Yeah, I don't get that what you are saying, Elite. If you mean the organizers of the event, I believe Portnoy is one of them, right?
Well, Mike Portnoy had probably earned his merits in the progressive metal world, but can't you at see that it's rather strange that a band of which nobody has heard a single note gets booked on a 'major' prog festival? It's only happening because it's Mike Portnoy and while I expect what he delivers to be good, it's unfair to newer players in the scene. Every other band would have to prove themselves.
I agree. MP has been very consistent with his musical output over the years, but he has made some "bad"/not good enough albums/bands. What If you were booking CTTE and heard there's a new Portnoy/Russell Allen project coming. You know MP is a great drummer and had been in DT for 25 years, and Russell is one of the best singers in the genere, the outcome should be great, shouldn't it? Well, here's two words for you: Adrenaline Mob.
Reality is that this just got booked because MP will draw crowds no matter what he does (good or not).
Same happened with Next to None, Mike's son's band. Not saying they're bad or that they don't deserve the recognition they get, I actually like a couple of their songs, but let's be honest here and admit that they only got this big so fast because one of themembers' last name is Portnoy and their debut album had MP producing, and guest spots by Neal Morse and Bumblefoot. Tell me of any other teenage metal band that can get signed to Inside Out and can get Neal Morse to appear for their first album.
But "good" is subjective; personally, I think all his output post DT is excellent EXCEPT for Adrenaline Mob, and it's not prog. You wouldn't book him for AMob on a prog show. You might a metal show, and in that context, who's to say it's "bad"? The same fans that listen to Neal Morse solo stuff are possibly not listening to Mike in Twisted Sister, either.
As for the latter, well, it's not as if "Portnoy" is the first one to have this happen to them. Do you think Sean Lennon or Julian Lennon haven't gotten some benefit of the doubt? This is not a new phenomenon.
Lemme turn this around a little bit: you're a promoter. You've got $35,000 to book a band, and you have 4,000 tickets to sell. You don't sell at least 3,000, you're underwater, and you can't pay the bands on the bill and the support crew. You get two calls from band managers: one is for "Mike Portnoy's Shattered Fortress" and the other is for "Johnny Penis and the Erections". Which do you hire? Even if the known name results in 50 more tickets, it's still that much less you are at risk. I'm more bugged not by Portnoy's name recognition, but by these packaged tours that have Great White, Warrant, Quiet Riot and Ratt, and there isn't one original singer on the bill. it's the same phenomena, though; the promoter, with hard money on the line, has to put bodies in the venue, and if having a recognizable name does that, so be it.
(And to your point about newer bands, likely affords them MORE opportunity as openers than if there was no show at all.)