full band interview

Grammy interviewer: I am talking to Dream Theater. You guys look amazing! I love this velvet jacket! [referring to JR] I'm obsessed right now! So you guys are up for a nomination tonight?

Jordan Rudess: Yes, we're very excited. It's awesome!

GI: And what category?

John Petrucci: It’s the ‘Best Hard Rock and Metal Performance’ for our song ‘On the Backs of Angels.’

GI: Wonderful. Congratulations to you. And how are you feeling about this evening? I'm trying to figure out who to turn to; I'm like which one do I go? There are five of you here!

James LaBrie: You can pick anyone who wants to talk. I mean we're pumped. We're extremely excited. This is a dream come true for us – to have been acknowledged by the Academy. To have a nine-minute song that's up for a possible Grammy...

GI: A nine-minute song?!

JL: Yes, a nine-minute song – ‘On the Backs of Angels.’ So I think musically speaking it really says a lot for a band like ourselves. I think to some degree we might have thought this event itself would have eluded us our entire career, so it's amazing to be here. We're all extremely excited.

GI: Now is this your first Grammy or do you come every year?

Mike Mangini: It's the first one.

GI: And are you feeling nervous, excited or just kind of like, “I just wanna get through the evening”?

JR: I think we're all really, really excited to be here. We're actually, believe it or not, we're on tour right now. We've been in Europe; we just flew from London here. We leave tomorrow to go play in Zurich the next day...

GI: So in other words, you're jetlagged. That’s it!

JP: I didn’t think I’d be nervous, but when the cars pulled up and the red carpet was there, there was some butterflies.

JR: I mean it’s really, really cool.

JL: We're not tired; I think it'll hit us on the way back. We have to go back tomorrow into Switzerland, into Zurich, and we have a show Tuesday night. So that's when it'll hit.

GI: Is there anyone that you're looking forward to seeing perform tonight? Anyone in particular now?

JL: Paul McCartney, Van Halen, Coldplay...

GI: Wonderful. I think there was a tweet – I can't quite see it exactly – but can you guys read that tweet?

JP: “Dream Theater have got to win tonight.”

JR: Let's hope so! That would be awesome.

GI: See? People are rooting for you!

JR: I agree.

GI: Well congratulations to you, wishing you the best, and safe travels back.

JR: Thank you very much.