DREAM THEATER ANNOUNCE THE RETURN OF DRUMMER MIKE PORTNOY

[Indiscipline]

Good lord, Alex. That was so sticky sweet that my dental bridge (upper right) fell right out. Now I've got to go back to the dentist again.

As for the contents of your post.

*heart emoticon*, followed by *dental apologies emoticon*

To what you wrote, I hear what you're saying, but I've been getting the warmies as he's been reconciling with each member, culminating with James, over the last few years. I mean, who didn't get all sappy when the pic of Mike and Mike was posted? I sure as hell did.

So I was already there. Honestly, I didn't need MP to return to the band for me to feel happy about them feeling happy.

Oh, I'm absolutely sure I would feel exactly as you do if I weren't such a social media news hermit with a penchant for disappearing from dedicated forums. Of course I am no stranger to Johnny P's album and LTE3, but this whole announcement thing struck me with a ton of symbolic power.   

[Stadler]

Dammit Alessandro. Today was the day that I was meaning to write my thoughts down after a few weeks have passed.

To what you wrote, I hear what you're saying, but I've been getting the warmies as he's been reconciling with each member, culminating with James, over the last few years. I mean, who didn't get all sappy when the pic of Mike and Mike was posted? I sure as hell did.

So I was already there. Honestly, I didn't need MP to return to the band for me to feel happy about them feeling happy.

I'm sort of here too; the JP solo tour - with the wives - felt like a family reunion and the vibes were - FOR ME - just through the roof positive.  Don't get me wrong, I'm THRILLED for this beyond belief; I've been binging on DT for about two weeks ago now, so I'm thrilled.  But any of the "feel good" was culminated in Ridgefield, CT when I saw the two bros playing together and having a BLAST.

[TAC]

I'm so glad I went to that.

[wolfking]

It's been 20 days since The Announcement, and - although we're basically in the dark about the whole deal - the deflagration's dust is settling, Emotions loosen their grip on the rudder they've borrowed from Reason, balls got a bit colder; it seems to me the perfect time to ask myself what MP's return really means to me, hoping to obtain a sincere and sensible answer.

The answer was, predictably enough, "a whole lot of things", each and every one of them thoroughly discussed in this thread, therefore my query became finding out which aspect of Portnoy's return meant the most to me. Running down the list, one particular aspect sprang to mind, one missing / not much discussed / I didn't catch in the fandom discourse, but one dearest to my heart.

The Return tells the world "we are finally at peace with each other", no more trouble brewing Beneath the Surface. Call me a sappy romantic, but I tend to consider people I admire and love since I began shaving as kind of mates; they gave me incredible times and emotions, have been part of my life longer than any human being, and I care for mates.

When the break-up occurred, what really crippled my feelings was realising a couple of brothers I loved from afar had come to a bitter end. We're not talking about your basic bandmates relationship here, we're talking "the solo I composed to honour my brother's father passing is more heartfelt than the solo I composed for mine" stuff.

I may be a sappy romantic, but no rotating setlist, cover album, surprise show, live antic, fan service, bootleg renaissance gets remotely close to the joy I'm feeling knowing people I deeply care for are back happy together - no matter if only for hypothetical mere financial reasons - and that's what I really want to celebrate.


A spirit is needed when you want it to carry on.

No lube is certainly required after you read a post like this.

[Volante99]

John Myung’s thoughts on the recennt news:

“…yes”

-John Myung, probably.

[TheRich13]

Hmmmm…wonder if JP might take off the beard anytime soon ? Love watching and listening to him play with or without, and of course it’s what makes him happy , not us . But he has had it for a long time now …maybe a bit of a different look with MP back in the lineup ? Thoughts ? Surely don’t want this to cause a major uprising … was just wondering.

[wolfking]

He should go full on TOT tour look.

[crystalstars17]

Hmmmm…wonder if JP might take off the beard anytime soon ? Love watching and listening to him play with or without, and of course it’s what makes him happy , not us . But he has had it for a long time now …maybe a bit of a different look with MP back in the lineup ? Thoughts ? Surely don’t want this to cause a major uprising … was just wondering.

As you said, it's about what makes them happy, but I'd love to see James stick with his natural red hair (not black) and go back to wearing less tatoos and chains and stuff again. He doesn't need it. He's badass enough without all that extra artifice. His talent speaks for itself. I hope to see him embrace aging gracefully and take good care of his voice.

[ReaperKK]

Don't think he can go back on the tattoo's . They should just do whatever makes them happy.

