Michael Stephen "Mike" Portnoy (born April 20, 1967) is an American drummer primarily known for his work with the progressive metal band Dream Theater. Known for his advanced drum skills, Portnoy has won 23 awards from the Modern Drummer magazine. He has co-produced the last five Dream Theater albums with John Petrucci, starting from Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory. From A Change of Seasons onwards, Portnoy has been writing a substantial amount of Dream Theater's lyrics, filling the void left by Kevin Moore, who left the band after the release of Awake. He is the second youngest person (after Neil Peart) to be inducted into the Modern Drummer's Hall of Fame (at 37 years of age). This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music which blends the powerful, guitar-driven sound of metal with the complex compositional structures, odd time signatures, and intricate instrumental playing of progressive rock. ... For the Swedish political music movement, see progg. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... A drum kit (or drum set or trap set) is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments arranged for convenience playing by a single drummer. ... In music a singer or vocalist is a type of musician who sings, i. ... In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Roadrunner Records is a major record label that concentrates on metal bands. ... Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band comprising James LaBrie, John Petrucci, Jordan Rudess, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy. ... Liquid Tension Experiment is an instrumental progressive rock / metal project initiated by Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy. ... Neal Morse (born on August 2, 1960 in Van Nuys, California) is a prolific American multi-instrumentalist and progressive rock composer based in Nashville, Tennessee. ... Transatlantic were a progressive rock supergroup formed in 2000 by vocalist/keyboardist Neal Morse of Spocks Beard and drummer Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater. ... Yellow Matter Custard is a Beatles cover band consisting of Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater), Neal Morse (ex-Spocks Beard), Paul Gilbert (Racer X, ex-Mr. ... OSI is an American progressive experimental supergroup formed by Fates Warning guitarist Jim Matheos in 2003. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... is the 110th day of the year (111th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ... For other kinds of drums, see drum (disambiguation). ... Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music which blends the powerful, guitar-driven sound of metal with the complex compositional structures, odd time signatures, and intricate instrumental playing of progressive rock. ... Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band comprising James LaBrie, John Petrucci, Jordan Rudess, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy. ... Modern Drummer is the oldest magazine (still being published) devoted to the subject of drumming and percussion. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... John Petrucci (born July 12, 1967, Kings Park, Long Island, New York) is an American guitarist best known as a founding member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater. ... A Change of Seasons is a 1995 EP by progressive metal band Dream Theater. ... Kevin Moore promotional photo Kevin Moore (born May 26, 1967) is a keyboardist, composer and original member of the American progressive metal band Dream Theater. ... Awake is the third studio album from progressive metal band Dream Theater. ... Neil Ellwood Peart (IPA: ) OC, (born September 12, 1952 in Hamilton, Ontario) is a Canadian musician and author. ... Walhalla temple, Germany A hall of fame (sometimes HOF) is a type of museum established for any a field of endeavour to honour individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field. ...

Pre-Dream Theater history

Mike Portnoy was born and raised in Long Beach, New York, on Long Island. His father worked as a DJ at a local radio station, helping Portnoy gain an appreciation for music at an early age through bands like Queen, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Yes and The Beatles. Although Portnoy taught himself how to play the drums he did take music theory classes in high school, and during that period he began playing in local bands Intruder, Rising Power and Inner Sanctum, the last two of which released an album. He left Inner Sanctum after being awarded a scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston. There he met John Petrucci and John Myung with whom he formed the band (originally called Majesty) that would become Dream Theater. Nickname: Location of the City of Long Beach in Nassau County, between the Atlantic Ocean and the Town of Hempstead. ... This article is about the island in New York State. ... For other meanings of DJ, see DJ (disambiguation). ... Queen are an English rock band formed in 1970 in London by guitarist Brian May, singer Freddie Mercury and drummer Roger Taylor, with bassist John Deacon joining the following year. ... For the bands 1969 self-titled debut album, see Led Zeppelin (album). ... The Who are an English rock band that first formed in 1964, and grew to be considered one of the greatest[1] and most influential[2] bands in the world. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The White Album, see The Beatles (album). ... Berklee College of Music, founded in 1945, is an independent music college in Boston, Massachusetts with many prominent faculty, staff, alumni, and visiting artists. ... Nickname: City on the Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Universe)1, Athens of America, The Cradle of Revolution, Puritan City, Americas Walking City Location in Massachusetts, USA Counties Suffolk County Mayor Thomas M. Menino(D) Area    - City 232. ... John Petrucci (born July 12, 1967, Kings Park, Long Island, New York) is an American guitarist best known as a founding member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater. ... ‹ The template below has been proposed for deletion. ... Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band comprising James LaBrie, John Petrucci, Jordan Rudess, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy. ...

