Mike Portnoy Issues a Deeply Sincere Statement on the Release of Parasomnia
There was a time among Dream Theater fans when it seemed impossible that the band could ever get back together with their founding drummer Mike Portnoy, who’d quit back in September 2010. The band had moved on with Mike Mangini behind the kit, while Portnoy himself went on to play in a variety of other projects.
Then the unthinkable happened last year and everything became a whirlwind of “holy shit Portnoy’s back in Dream Theater” to “holy shit they dropped a new song with Portnoy on drums” to finally, “holy shit, Parasomnia is out and I can listen to it!”
The fact that the wild ride was so completely unexpected at one point wasn’t lost on Portnoy himself, who took to Instagram in the wee hours this morning to post his thoughts about his return to the band and how fans should go about enjoying Parasomnia now that it’s out.
“Exactly one year ago (to the day!), Feb 7th 2024, the five of us stood in the same room together for the first time in well over a decade…we then spent the majority of the year creating our first album together in 15 years. Today, we can finally share it with all of you…
“We could not be prouder or more excited about what we created. We were so inspired being together again and feel we really rose to the occasion to create something special. Parasomnia represents everything that is classic Dream Theater…mixing tastes of the past with visions of the future…
“We hope you enjoy this sonic experience. It is best enjoyed in your optimum listening environment..(preferably from start to finish like watching a film). But however you take it in, we hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we did making it…”
Given everything that the band’s gone through over the years, it’s awesome to see Portnoy back in the fold. It just feels right, man. Today starts the second leg of their 40th anniversary tour. You can find the full list of dates below.
February 7 – Philadelphia, PA – The Met [Tickets]
February 8 – Raleigh, NC – Martin Marietta Center [Tickets]
February 10 – Nashville, TN – Opry House [Tickets]
February 11 – Atlanta, GA – Coca-Cola Roxy [Tickets]
February 12 – Biloxi, MI – Hard Rock Café [Tickets]
February 14 – Houston, TX – 713 Music Hall [Tickets]
February 15 – Dallas, TX – Texas Trust CU [Tickets]
February 16 – San Antonio, TX – Majestic [Tickets]
February 18 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Center [Tickets]
February 19 – Highland, CA – Yaamava Theater [Tickets]
February 21 – Las Vegas, NV – The Chelsea [Tickets]
February 22 – Los Angeles, CA – YouTube Theater [Tickets]
February 24 – San Jose, CA – San Jose Civic [Tickets]
February 25 – Sacramento, CA – Safe Credit Union Performing [Tickets]
February 27 – Seattle, WA – Moore Theater [Tickets]
February 28 – Portland, OR – Keller Auditorium [Tickets]
March 2 – Reno, NV – Grand Sierra [Tickets]
March 4 – Salt Lake City, UT – Maverik Center [Tickets]
March 6 – Denver, CO – Mission Ballroom [Tickets]
March 8 – Chicago, IL – Chicago Theatre [Tickets]
March 9 – Cleveland, OH – MGM Northfield Park [Tickets]
March 11 – Toronto, ON – Coca-Cola Coliseum [Tickets]
March 12 – Montreal, QC – Place des Arts [Tickets]
March 14 – Wallingford, CT – Oakdale Theater [Tickets]
March 15 – Boston. MA – Boch Center [Tickets]
March 17 – Rochester, NY – Kodak [Tickets]
March 18 – Wheeling, WV – Capitol Theater [Tickets]
March 19 – Cincinnati, OH – Brady Music Center [Tickets]
March 21 – Washington, DC – The Anthem [Tickets]
March 22 – New York, NY – Radio City Music Hall [Tickets]