That said some of the outfits have been funny over the years. I never thought of DT as "tough", at this point to me they are a bunch of dad's coming to my town to do a bunch of weedly weedly stuff on their instruments so I can then turn to my concert neighbor and say that the weedly's weren't as good as when I saw them in 06.

[MoraWintersoul]

On one hand, I get what you both mean, but on the other, as musicians who play a subgenre of metal every night for a living and have done so for 30+ years, they have the most right to wear all of that stuff out of everyone who lives on the planet They are more naturally dorky than most metal musicians and I wish they'd go from shirts with "tough" motifs to band shirts of bands they like, but I don't see why James LaBrie shouldn't rock a chain and some rings. I rock a chain and some rings on the way from my job in childcare to the grocery store while listening to Pull Me Under so he should be allowed to do it while literally singing Pull Me Under on stage

[Kyo]

I just wish they'd stop with the silly skulls on various merch. They're playing nerdy prog, not death metal.

[Jamesman42]

Less skulls, more differential equations.

[hefdaddy42]

Hmmmm…wonder if JP might take off the beard anytime soon ? Love watching and listening to him play with or without, and of course it’s what makes him happy , not us . But he has had it for a long time now …maybe a bit of a different look with MP back in the lineup ? Thoughts ? Surely don’t want this to cause a major uprising … was just wondering.

Well, he has a line of beard product, so I'm pretty sure the beard is here to stay.

I just wish they would stop pretending to be younger than they are.  Not an issue with JR, or with JM the Eternal Warrior, but I just wish that JP and JLB in particular would stop using hair dye and other things to look like they aren't in their 50s or 60s or whatever. 

Just be what you are.  You don't have to fit in with anyone else in the genre.  You're the progenitors; they have to fit in with YOU.

[MirrorMask]

On one hand, I get what you both mean, but on the other, as musicians who play a subgenre of metal every night for a living and have done so for 30+ years, they have the most right to wear all of that stuff out of everyone who lives on the planet They are more naturally dorky than most metal musicians and I wish they'd go from shirts with "tough" motifs to band shirts of bands they like, but I don't see why James LaBrie shouldn't rock a chain and some rings. I rock a chain and some rings on the way from my job in childcare to the grocery store while listening to Pull Me Under so he should be allowed to do it while literally singing Pull Me Under on stage

The trench coat he had on the Dramatic tour (the one he started Bridges in the Sky with) was badass. I agree on the general idea that a musician on stage, especially the singer, should be allowed to get away with almost anything clothes wise. But I also get the what hefdaddy's saying about pretending to not be in their 50/60s. I'm sure it's their own decision to look whatever they want to look but who "decided" that musicians should not look old? there are people in record companies showing charts about "old" band selling less? Bruce Dickinson wore short hair for 20 years before growing it back and didn't even dye them to hide the grey, if he can do it, anyone else can.

[TAC]

Yeah, the beard seems to have become his image, but I totally agree on the black hair and beard dye. That looks ridiculous.

[Stadler]

I wouldn't mind if they donned the 2007 costumes again. 

[Lax]

I hope JP's hairline will stop recess because it would lead to townsend petrucci and then kerry king petrucci

[MoraWintersoul]

The dye does look harsh - both JP and JLB have warm, muted skin undertones that get murdered by the cool blue-black dye they use - but growing out the gray hair is a pain in the ass. Look at MP, he's been at it for a few years and he's nowhere near being full gray.

[Dream Team]

Jeans, sneakers, and t-shirts is a great look for a rock concert. Unless anyone thinks Metallica didn’t look cool in the 80s.

[Architeuthis]

I just wish they'd stop with the silly skulls on various merch. They're playing nerdy prog, not death metal.

Same here!

[Madman Shepherd]

I love it when the forum goes all fashionista

I hope we discuss their choice of wallpaper next

[hefdaddy42]

I hope we discuss their choice of wallpaper next

It's on my agenda

[Stadler]

So, full disclosure... my hair started turning grey pretty early on.   But it was weird...  it actually made it look like I was wearing a toupee because it was confined to the lower half of my hair.  So one day, I brought my daughter in for her hair appointment, and one thing led to another and the guy - woman now - said "I can fix that".  And she did.   But then about, I don't know, five, six years ago I missed a session and my wife said "you know, maybe don't."  And I stopped.  I like my look now, and I look back at pictures from that time and I CRINGE. It's so fucking obvious and I look so pale in those photos. I usually don't get embarrassed by pictures of myself (look at me) but those are particularly bad. 

I hope the guys don't have a similar epiphany when they finally let nature do what it does.

[gborland]

Bring back spandex, I say.