Influences, awards, and other accomplishments

Portnoy names his biggest influences as Rush drummer Neil Peart, composer/guitarist Frank Zappa, and the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps. Other favorites include drummers Terry Bozzio, Vinnie Colaiuta, Peter Criss, Simon Phillips, John Bonham, Keith Moon, Ringo Starr, Phil Collins, Bill Bruford, and bands such as The Beatles, Queen, Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd, Tool, Muse, Metallica, Megadeth, Jellyfish, Iron Maiden, KISS, Phish, Deep Purple, Rush, Radiohead, Umphrey's McGee, U2 and Jane's Addiction. Rush is a Canadian rock band comprising bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart. ... Neil Ellwood Peart (IPA: ) OC, (born September 12, 1952 in Hamilton, Ontario) is a Canadian musician and author. ... Frank Vincent Zappa[1] (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American composer, musician, and film director. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Terry John Bozzio (born December 27, 1950, San Francisco, California) is an American drummer. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Peter Criss (born George Peter John Criscuola--pronounced Chris-cola-- on December 20, 1945), is an American musician best known as co-founder, drummer, vocalist for the rock band KISS. Peter Criss established the cat character for his KISS persona. ... For other persons named Simon Phillips, see Simon Phillips (disambiguation). ... John Henry Bonzo Bonham (May 31, 1948 – September 25, 1980) was an English drummer and member of the English rock band Led Zeppelin. ... Keith John Moon (August 23, 1946 – September 7, 1978) was the drummer of the rock group The Who. ... Richard Starkey Jr, MBE (born 7 July 1940), known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor, best known as the drummer of The Beatles. ... For other uses, see Phil Collins (disambiguation). ... Bill Bruford on the cover of his album, Feels Good to Me William Scott Bruford (born May 17, 1949 in Sevenoaks, Kent, England), better known as Bill Bruford, is an influential British drummer known for his forceful, highly precise, polyrhythmic style. ... The White Album, see The Beatles (album). ... Queen are an English rock band formed in 1970 in London by guitarist Brian May, singer Freddie Mercury and drummer Roger Taylor, with bassist John Deacon joining the following year. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Genesis is an English rock band formed in 1967. ... Pink Floyd are an English rock band that initially earned recognition for their psychedelic rock music, and, as they evolved, for their avant-garde progressive rock music. ... Tool is an American rock band, formed during 1990 in Los Angeles, California, that consists of drummer Danny Carey, bassist Justin Chancellor, guitarist Adam Jones, and vocalist Maynard James Keenan. ... For other uses, see Muse (disambiguation). ... Metallica is a Grammy Award-winning American heavy metal/thrash metal band formed in 1981[1] and has become one of the most commercially successful musical acts of recent decades. ... Megadeth is an American thrash metal band led by founder, frontman and songwriter Dave Mustaine. ... San Franciscos short-lived power pop band Jellyfish was a project whose core members were drummer/singer/songwriter Andy Sturmer, keyboard player/multi-instrumentalist Roger Joseph Manning Jr. ... This article is about the band. ... Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in 1973. ... This article is about the band. ... This article is about the rock band. ... Look up Rush in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Radiohead are an English rock band who formed in Oxfordshire in 1986. ... Umphreys McGee is a progressive rock / jam band from Chicago, Illinois whose music is often referred to as progressive improvisation. ... This article is about the Irish rock band. ... Janes Addiction was an American rock band featuring Perry Farrell (vocalist), Dave Navarro (guitarist), Eric Avery (bassist), and Stephen Perkins (percussionist). ...

Portnoy has won 23 awards from Modern Drummer magazine, including "Best Up & Coming Talent" (one time), "Best Clinician" (two times), "Best Educational Video/DVD" (two times), "Best recorded performance" (6 times) and "Best Progressive Rock Drummer" (for 12 consecutive years), and is also the youngest person (at 37 years of age) to be inducted into their Rock Drummer Hall of Fame since Neil Peart was inducted in 1983 (at 31 years of age). Look up Award in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Modern Drummer is the oldest magazine (still being published) devoted to the subject of drumming and percussion. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Walhalla temple, Germany A hall of fame (sometimes HOF) is a type of museum established for any a field of endeavour to honour individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field. ...

He has also been the catalyst for founding several other progressive rock groups and projects: Transatlantic, Liquid Tension Experiment, and O.S.I. (with former Dream Theater keyboardist Kevin Moore), touring as well with Mexican drummer "Chucho" Dávila giving free clinic sessions to local Music Stores in Texas in 2005. Transatlantic were a progressive rock supergroup formed in 2000 by vocalist/keyboardist Neal Morse of Spocks Beard and drummer Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater. ... Liquid Tension Experiment is an instrumental progressive rock / metal project initiated by Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy. ... OSI is an American progressive experimental supergroup formed by Fates Warning guitarist Jim Matheos in 2003. ... Kevin Moore promotional photo Kevin Moore (born May 26, 1967) is a keyboardist, composer and original member of the American progressive metal band Dream Theater. ...

