again.”
Dream Theater’s fall tour kicks off on October 20 in London, promising an exhilarating musical journey across Europe, with the final curtain set to fall on November 24 in Amsterdam. Buoyed by the excitement of the tour, the band has also been hard at work, recently wrapping up writing sessions for their eagerly awaited new album. With each note and beat, Dream Theater continues to captivate audiences worldwide, cementing their legacy as progressive rock icons.
