It all started when Mike Portnoy reunited with his former Dream Theater bandmates John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess for Liquid Tension Experiment 3 in 2021, the first album from instrumental prog unit Liquid Tension Experiment since 1999. That snowballed into Portnoy eventually rejoining Dream Theater in 2023, who has since released Parasomnia and begun an extensive 40th anniversary world tour.
So was there a specific moment where Portnoy knew it was the right time to get back with Dream Theater? According to Portnoy himself in an interview with The Metal Voice, not really.
"There wasn't a specific moment, it was a culmination of a lot of smaller moments. I had reconnected with all the guys on a personal level so we were all in very good places personally. Then I had been connecting on a musical level with John Petrucci for his solo album and tour and then along with John and Jordan together to do a third Liquid Tension Experiment album. So all these little kinds of baby steps kind of led the way and ultimately, here we are."
When asked if their absence as the classic line-up made the heart grow fonder, Portnoy added: "Absence does make the heart grow fonder there's no question about it. I think the time away we really learned to appreciate how special this chemistry of this lineup is. We now feel it now making the new album and now being on tour celebrating the band's 40th anniversary. So this lineup is really like the classic lineup. We made so many memories through the years together with this lineup and so much music but yeah we all are so happy to be back together again."
Get Dream Theater's new record Parasomnia here. You can also catch Dream Theater at one of their very many 40th anniversary world tour dates below. Tickets are available here.
2/14 Houston, TX 713 Music Hall
2/15 Dallas, TX Texas Trust CU2/16 San Antonio, TX Majestic
2/18 Phoenix, AZ Arizona Financial Center
2/19 Highland, CA Yaamava Theater
2/21 Las Vegas, NV The Chelsea
2/22 Los Angeles, CA YouTube Theater
2/24 San Jose, CA San Jose Civic
2/25 Sacramento, CA Safe Credit Union Performing
2/27 Seattle, WA Moore Theater
2/28 Portland, OR Keller Auditorium
3/2 Reno, NV Grand Sierra
3/4 Salt Lake City, UT Maverik Center
3/6 Denver, CO Mission Ballroom
3/8 Chicago, IL Chicago Theatre
3/9 Cleveland, OH MGM Northfield Park
3/11 Toronto, ON Coca-Cola Coliseum
3/12 Montreal, QC Place des Arts
3/14 Wallingford, CT Oakdale Theater
3/15 Boston. MA Boch Center
3/17 Rochester, NY Kodak
3/18 Wheeling, WV Capitol Theater
3/19 Cincinnati, OH Brady Music Center
3/21 Washington, DC The Anthem
3/22 New York, NY Radio City Music Hall