He has released three instructional videos, "Progressive Drum Concepts", "Liquid Drum Theater", which has won awards from Modern Drummer Magazine, and his latest "In Constant Motion". He has also released many "Official Bootlegs" on his website, including footage of the studio sessions for the Dream Theater albums Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, Train of Thought, Octavarium and the Transatlantic release Bridge Across Forever. He has also recently released bootlegs of his tribute bands Hammer of the Gods (a Led Zeppelin tribute) and Yellow Matter Custard (The Beatles), with more expected from his other tribute projects Cygnus and his Sea Monsters (Rush) and Mike Portnoy's Amazing Journey (The Who). Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (often abbreviated to SDOIT or 6DOIT) is the sixth full-length studio album by progressive metal band Dream Theater. ... Train of Thought is the seventh full-length studio album by progressive metal band Dream Theater. ... Octavarium is the eighth full-length Dream Theater studio album, released on June 7, 2005 (see 2005 in music). ... Bridge Across Forever is the second studio album of Progressive rock supergroup Transatlantic, released in 2001. ... For the bands 1969 self-titled debut album, see Led Zeppelin (album). ... Yellow Matter Custard is a Beatles cover band consisting of Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater), Neal Morse (ex-Spocks Beard), Paul Gilbert (Racer X, ex-Mr. ... The White Album, see The Beatles (album). ... The Who are an English rock band that first formed in 1964, and grew to be considered one of the greatest[1] and most influential[2] bands in the world. ...

He also played with New Jersey thrash metal band Overkill for one show in 2004. “NJ” redirects here. ... Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music, one of the extreme metal subgenres that is characterised by its signature high speed and aggression. ... Overkill is one of the first Thrash Metal bands, formed in the early 1980s in New Jersey (but often attributed to New York City), and very active ever since. ...

On September 18, 2006 within his website's Forum Portnoy cagily stated that he had finally met Rush drummer Neil Peart (one of the few heroes from his youth Portnoy had never met, owing to Peart's legendary privacy), that "Neil and I have finally met and we spent some time together this week and had a great time..." [1], and that a possible collaboration was underway/had been discussed with the teasing statement of "Patience everybody... all will soon be revealed!" It has now been revealed that this meeting was for an interview Portnoy did for his stint as guest editor of Rhythm Magazine.[2] Portnoy had previously written the liner notes for the Japanese pressing of Rush's 2002 release Vapor Trails [3], but also publicly denounced Peart in 2000 after Peart called the people involved in the Rush tribute "bar bands". [4] It was later determined that it was a misunderstanding, as Peart was actually referring to a Rush tribute record that Mike Portnoy had not been involved with. Rush is a Canadian rock band comprising bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart. ... Neil Ellwood Peart (IPA: ) OC, (born September 12, 1952 in Hamilton, Ontario) is a Canadian musician and author. ... Vapor Trails is the seventeenth studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush, released in 2002 (see 2002 in music). ...

In February, 2007, Mike Portnoy announced his new DVD "In Constant Motion" would be released on March 1st. The DVD has 3 discs and it's over 7 hours long. [5]

Equipment

Portnoy has used several kits throughout the years, all of which were built by Tama Seisakusho except for the Awake - A Change Of Seasons era kit, which was a Mapex. To date, he has used the following drum sets: Tama Seisakusho(usually refered to as Tama) is a division of Hoshino Gakki MFG. Co. ... Awake is the third studio album from progressive metal band Dream Theater. ... A Change of Seasons is a 1995 EP by progressive metal band Dream Theater. ... Mapex Drums is a drum brand manufactured by KHS Musical Instrument Company of Taiwan. ...

The Siamese Monster: One of Portnoy's many drum kits. These are early shots taken from a prototype kit, and therefore, are just a rough image.

