Almost one year ago, it was announced that founding drummer Mike Portnoy had returned to Dream Theater after a 13-year absence. Now, he’s gearing up to play his first shows with the band in more than 14 years.
The prog-metal titans kick off a monthlong UK/European tour on October 20th at The O2 Arena in London. They’ll follow that with a run of Latin American shows in December, and then embark on a 40th anniversary tour of North America beginning in February (get tickets here ).
Consequence was recently honored to have Portnoy participate in our “Drum Week” by sharing an exclusive list of 10 albums that influenced his drumming . While we had his attention, we couldn’t let him go without asking about his reunion with Dream Theater.
“On a personal level, it’s been incredible,” Portnoy told us. “I couldn’t be happier to be back home with my family. We started this band as teenagers almost 40 years ago. And, really, everything about it feels right. It feels like this is where I should be and need to be and want to be.”
He added, “However, it is surreal that it’s been almost a year now, and yet the public has yet to really see the five of us … I was on tour with The Winery Dogs , and we weren’t even together when we decided to come together. And then when we finally did come together in February of this year to start the album, we’ve been in the studio all year. We’ve spent this entire year together, but the public still has yet to hear any music, see a show, really see any footage of us together. So it’s been really hard to keep a lid on all that, to keep it all as top secret as we have.”
The drummer continued, “We have the tour coming up, which is incredibly exciting. And very soon we’re going to start launching more information with the album … So, it’s all starting to finally come together, but it’s weird because we’ve been together for almost a year now, but finally the public unveiling is beginning.”
As for what it will feel like hitting the road again with Dream Theater after 14-plus years, especially that first show back in London, Portnoy says it will be the manifestation of a recurring dream.
“I can’t wait,” he exclaimed. “I get goosebumps even thinking about it. I think every night for the next year, every night that it’s the first time in any place — whether it be Detroit or Paris or Tokyo, wherever it is, the first night in every one of these markets for the next year — is going to be incredibly electric and special for everybody in the audience. Whether they be fans who haven’t seen this lineup now in almost 15 years or new people that never got to see this lineup before, it’s going to be special each and every night.”
Portnoy concluded, “But that very first night at the O2 Arena in London, I can’t even imagine what it’s going to be like. I’ve dreamt about it 100 times, through the years, of what it would be like to be onstage with those guys again. And to feel the interaction and the love and the excitement in the audience, it’s going to be so electric. I can’t wait. I cannot wait. And we’re now getting so close. It’s going to be incredible.”
View Dream Theater’s full list of 2024-2025 tour dates below, and see where Mike Portnoy landed on Consequence ‘s recent list of the 100 Best Drummers of All Time .
Dream Theater 2024-2025 Tour Dates: 10/20 – London, UK @ The O2 10/22 – Berlin, DE @ Uber Eats Music Hall 10/23 – Koln, DE @ Palladium 10/25 – Milan, IT @ Forum 10/26 – Rome, IT @ Palazzo dello Sport 10/28 – Munich, DE @ Zenith 10/29 – Zagreb, HR @ Arena Zagreb 11/01 – Budapest, HU @ Budapest Arena 11/02 – Prague @ CZ @ Fortuna Arena 11/03 – Lodz, PL @ Atlas Arena 11/06 – Helsinki, FI @ Metro Areena 11/08 – Stockholm, SE @ Waterfront 11/09 – Oslo, NO @ Spektrum 11/10 – Copenhagen, DK @ Poolen 11/12 – Luxembourg, LU @ Rockhal 11/13 – Zurich, CH @ The Hall 11/14 – Lyon, FR @ Halle Tony Garnier 11/16 – Lisbon, PT @ MEO Arena 11/17 – Madrid, ES @ La Cubierta de Leganés 11/20 – Stuttgart, DE @ Beethovensaal 11/21 – Frankfurt, DE @ Jahrhundderthalle 11/23 – Paris, FR @ Adidas Arena 11/24 – Amsterdam, NL @ AFAS Live 12/07 – Mexico City, MX @ Explanada Estadio Azteca 12/10 – Belo Horizonte, BR @ Befly Hall 12/13 – Rio de Janeiro, BR @ Vivo Rio 12/15 – Sao Paulo, BR @ Vibra 12/16 – Curitiba, BR @ Live Curitiba 12/17 – Porto Alegre, BR @ Araújo Vianna 12/19 – Buenos Aires, AR @ Movistar Arena 12/21 – Santiago, CL @ Movistar Arena 12/22 – Santiago, CL @ Movistar Arena 02/07 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Met 02/08 – Raleigh, NC @ Martin Marietta Center 02/10 – Nashville, TN @ Opry House 02/11 – Atlanta, GA @ Coca-Cola Roxy 02/12 – Biloxi, MS @ Hard Rock Café 02/14 – Houston, TX @ 713 Music Hall 02/15 – Dallas, TX @ Texas Trust CU 02/16 – San Antonio, TX @ Majestic 02/18 – Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Financial Center 02/19 – Highland, CA @ Yaamava Theater 02/21 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Chelsea 02/22 – Los Angeles, CA @ YouTube Theater 02/24 – San Jose, CA @ San Jose Civic 02/25 – Sacramento, CA @ Safe Credit Union Performing 02/27 – Seattle, WA @ Moore Theater 02/28 – Portland, OR @ Keller Auditorium 03/02 – Reno, NV @ Grand Sierra 03/04 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Maverik Center 03/06 – Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom 03/08 – Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre 03/09 – Cleveland, OH @ MGM Northfield Park 03/11 – Toronto, ON @ Coca-Cola Coliseum 03/12 – Montreal, QC @ Place des Arts 03/14 – Wallingford, CT @ Oakdale Theater 03/15 – Boston. MA @ Boch Center 03/17 – Rochester, NY @ Kodak 03/18 – Wheeling, WV @ Capitol Theater 03/19 – Cincinnati, OH @ Brady Music Center 03/21 – Washington, DC @ The Anthem 03/22 – New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall
Consequence (formerly Consequence Of Sound)1 day ago
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