"Mike Portnoy Imposter Robs Gay Men In NYC"

[Buddyhunter1]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6BmWWsPxDg

Okay, how the hell have I been on here for almost a decade now and this is the first time I ever heard of this??? This is fucking insane.

And here's a tweet from (the real) Mike Portnoy confirming it to be a true story: https://twitter.com/mikeportnoy/status/988520756870033410?lang=en

[Cool Chris]

Although the impostor could get by with his strangely encyclopedic knowledge of Mike Portnoy's life and Dream Theater's history...

To think if this story went down now, he'd have to have an encyclopedic knowledge of Mike's 26 bands, not just Dream Theater.

[IDontNotDoThings]

I've seen that video, but it's such a crazy story that it's still entertaining to watch again & again.

Also, the uploader Whang has some really cool videos about weird internet history & such. I recommend his channel, but be wary because there's a few gruesome topics here & there.

[Madman Shepherd]

Portnoy is such a Peter Criss fanboy he got somebody to go around posing as him probably so he could confront him on a daytime talk show.

ok, I don't really believe that but isn't it strange that people only go around being imposters of drummers?

[cramx3]

  I never knew of this, pretty crazy

[HOF]

Oh, this was a big deal back when it happened. Scary stuff. Not sure the video mentions it but the guy apparently scammed Chris Caffery (from Savatage) somehow.

A less scary but humerus story is the Soy Bomb incident (which had nothing to do with MP but was still a funny coincidence).

[Buddyhunter1]

A less scary but humerus story is the Soy Bomb incident (which had nothing to do with MP but was still a funny coincidence).

Do tell

[HOF]

A less scary but humerus story is the Soy Bomb incident (which had nothing to do with MP but was still a funny coincidence).

Do tell

There was a guy named Michael Portnoy who interrupted a Bob Dylan performance at the 1998 Grammy’s and ran around the stage with the words “Soy Bomb” painted on his bare chest. Some kind of performance art stunt.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Portnoy

https://www.theringer.com/music/2018/1/25/16931250/soy-bomb-1998-grammys-bob-dylan

On Once in a Livetime you can hear MP yell “Soy Bomb! Fasten your seatbelts Paris!” During Ytsejam I think (yep, at 3:12).

[Setlist Scotty]

Okay, how the hell have I been on here for almost a decade now and this is the first time I ever heard of this??? This is fucking insane.

Given how old you are, I can imagine it all happened long before you became a fan. But it is mentioned in Lifting Shadows in chapter 14 (pages 247-248). So if you haven't read LS yet, it's worth picking up. Probably lots of other stuff that you didn't know about, too. 
 
 

A less scary but humerus story is the Soy Bomb incident (which had nothing to do with MP but was still a funny coincidence).

That became a bit of a running joke on the Ytsejam Mailing List when it happened. Since MP was subscribed to the list, it's no wonder he was aware of it and had fun yelling it during the Paris show.

[IDontNotDoThings]

Oh, this was a big deal back when it happened. Scary stuff. Not sure the video mentions it but the guy apparently scammed Chris Caffery (from Savatage) somehow.

A less scary but humerus story is the Soy Bomb incident (which had nothing to do with MP but was still a funny coincidence).

The video does mention that, yes.

But Chris did want to make it absolutely clear that he is very un-gay.

[Herrick]

Interesting. I've been a DT fan since 2001 but I've never heard of this. Back in those days, the only forum I was a member of was the now defunct Metal Rules Forum, which didn't have many DT fans.

I stumbled across Whang's channel a few months ago. I'm surprised that video never came up. I'll have to check it out.

[ThatOneGuy2112]

I only became a fan after 2011, so when I found Whang's channel a few months back and thus this video, it was pretty wild.

[CrimsonSunrise]

Been a huge fan since 94 and I don't remember hearing about it.  I read LS's, my memory must be failing me... Oldtimers kicking in! 

[Orbert]

There was a guy named Michael Portnoy who interrupted a Bob Dylan performance at the 1998 Grammy’s and ran around the stage with the words “Soy Bomb” painted on his bare chest. Some kind of performance art stunt.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Portnoy

https://www.theringer.com/music/2018/1/25/16931250/soy-bomb-1998-grammys-bob-dylan

On Once in a Livetime you can hear MP yell “Soy Bomb! Fasten your seatbelts Paris!” During Ytsejam I think (yep, at 3:12).

I remember the Soy Bomb guy, but never realized that his name was Michael Portnoy.  I do remember thinking that "Soy Bomb" is a really dumb thing to write on yourself.  No idea WTF it was supposed to mean.

[HOF]

There was a guy named Michael Portnoy who interrupted a Bob Dylan performance at the 1998 Grammy’s and ran around the stage with the words “Soy Bomb” painted on his bare chest. Some kind of performance art stunt.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Portnoy

https://www.theringer.com/music/2018/1/25/16931250/soy-bomb-1998-grammys-bob-dylan

On Once in a Livetime you can hear MP yell “Soy Bomb! Fasten your seatbelts Paris!” During Ytsejam I think (yep, at 3:12).

I remember the Soy Bomb guy, but never realized that his name was Michael Portnoy.  I do remember thinking that "Soy Bomb" is a really dumb thing to write on yourself.  No idea WTF it was supposed to mean.

From the Wikipedia article:

“ When questioned by reporters, Portnoy explained the poem's meaning: "Soy... represents dense nutritional life. Bomb is, obviously, an explosive destructive force. So, soy bomb is what I think art should be: dense, transformational, explosive life" according to Entertainment Weekly[4] and that "he meant Soy Bomb as a 'spontaneous explosion of the self' to re-invigorate the current music scene.[5] He has also said that the phrase is a combination of Spanish and English, meaning "the bomb of 'I am'".”