• When Dream and Day Unite/Images & Words Kit - This Tama Imperialstar (the previous model of the Imperialstar, unlike the 2007 Imperialstar, which is an entry level kit) kit was bought originally by MP himself through working three jobs. It was used until the end of the Images and Words tour when MP got signed by Sabian and Mapex. Also, this was the kit he used when he was with the band Intruder, although upgraded noticeably since then. It should be noted that Images and Words was recorded with an electronically triggered snare drum at producer David Prater's insistence.
• Awake/A Change Of Seasons kit - This Mapex USA Maple kit was used on the world tour supporting the album Awake. It had two bass drums, one snare, six toms, two small timbales, a section of various percussion instruments, and four Octoban-sized drums in a 2x2 formation. This marked Portnoy's first use of Octobans on a record, which were custom-made by Mapex using maple as opposed to Tama's more traditional PVC, giving them a slightly different, more "natural" tone.
• The Purple Monster - This was a Tama Starclassic kit which marked Portnoy's signing with Tama in the late '90s after his deal with Mapex fell through. Used for the recording of Scenes from a Memory, Falling Into Infinity and the North and South American tours, it is so named because of its striking purple/white/purple fade finish. There are two copies held in storage in different parts of the world to avoid shipping one extremely large kit around the world; the "Green Monster" in use for European tours and a "Red Monster" for Asian-market touring. It is similar to the "Awake" kit but features many more cymbals, the left-side octobans in a four-inline configuration (as opposed to his last kit which held them in a 2x2 pattern) and two more "low"-tuned octobans on the right side of the kit held overhead of the floor toms. This kit also featured a snare drum with a foot-operated snare strainer mechanism which allowed for different snare drum sounds without having to use his hands to adjust it. On the Purple Monster Portnoy used DW 5000 Pedals, instead of the Iron Cobra Pedals. He also uses this kit in his DVD Liquid Drum Theater.
• Liquid Tension Experiment kit - A comparatively modest kit used in his supergroup project Liquid Tension Experiment. This kit was unique in that it used a pair of small timbales where the two smallest toms would normally be. It was otherwise a normal "seven piece" rock kit with three toms (five if you count the timbales), and a single kick drum with a double pedal. It marks the first time Portnoy uses a floor tom on either side of the kit for a recording (during footage from their Fan Club Show in 1998 featured on 5 Years in a LIVEtime, Portnoy's "Unplugged" kit contained a left-hand floor tom used heavily during that performance) with a 14" floor tom on the left and an 18" floor tom on the right. It is also the first time Portnoy used his MaxStax cymbal line in the studio. Portnoy notes in his Liquid Drum Theater instructional video that the reason behind the smaller kit is that when Liquid Tension Experiment went into the studio to record the first album, The Purple Monster kit was still being shipped back from some shows they had played immediately prior in Brazil.
• Transatlantic kit - The kit used to record and tour behind the first Transatlantic album was the same as the Liquid Tension Experiment kit, but with five regular toms. When recording and touring behind the second Transatlantic album, Portnoy added his new Melody Master snare drums for the first time and some different cymbals including a set of custom made 15" hi-hats. The smaller Melody Master displaced the 14" floor tom, which was moved back to the right of the kit for the Transatlantic recordings. For the filming of Portnoy's 2007 "In Constant Motion" instructional DVD set, the Transatlantic kit was repoduced in Tama drums' new line of acrylic shells named Starclassic Mirage in the "Black Ice" finish. However, the original recording was done with more traditional Starclassic wood drums.
• The Siamese Monster - This kit was an amalgamation of two individual kits. The left side of the kit is laid out similarly to the Liquid Tension Experiment kit, with a floor tom on his left side, a modified tymp-tom on his right side, and three rack toms. The right side is laid out as a normal five piece kit but with the two rack toms reversed, a gong bass drum in place of a floor tom (with modified floor tom legs), and the ride cymbal in front of the hi hats, which allows him to share some of the cymbals and toms between the two kits. It has two stools, and while is not capable of being played in its entirety by one person, Portnoy often invites other drummers to sit in on the unplayed half during shows. It is a predominantly black kit with Majesty symbols around each individual drum. There are three identical versions of this kit for use when touring different continents, the North American kit being the "featured" kit with purple markings as was the case with the Colored Monsters. It was built by Tama for the recording of the Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence album and tour.
• The OSI kit - Portnoy used the small (right) side of his Siamese Monster kit for the recording of the first Office of Strategic Influence album. For the second he downsized even more to a four-piece consisting of his signature snare, one timbale as a tom as previously used on his Liquid Tension Experiment kit, one floor tom, and a single 18" kick drum with a double pedal. However, he still insisted on using a large amount of cymbals including crashes, splashes, Max Stax and Max Splashes.
• Yellow Matter Custard kit - A specially designed set for use in Mike's Beatles tribute band, Yellow Matter Custard. It is modelled on Ringo Starr's kit, and is quite simple compared with his Dream Theater kits.
• Hammer Of The Gods kit - A John Bonham-replica kit that was used in Mike's Led Zeppelin tribute band. Custom-made acrylic shells were used (transparent amber), and the kit is always played while wearing the obligatory bowler hat.
• The Albino Monster - The newest and current kit being used by Portnoy is similar to the Siamese Monster. Aesthetically, it is white with silver sparkle Majesty logos instead of the black/colored logos of the Siamese Monster. In layout it is almost exactly the same, the only differences being the right side of the kit mimics his earlier Hammer of the Gods kit; two of the timbales were removed, the 10" tymp-tom was changed to a 14", and the gong bass drum was replaced with a floor tom. He kept some of the cymbals from the right side of the Siamese Monster, including the 13" HHX Groove Hats, and the 19" Hand Hammered Fierce Crash, so there's more distance between the two sides in the Albino Monster, than there were in the Siamese Monster. So far it has been used for the Gigantour (a tour that Dream Theater participated in alongside Megadeth, Symphony X and several other bands) and throughout the Octavarium 2005-06 World Tour. The modification to the right side stemmed from sessions for Dream Theater's Octavarium album, where what began as an experiment became the inspiration behind most of Octavarium. When recording on Octavarium began, Mike brought along the Hammer of the Gods kit, resulting in the kit being used for part of the album: he ended up using it on five of the album's eight tracks. The kit utilizes larger "Rock" sizes, with a 14" rack tom, a 16" floor tom, an 18" floor tom, and a meaty 6.5" x 14" snare drum, much reminding of the drum sizes used by John Bonham of Led Zeppelin. Additionally, Portnoy only used a few crash cymbals, and used a splash and china sparingly. When touring began, Tama had the shells changed to traditional Starclassic Maple shells, because they didn't want Mike touring with a kit featuring shells that Tama didn't mass-produce for public acquisition. The touring kit includes two new limited-edition Mike Portnoy signature snare drums with the same matching finish used on the rest of the kit. On Tama's official website, Portnoy released details about changes to the kit for his upcoming tours, beginning with G3 in March. He says the left side will say the same, but the right side side will change. The sizes will change to more conventional sizes-22" kick etc. and will have three rack toms as opposed to the 'Bonham'-size, one rack tom kit of before. Also, the shells would be Starclassic Mirage acrylic shells instead of the Starclassic Maple he has always used. He also used this kit in his DVD In Constant Motion.
• The Mirage Monster- Revealed at Gods Of Metal 2007, Mike's newest kit is made up of two kits once again, except built out of Tama's new Tama Starclassic Mirage acrylic drums in clear "Crystal Ice" finish. The left side is virtually identical to his previous kit, except made with clear acrylic shells. The new configuration of the right side of his kit has replaced the "Bonzo Kit" of "The Albino Monster" with a set-up more closely His new right side of the kit includes: a 22" kick and 3 rack toms (8", 10", and 12") "so it's going to be a little more of a conventional, small kit." (Click on "Interview" link button) The snares used are his Signature Melody Master snares. He uses 2 12x5" steel snares (one on the right side of the kit as a main snare and one on the left as a side snare) and uses one 14x5.5" maple shell snare. These snares are the same snares used in the last 2 kits (Albino Monster and Siamese Monster) and they are in the original black color. He will be using this kit on the Chaos In Motion 2007 World Tour to promote Dream Theater's latest album, Systematic Chaos.

