So, I was standing in line at Wal*Mart, waiting to check out (which took a total of 25 minutes or more - could've listened to ACOS while I was waiting in line) at the registers when I was checking Facebook on my mobile when I saw a post by MP on my wall... and was then completely saddened. I tried my best to remain calm and hold my composure as I loaded the conveyor belt with my groceries and such.
I read his letter with utter sadness and slight disappointment, but as I thought about it, he has every right. No one, not even the others in the band, have any right to hold him back. I'm happy Mike is willing to leave his baby behind in order to do what's best for him. He's slaved away with, and for, Dream Theater for the last 25 years with barely a break in the last 10, and he definitely does deserve some extended break.
I also understand that the rest of the band does need a source of income that, while MP is being paid to tour with A7X, the others have only been doing studio work (at least JLB, JP and JMX) for albums that won't clear nearly a fraction of the sales that BC&SL or even SC got them with Dream Theater. It was always made apparent their plans were to reconvene in January next year to start their 11th album, but when Mike started touring with A7X and would be doing so through most of the rest of the year, it seemed like the man wouldn't get a month to himself! He's been touring pretty steadily since the spring! He needs time to recharge and spend time with his family.
Upon thinking about it more, it'll be interesting to see how the band handles songs in the live setting in the future, especially since many of the latter DT songs feature MP doing prominent backing vocals. Who would do that AND drum at the same time?
Nick D'Virgilio? I wouldn't mind seeing him join DT, even if just for an album or tour or two. He's known the band for awhile, and toured with them with SB a couple times, so he knows them. He's certainly a VERY capable drummer, and while he doesn't have the ruff-n-gruff vocals that MP does, he could still do backing vocals to some extent. Also being a lead vocalist, there's a chance that he and JLB could do some really cool harmony stuff. He also does a lot of song-writing and I think between him and JP, they could pump out some great tunes in the Awake/FII sense. Nick's pop-sensibilities with the band's current popularity could push them to higher heights than BC&SL did, and be good publicity for Nick (who's been touring with Frost*, Agents Of Mercy and his own band Spock's Beard).
As for Mike... it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility that he could get his own band and play his DT songs - imagine a small tour of the Mike Portnoy Band - covering songs he wrote lyrics for, doing the Twelve Step Suite, "The Best Of Times", and maybe "A Change Of Seasons". It would be quite a thrill and I would definitely pay quite a bit to see him play, even if it wasn't with DT.
This also makes me wonder - will DT play any more of Mike's songs? I know they've played songs written by Kevin since he left, but I'm sure things like the Twelve Step Suite, "A Change Of Seasons", possibly "Just Let Me Breath" and "Take The Time" might be taken out of future set lists... it also makes me wonder how the format of the live band will change as a result of touring without Mike - rotating set lists? Covers?
Also, what about the future of YtseJamRecords? That was pretty much MP's baby. Maybe in some of his down time, not touring or recording, he'll go through his amazing basement library archives and find some goodies... or we can hope.
A very sad day... but... we can only be hopeful for the future for both DT and Mike, now that they're no longer one and the same.
Carpe Diem, Mike... Carpe Diem.
-Marc.