When Mike Portnoy rejoined Dream Theater in October 2023 after more than a decade away, fans were eager to see how he would approach the band’s setlist—especially material from the years when Mike Mangini sat behind the kit. As it turns out, Portnoy made sure to honor that era rather than ignore it.
In a new interview with The Metal Voice, Portnoy revealed that while he crafted the setlist for the band’s ongoing 40th-anniversary tour, he was given full control over which Mangini-era songs to include. One of those songs is “Barstool Warrior,” a track from 2019’s Distance Over Time. Despite not being involved in its original recording, Portnoy insisted on playing it live.
“Well, it was important to me for that to be included, believe it or not. I’m the one who writes the setlist, and these guys gave me full-on freedom when it came to the Mangini-era material. I knew it had to be represented. You can’t just brush away five albums from these guys’ careers because I’m back; it would have been pretty selfish and disrespectful. So, yeah, to me, it wasn’t even considered to not be playing that material,” he explained.
“And like I said, they gave me the freedom to pick and choose songs that I could relate to and be comfortable with. And, yeah, I think if you didn’t know anything differently when you come to see the live show, it sits right in the middle of the set very comfortably with everything else that is part of my catalog.”
Portnoy also reflected on how unusual it is for bands to perform material associated with past members, pointing out that “I’m used to playing other drummers’ material… I don’t think Bruce Dickinson ever does Blaze Bayley tunes, or very rarely. And I know Rob Halford doesn’t do Ripper-era Judas Priest tunes. And I know David Lee Roth won’t do Sammy Hagar-era Van Halen tunes. So, yeah, not all bands are as open to it.”
Comparing his playing style to Mangini’s, Portnoy described his own approach as more fluid and instinctive, while Mangini’s drumming is highly technical and structured: “He is very methodical. He’s very conscious of what all four limbs are doing and the way he utilizes his independence. I’m not that kind of a drummer. I’ve never been a guy that sits there and studies technique and the correct way to hold a stick, and all that kind of stuff,” Portnoy explained.
“I go on feel, and to me, I try to make difficult music sound easy. I think he has the tendency to make something that could be easy sound difficult. And I’m not trying to insult him; I’m just merely observing the difference in styles. And he’s the type that I think would play the same part exactly the same as it is on the album and do it consistently every night”
Portnoy also highlighted that while Mangini aims for precision and consistency, he prefers to let the music evolve in the moment: “I’m just not that kind of a drummer. I like to fly off the seat of my pants and be in the moment and do different things, just depending on how things are feeling.”
The band’s 40th-anniversary tour, An Evening With Dream Theater, kicked off on February 7 in Philadelphia and will wrap up on March 22 in New York City. This tour marks Portnoy’s first North American run with the band since his return, alongside longtime members James LaBrie, John Myung, John Petrucci, and Jordan Rudess.
The band’s first album with Portnoy since Black Clouds and Silver Linings, entitled Parasomnia, hit the shelves this past February 7th. You can read our detailed review here.