Several of Portnoy's drum kits also make use of a Roland Rhythm Coach (an electronic drum pad with a metronome built in). Mike uses this as what he calls the "secret cowbell", to count off the songs in a way that only his fellow band members and the technicians can hear it. An example of this can be seen on the Score DVD, where it can be seen in the background that Mike counts off the song "Under A Glass Moon" on the pad. Mike explains the use of these pads in the commentary track of the "Drum Cam Only" version of the Live At Budokan DVD. Image File history File links Portnoy. ... Image File history File links Portnoy. ... 10-Inch AA Splash Sabian is a Canadian cymbal designer and manufacturer. ... Octoban drums are usually grouped in sets of four or eight. ... PVC may refer to the following: Polyvinyl chloride, a plastic Premature ventricular contraction, irregular heartbeat Permanent virtual circuit, a term used in telecommunications and computer networks Param Vir Chakra, Indias highest military honor. ... Liquid Tension Experiment is an instrumental progressive rock / metal project initiated by Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy. ... 5 Years in a LIVEtime is the second home video release by Dream Theater. ... Transatlantic were a progressive rock supergroup formed in 2000 by vocalist/keyboardist Neal Morse of Spocks Beard and drummer Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater. ... Neil Pearts Tama Artstar drum kit Tama is a drum company owned by Hoshino Gakki Group. ... A gong bass drum (or simply gong drum) is a type drum which utilizes a single oversized drumhead (whos diameter is normally 2 inches above that of the drum shell) in order to create a loud, resonant sound when struck. ... Neil Pearts Tama Artstar drum kit Tama is a drum company owned by Hoshino Gakki Group. ... Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (often abbreviated to SDOIT or 6DOIT) is the sixth full-length studio album by progressive metal band Dream Theater. ... Office of Strategic Influence is an album by the band OSI, released on the InsideOut label in 2003. ... Liquid Tension Experiment is an instrumental progressive rock / metal project initiated by Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy. ... The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 as part of their first tour of the United States, promoting their first hit single there, I Want To Hold Your Hand. ... Richard Starkey Jr, MBE (born 7 July 1940), known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor, best known as the drummer of The Beatles. ... John Henry Bonzo Bonham (May 31, 1948 – September 25, 1980) was an English drummer and member of the English rock band Led Zeppelin. ... For the bands 1969 self-titled debut album, see Led Zeppelin (album). ... Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band comprising James LaBrie, John Petrucci, Jordan Rudess, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy. ... Megadeth is an American thrash metal band led by founder, frontman and songwriter Dave Mustaine. ... Symphony X is an American progressive metal band from New Jersey founded in 1994 by guitarist Michael Romeo. ... Octavarium is the eighth full-length Dream Theater studio album, released on June 7, 2005 (see 2005 in music). ... Octavarium is the eighth full-length Dream Theater studio album, released on June 7, 2005 (see 2005 in music). ... Octavarium is the eighth full-length Dream Theater studio album, released on June 7, 2005 (see 2005 in music). ... Roland Corporation ) TYO: 7944 is a Japanese manufacturer of electronic musical instruments, electronic equipment and software. ... Basic electronic drum set made by Pintech. ... A mechanical wind-up metronome in motion A digital metronome set to pulse at four beats per measure at a tempo of 130 BPM A metronome is any device that produces a regulated audible and/or visual pulse, usually used to establish a steady beat, or tempo, measured in beats... DVD Cover Score is a 3CD/2DVD combination by progressive metal band Dream Theater. ...