 

[pg1067]

Been a huge fan since 94 and I don't remember hearing about it.  I read LS's, my memory must be failing me... Oldtimers kicking in! 

Right there with you.  Fan since 1992 and read LS (albeit a LONG time ago -- right after it came out).

[Madman Shepherd]

There was a guy named Michael Portnoy who interrupted a Bob Dylan performance at the 1998 Grammy’s and ran around the stage with the words “Soy Bomb” painted on his bare chest. Some kind of performance art stunt.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Portnoy

https://www.theringer.com/music/2018/1/25/16931250/soy-bomb-1998-grammys-bob-dylan

On Once in a Livetime you can hear MP yell “Soy Bomb! Fasten your seatbelts Paris!” During Ytsejam I think (yep, at 3:12).

I remember the Soy Bomb guy, but never realized that his name was Michael Portnoy.  I do remember thinking that "Soy Bomb" is a really dumb thing to write on yourself.  No idea WTF it was supposed to mean.

From the Wikipedia article:

“ When questioned by reporters, Portnoy explained the poem's meaning: "Soy... represents dense nutritional life. Bomb is, obviously, an explosive destructive force. So, soy bomb is what I think art should be: dense, transformational, explosive life" according to Entertainment Weekly[4] and that "he meant Soy Bomb as a 'spontaneous explosion of the self' to re-invigorate the current music scene.[5] He has also said that the phrase is a combination of Spanish and English, meaning "the bomb of 'I am'".”

 

So in other words he had no idea what it meant either.

[Orbert]

Yeah, I don't feel any more enlightened now than I did before I read that.  "the bomb of 'I am'".  Okay, dude, whatever.

[Setlist Scotty]

Yeah, I don't feel any more enlightened now than I did before I read that.  "the bomb of 'I am'".  Okay, dude, whatever.

Maybe you'll be more enlightened by rewatching the performance!   
https://youtu.be/7fOrcaiz7X0?t=152

[cramx3]

Yeah, I don't feel any more enlightened now than I did before I read that.  "the bomb of 'I am'".  Okay, dude, whatever.

Maybe you'll be more enlightened by rewatching the performance!   
https://youtu.be/7fOrcaiz7X0?t=152

  that is hilarious

[HOF]

Yeah, I don't feel any more enlightened now than I did before I read that.  "the bomb of 'I am'".  Okay, dude, whatever.

Maybe you'll be more enlightened by rewatching the performance!   
https://youtu.be/7fOrcaiz7X0?t=152

The other thing I wonder about that whole thing is why did the producers think it was necessary to have a bunch of people on stage behind the band awkwardly swaying/dancing/clapping along to this really low key Bob Dylan tune?

[Setlist Scotty]

Yeah, I don't feel any more enlightened now than I did before I read that.  "the bomb of 'I am'".  Okay, dude, whatever.

Maybe you'll be more enlightened by rewatching the performance!   
https://youtu.be/7fOrcaiz7X0?t=152

The other thing I wonder about that whole thing is why did the producers think it was necessary to have a bunch of people on stage behind the band awkwardly swaying/dancing/clapping along to this really low key Bob Dylan tune?

They were sick of love?

[Orbert]

Yeah, I don't feel any more enlightened now than I did before I read that.  "the bomb of 'I am'".  Okay, dude, whatever.

Maybe you'll be more enlightened by rewatching the performance!   
https://youtu.be/7fOrcaiz7X0?t=152

I've seen the video.  That's the only reason I know about "Soy Bomb".  Something about the phrase "Soy Bomb" stuck with me.  It's short and (arguably) catchy, but still makes no fucking sense.

[nattmorker]

There was a guy named Michael Portnoy who interrupted a Bob Dylan performance at the 1998 Grammy’s and ran around the stage with the words “Soy Bomb” painted on his bare chest. Some kind of performance art stunt.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Portnoy

https://www.theringer.com/music/2018/1/25/16931250/soy-bomb-1998-grammys-bob-dylan

On Once in a Livetime you can hear MP yell “Soy Bomb! Fasten your seatbelts Paris!” During Ytsejam I think (yep, at 3:12).

I remember the Soy Bomb guy, but never realized that his name was Michael Portnoy.  I do remember thinking that "Soy Bomb" is a really dumb thing to write on yourself.  No idea WTF it was supposed to mean.

From the Wikipedia article:

“ When questioned by reporters, Portnoy explained the poem's meaning: "Soy... represents dense nutritional life. Bomb is, obviously, an explosive destructive force. So, soy bomb is what I think art should be: dense, transformational, explosive life" according to Entertainment Weekly[4] and that "he meant Soy Bomb as a 'spontaneous explosion of the self' to re-invigorate the current music scene.[5] He has also said that the phrase is a combination of Spanish and English, meaning "the bomb of 'I am'".”

 

I have never thought about that! Being a native spanish speaker I've always translated "soy bomb" as "I am bomb" in my mind. Even when I know that it doesn't make much sense.

[Setlist Scotty]

Yeah, I don't feel any more enlightened now than I did before I read that.  "the bomb of 'I am'".  Okay, dude, whatever.

Maybe you'll be more enlightened by rewatching the performance!   
https://youtu.be/7fOrcaiz7X0?t=152

I've seen the video.  That's the only reason I know about "Soy Bomb".  Something about the phrase "Soy Bomb" stuck with me.  It's short and (arguably) catchy, but still makes no fucking sense.

Guess I shoulda put that type in green - it was meant to be a joke.    As if some schmuck "dancing" spastically to a Bob Dylan tune is gonna make any sense at all.   

[Orbert]

I missed the cheesy grin, which should've indicated that it was a joke.  That dance was... well, it was not enlightening.

It never occurred to me that "soy" was anything other than English, thus meaning the plant, or the beans of it or something edible made from soy.