Originally published in Harder Beat magazine · September 2004
Dream Theater: Not Like Every Other Band
By Andy Laudano
InterviewMike Portnoy3 min read
When you think of progressive metal bands, Dream Theater is one of the first names that comes to mind. Since the early ‘90s DT has redefined the genre with their brilliant musicianship. One of the reasons is Mike Portnoy, one of the world’s best drummers.
A native “New Yawker,” Mike was born in Long Island on April 20, 1967. He still lives in the Big Apple with his wife and kids today. Mike credits his dad, who used to work as a DJ at a local rock station, for his early interest in music. “Literally, from day one he surrounded me with records from bands like The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and The Stones,” Mike recalls. “By the time I was six, he’d take me to work with him. Dad had a morning show, and he would go to sleep for an hour or so, while I picked the records and “spun” them. It was my first taste of stardom.”
After seeing The Who’s The Kids Are All Right in 1979, Mike had a revelation. “Once I saw Keith Moon, I knew I wanted to be a drummer! He had such a crazy personality and was so commanding and fun to watch. That’s what made me want to do it.”
Mike played in some local bands before enrolling in Boston’s Berklee School of Music in 1986. It was there that he met future bandmates and fellow musical geniuses guitarist John Petrucci and bassist John Myung. “They were looking for a drummer, and I was looking for a band. And here we are almost 20 years later!”
Together with keyboardist Kevin Moore and vocalist Chris Collins, they formed Majesty. In November 1987 Charlie Dominici replaced Collins. Discovering a band in Las Vegas was already using that name, they changed it to Dream Theater after a suggestion from Mike’s dad. “The name actually came from an old movie theater in Monterey, California.”
After putting out their first album, When Dream and Day Unite, the band fired Dominici and began the search for a new singer. That search ended in 1991 when Canadian James LaBrie joined the band. “We found James after two years of auditioning singers and writing all the material that would become Images and Words. We went through hundreds of tapes and auditioned dozens of singers before we heard his audition tape. We flew him out and it just worked.”
Their breakout album, Images and Words, gave DT their first big hit with “Pull Me Under.” “That was a great period for us,” he relates. “We spent two years changing record deals, changing singers, changing management. It was just a frustrating time where we didn’t even know if we were gonna survive. Images and Words opened a lot of doors for us and really started the band’s career.”
After their follow-up album, Moore quit the band and was eventually replaced by Derek Sherinian. The band’s first choice, however, was current keyboard wizard, Jordan Rudess. “Jordan was the first person we contacted. We wanted to bring him in, but he wasn’t yet ready to make a full-time commitment.”
Next album, Falling Into Infinity, was not the record they wanted to make. Electra was pressuring them to be something they were not. “The thing that makes us special is that we’re not like every other band,” Portnoy notes.
When Portnoy and Petrucci decided to take a break from DT, they finally got their chance to work with Rudess on Liquid Tension Experiment.
“After the frustrating period of Falling Into Infinity, John and I had the opposite experience doing the Liquid Tension albums with Jordan. We were able to see both sides of the coin - one being artistic strangulation and the other being total artistic freedom - and we knew things would have to change. We also decided to make the change in the keyboards department. We asked Jordan if he was ready, and he said yes.”
Electra was given an ultimatum. “We were on the verge of breaking up, so we gave them a choice. Either let us make the music we want - or not have Dream Theater at all!” The band’s next release, the brilliant concept album Scenes From A Memory, is considered by most to be their best. “That album was a do or die for us,” Portnoy exclaims. “Luckily it was a complete success on every level.”
Their latest, Train of Thought, is the band’s hardest album yet. “I’m totally proud of it,” Portnoy explains. “I love heavy shit! Though, I think it took a lot of our fans by surprise.”
Look for a new, two DVD/three CD set in Oct., featuring a live show recorded at Budokan in Tokyo on the Train of Thought tour. Dream Theater is on tour with Yes, though no Dallas dates are presently scheduled.