In an insightful interview with Serbia’s Highwaystar Magazine, Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess shared his excitement about the band’s reunion with founding drummer Mike Portnoy. Portnoy, who rejoined the progressive metal legends last October after a 13-year hiatus, has seamlessly reintegrated into the band.
“Well, it was so great to have him back. In many ways, it feels like we never lost a beat. Because he was one of the ones who started this band, and he loves it so much, the welcoming process was really immediate and we’re all so happy to kind of re-establish what we had. I mean, it feels like getting the core band together again,” Rudess expressed.
The timing of Portnoy‘s return aligns perfectly with Dream Theater‘s “40th Anniversary Tour 2024 – 2025”. This tour, billed as “An Evening With Dream Theater,” kicks off on October 20 in London, England, and concludes on November 24. Rudess gave fans a glimpse of what to expect at the Zagreb concert, scheduled for October 29th.
“Well, it’s gonna be a very, very exciting concert, as you know because everybody’s so excited about this reunion of all of us. Mike will also have a lot to do with helping to pick the songs that we play on the setlist. That’s one of his great talents, to decide things like that. And it’ll be just a celebration. We’re gonna play a bunch of songs from our catalog. We’ll pick some ones that everybody really wants to hear. And, yeah, I think they can expect probably one of the most exciting Dream Theater shows that they’ve ever been to. I can almost guarantee it.”
Portnoy, who co-founded Dream Theater in 1985 alongside guitarist John Petrucci and bassist John Myung, played on 10 of the band’s albums over two decades, starting with “When Dream And Day Unite” in 1989 and concluding with “Black Clouds & Silver Linings” in 2009. With him back in the fold, Portnoy, who co-founded Dream Theater is warming up their engines to deliver a series of unforgettable performances, celebrating their 40 years-long rich history, in what promises to become a momentous tour.