Tama has marketed two different sized Mike Portnoy signature snare drums, known as "Melody Masters" (named after Melody, his daughter), since the late 1990s. The smaller of the two has a 12x5" steel shell and the larger has a 14x5.5" maple shell. Both snare models have a unique three way snare strainer mechanism.[6]. Portnoy and Tama have custom-made versions in various colors to match the color schemes of the kit he was using at the time (i.e. The "Purple/Red/Green Monsters", "Siamese Monster" "Albino Monster", etc.). For 2006, in recognition of his 'Albino Monster' kit, he released only 250 of these snares worldwide in a white, gloss finish. The older colour (black) is not limited edition.

Sabian has marketed three different sized signature cymbal stacks, known as "Max Stax" (named after his son, Max). They consist of a hand hammered china kang-style cymbal on top of a splash (or crash) cymbal. Their sizes are 8/8", 10/10" and 12/14". Sabian also marketed 7, 9, and 11" "Max Splash" cymbals which have the same namesake.[7]

Portnoy has endorsed Promark sticks since the early 1990s. His signature stick is the TX420N[8]. It is made of hickory with a white nylon tip and has purple print to match the Purple Monster's motif. The "420" in the model number, which is also printed on the sticks, is a reference to his birthday (and not a marijuana reference, as has been suggested). He is known for gripping his left stick on the reverse side to attain a different sound on the snare drum. It should also be noted that he has a rather rare grip on his right stick, with it being held solely between the thumb and the index finger.

Miscellaneous

Mike and his wife Marlene (former member of the all-female metal band Meanstreak) live in Pennsylvania with their daughter Melody Ruthandrea, son Max John, dog Bongo and cat Cypress. Meanstreak is a heavy metal band from Westchester, New York. ... Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Area  Ranked 33rd  - Total 46,055 sq mi (119,283 km²)  - Width 280 miles (455 km)  - Length 160 miles (255 km)  - % water 2. ...

An avid collector of many things, Portnoy has a vast array of Dream Theater memorabilia including bootlegs, posters, clippings and everything else under the sun with the band's name on it. He is also responsible for capturing everything the band does on video tape and DAT (see YtseJam Records). His huge video collection includes favorite films such as 2001 - A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, Jacob's Ladder and The Wall along with episodes of The Simpsons and memorable boxing matches. His love of A Clockwork Orange is so great that a section of the soundtrack was used as Dream Theater's intro tape on both the first several legs of 1997/98's "Touring Into Infinity" World Tour as well as the Octavarium/20th Anniversary World Tour of 2005/06. He is also seen with Dethklok T-shirt on one of the Systematic Chaos promo photos. The YtseJam Records logo YtseJam Records is a semi-independent record label set up by Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy in 2003. ... This article is about the film. ... Jacobs Ladder DVD Jacobs Ladder is a 1990 thriller film directed by Adrian Lyne based on a screenplay by Bruce Joel Rubin. ... For other Pink Floyd works based around this album, see The Wall (Pink Floyd). ... Simpsons redirects here. ... This article is about the film. ... Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band comprising James LaBrie, John Petrucci, Jordan Rudess, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy. ... Dethklok is a virtual death metal band that stars in the television show Metalocalypse. ... Alternate Cover Special Edition CD/DVD Cover Systematic Chaos is the ninth studio release of the progressive metal band Dream Theater, and their first released on the new label, Roadrunner Records. ...