[emtee]

Eh, whatever, they can look however they wish. Makes no difference to me.

And to my ears, there's been a lot more metal in the last few albums than nerdy prog. Not death metal but certainly quite heavy.

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

I think their current 'look' is cool. They look like dads but also like dignified rock stars who are aging well. The fancy leather jackets, dyed hair, beards, and tattoos are all good. Looking the part is never a bad thing.

[crystalstars17]

The dye does look harsh - both JP and JLB have warm, muted skin undertones that get murdered by the cool blue-black dye they use

I can't agree more about the undertones thing. James looks puffy and older with black hair because it clashes so badly with his skin tone. And ngl, he is easy on the eyes so it's hard to make him look bad  🤭 but the black hair is NOT for him.

[nikatapi]

I agree on the black dye, it does look a bit weird, especially on James.

Maybe also it has to do with the look that i was used with on him, with the kinda blonde/brown hair - i became a fan during ToT era, and i think James' look was the best, with the shirts and the more elegant clothing, as well as the clean shaven look.
In my eyes, it stood out against all the generic metal bands trying to show a "tough guy" look.

[crystalstars17]

I agree on the black dye, it does look a bit weird, especially on James.

Maybe also it has to do with the look that i was used with on him, with the kinda blonde/brown hair - i became a fan during ToT era, and i think James' look was the best, with the shirts and the more elegant clothing, as well as the clean shaven look.
In my eyes, it stood out against all the generic metal bands trying to show a "tough guy" look.

I loved that look on him as well. When I became a fan he was already starting to go darker and straighten his hair, but it was still before all the chains and tatoos. It's kinda sad that ultimately he ran towards that "tough guy look" because it looks fake and silly on him. I've been hoping it's a phase and he'll get it out of his system and go back. More recently he's had dark red hair so we'll see.

[Indiscipline]

I can obviously appreciate the need to dye age away in showbusiness, and rock'n'roll is a young (looking) man's game, yet in DT case I've always associated it with a certain unnecessary need to heavy the music up to stay "relevant". Just a thought, never judgement (I dyed my hair for a while for work reasons, stopped doing it after the CoVid break).

As for the fashion, I'd really love the band to go full 70's Pink Floyd and "dress" like hangover hobos, and I'd love even more the fans to understand and accept such choice.   

[nobloodyname]

I wasn't going to join in on this discussion because I've sorta got skin in the game; I'm not far off 51 and have long hair (and plenty of it, happily!). I find even the thought of dyeing my hair to be utterly hilarious. I think it looks great going grey naturally. Opinions, opinions, of course but I think James and John have looked, uh, sub-optimal for a while: 1) dyeing your hair jet black, particularly as an ageing male, almost never works (skin pallor), 2) ironing your hair almost always takes it to another level of hilarity on top of that, 3) ...and when combined with a dyed beard, too? Yeah, not for me. But that's the thing, really. I hope they do it because it makes them happy, not for any other reason.

Look at Kirk Hammett or Tom Araya. Great grey/greying rock hair. Brilliant stuff. Own it!

[Stadler]

The thing is... to Crystalstars' point, they ARE good looking guys, more or less.  They don't NEED it.  Look back to the Metropolis II years; they had the short hair and the colored shirts and they were a good looking band, by any standard.  Kiss always wore makeup because... well, look at them! 

[MirrorMask]

1) dyeing your hair jet black, particularly as an ageing male, almost never works (skin pallor)

The exception that confirms the rule: Alice Cooper. He looks majestic as always.

[MoraWintersoul]

1) dyeing your hair jet black, particularly as an ageing male, almost never works (skin pallor)

The exception that confirms the rule: Alice Cooper. He looks majestic as always.

Alice Cooper has pretty high contrast coloring and also uses theatrical makeup. JP can handle the contrast though not so much the color, JLB is a no on both grounds haha I don't understand why he didn't keep the ADTOE do, that was very low maintenance, you'd swear it was his natural hair color, and lovely on him!

Kiss always wore makeup because... well, look at them! 

My sister when VH1 Europe had a Kiss video marathon and they played an unmasked video right after a masked video: "Ohhh, I get it now."

[Dedalus]

These things about appearance and visual can sometimes surprise.

If I had arrived on planet Earth today and someone said to me: "How about a band whose guitarist is the big star of the band, and that guitarist plays dressed as a schoolboy?" I would certainly say: "What a wonderfully stupid idea, congratulations!"

And if the same person told me: "This band exists and is a huge worldwide success", I would be surprised. And I would be even more surprised if I were told that this band still performs the same way, and that the schoolboy guitarist is now an elderly man.