Mike is also a recovering alcoholic. This prompted him to write a musical suite which will eventually comprise the 12 Steps of the Alcoholics Anonymous recovery program. So far, Dream Theater has written four songs, which describe nine of the twelve steps. These are: "The Glass Prison" (Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence), "This Dying Soul" (Train of Thought), "The Root of All Evil" (Octavarium), and "Repentance" (Systematic Chaos). The song "The Mirror" (Awake), which was also written by Mike and discusses the same topic, is not officially a part of Mike's AA Saga. Though some fans wonder about how deep his alcoholism ran within him, fans highly respect his right to privacy and as a respected musician and stray from bringing the subject up around him (whether it be in person or via the internet). He explained in an XM radio interview on June 4, 2005 about his alcoholism, which the whole interview is put on his site to listen to. He stated regarding his drinking: King Alcohol and his Prime Minister circa 1820 Alcoholism is the consumption of or preoccupation with alcoholic beverages to the extent that this behavior interferes with the alcoholics normal personal, family, social, or work life. ... Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band comprising James LaBrie, John Petrucci, Jordan Rudess, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy. ... The Glass Prison is a song by the progressive metal band Dream Theater. ... Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (often abbreviated to SDOIT or 6DOIT) is the sixth full-length studio album by progressive metal band Dream Theater. ... Train of Thought is the seventh full-length studio album by progressive metal band Dream Theater. ... Octavarium is the eighth full-length Dream Theater studio album, released on June 7, 2005 (see 2005 in music). ... Alternate Cover Special Edition CD/DVD Cover Systematic Chaos is the ninth studio release of the progressive metal band Dream Theater, and their first released on the new label, Roadrunner Records. ... Being awake is a metabolic state which is marked by catabolic processes and which is characterized by consciousness, the opposite of sleep, an anabolic process. ... The Alcoholics Anonymous Suite is a series of songs by progressive metal band Dream Theater. ...

"Well I've had Dream Theater since basically my first week of college, so I was pretty much right out of high school when Dream Theater formed twenty years ago. But, uh, yeah, like I said before, Alcoholism is a progressive disease, so I-I always drank right out of high school, and you know it got worse and worse as time went on. It started out fun, but uh, like anyone else who is in the program knows, anyone else who is in recovery, it starts off fun, it starts off great, you have it in control, but then it starts to get out of control, then you know you lose control. You know, through all my years, for the bulk of my years, it was never a serious problem for Dream Theater, but you know, after playing, I would go home, and basically drink myself to bed. And, as time went on, and as the band got more successful, it definitely helps feed that progression. When I could look at my rider and basically have on Monday nights Jack Daniels, Wednesdays it's Johnny Walker, it would alternate every night on what was in the dressing room, or a few cases of beer. The other guys didn't really drink - they were pretty straight, so I was always hanging with the road crew or the opening band. And the more I had access to what I want, I took advantage and it fed that problem. It got to the point where I was playing sloppy, and I was drinking before the show and also I would be drinking by the tour bus and the fans seeing me, it's just--not nice." The distinctive bottle of Jack Daniels whiskey is familiar around the world. ... Johnnie Walker is a brand of Scotch whisky produced in Kilmarnock, Scotland. ... For other uses, see Beer (disambiguation). ...

Shortly after playing the set for the Metropolis 2000: Scenes From New York DVD and CD, Mike fainted backstage. His statement on this incident from the FAQ on his personal website is as follows: "I collapsed and passed out due to over-exhaustion, dehydration, stress, too little food and nutrition, too many Red Bulls, etc. It took me several hours of throwing up, being wrapped in blankets and laying down before I was carried out of the venue hours after the show." The audio commentary on the DVD has more information on this.

According to a post made by Jordan Rudess on his forum, Mike is Jewish but does not practice the Religion.

Quotes

Modern Drummer is the oldest magazine (still being published) devoted to the subject of drumming and percussion. ...

Discography

With Dream Theater Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band comprising James LaBrie, John Petrucci, Jordan Rudess, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy. ...

• 1989 - When Dream and Day Unite
• 1992 - Images and Words
• 1993 - Live at the Marquee (Live)
• 1994 - Awake
• 1995 - A Change of Seasons (EP)
• 1997 - Falling Into Infinity
• 1998 - Once in a LIVEtime (Live)
• 1999 - Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory
• 2001 - Live Scenes From New York (Live)
• 2002 - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
• 2003 - Train of Thought
• 2004 - Live at Budokan (Live)
• 2005 - Octavarium
• 2006 - Score (Live)
• 2007 - Systematic Chaos

With Liquid Tension Experiment When Dream and Day Unite (1989) is the first studio album released by Dream Theater, a progressive metal band, on March 6th, 1989. ... Images and Words is the second album by progressive metal band Dream Theater. ... For the Irish music festival, see Live at the Marquee (festival). ... Awake is the third studio album from progressive metal band Dream Theater. ... A Change of Seasons is a 1995 EP by progressive metal band Dream Theater. ... Falling into Infinity is the fourth full-length studio album by progressive metal band Dream Theater, released in 1997. ... Once in a LIVEtime is a 2CD live album by progressive metal band Dream Theater, recorded at the Bataclan in France and released in 1998. ... Live Scenes From New York is a 3CD live album by progressive metal band Dream Theater, recorded on August 30, 2000, at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City. ... Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (often abbreviated to SDOIT or 6DOIT) is the sixth full-length studio album by progressive metal band Dream Theater. ... Released on November 11, 2003, Train of Thought is an album by the progressive metal band Dream Theater. ... This article is about the Cheap Trick album Live at Budokan. ... Octavarium is the eighth full-length Dream Theater studio album, released on June 7, 2005 (see 2005 in music). ... DVD Cover Score is a 3CD/2DVD combination by progressive metal band Dream Theater. ... Alternate Cover Special Edition CD/DVD Cover Systematic Chaos is the ninth studio release of the progressive metal band Dream Theater, and their first released on the new label, Roadrunner Records. ... Liquid Tension Experiment is an instrumental progressive rock / metal project initiated by Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy. ...

• 1998 - Liquid Tension Experiment
• 1999 - Liquid Tension Experiment 2
• 2007 - Spontaneous Combustion (as Liquid Trio Experiment)

With Transatlantic Liquid Tension Experiment was released in 1998 by Liquid Tension Experiment through Magna Carta. ... Liquid Tension Experiment 2 is the second album by the band Liquid Tension Experiment. ... Spontaneous Combustion is the result of the studio improvisations which occurred while John Petrucci was with his wife and newborn daughter, Kiara. ... Liquid Trio Experiment is an instrumental progressive rock / fusion project initiated by Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy. ... Transatlantic were a progressive rock supergroup formed in 2000 by vocalist/keyboardist Neal Morse of Spocks Beard and drummer Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater. ...

• 2000 - SMPT:e
• 2001 - Live in America (Live)
• 2001 - Bridge Across Forever
• 2003 - Transatlantic Demos by Neal Morse
• 2003 - SMPT:e (The Rione Stolt Mixes: circa 1999)
• 2003 - Live in Europe (Live)

With Neal Morse Live In America is the fourth album by Victor Wooten, released in 2001. ... Bridge Across Forever is the second studio album of Progressive rock supergroup Transatlantic, released in 2001. ... The Transatlantic Demos is an album of demo tracks by Neal Morse. ... Neal Morse (born on August 2, 1960 in Van Nuys, California) is a prolific American multi-instrumentalist and progressive rock composer based in Nashville, Tennessee. ... Live in Europe is the second live album by the progressive rock supergroup Transatlantic. ... Neal Morse (born on August 2, 1960 in Van Nuys, California) is a prolific American multi-instrumentalist and progressive rock composer based in Nashville, Tennessee. ...

• 2003 - Testimony
• 2004 - One
• 2005 - ?
• 2007 - Sola Scriptura

With OSI Testimony is a progressive rock concept album by Neal Morse. ... One is a progressive rock album by Neal Morse. ... ? (or sometimes Question or Question Mark) is a progressive rock concept album by Neal Morse. ... This article is about Neal Morse album. ... OSI is an American progressive experimental supergroup formed by Fates Warning guitarist Jim Matheos in 2003. ...

• 2003 - Office of Strategic Influence
• 2006 - Free

With John Arch Office of Strategic Influence is an album by the band OSI, released on the InsideOut label in 2003. ... Free is the second album by OSI, released on April 21, 2006. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

• 2003 - A Twist of Fate

Tribute Shows (CD and DVD)

• One Night in New York City - Yellow Matter Custard (2003) (The Beatles)
• Two Nights In North America - Hammer of the Gods (2006) (Led Zeppelin)
• One Night in Chicago - Cygnus and the Sea Monsters (2006) (Rush)
• One Night in New York City - Amazing Journey (2007) (The Who)

With Rising Power Yellow Matter Custard is a Beatles cover band consisting of Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater), Neal Morse (ex-Spocks Beard), Paul Gilbert (Racer X, ex-Mr. ...

• 1984 - Power For The People

With Inner Sanctum

• 1986 - 12 A.M.

DVD Releases: Mike Portnoy has released a few DVD's with Hudson Music. These include: In Constant Motion (2007) Liquid Drum Theater (2000)

References

External links

• MikePortnoy.com
• Mike's Forum
• Interview with Mike in Drummer's Digest web magazine
• Metal Sludge 20 Questions with Mike Portnoy