Originally published in The Day newspaper · December 1995
Slumber Party
InterviewMike Portnoy2 min read
Dream Theater performing twice at the El ‘n’ Gee
By Karen Kaplan
Rock etherealists Dream Theater arrive in town this week as part of a tour supporting their latest opus, A Change Of Seasons.
If you couldn’t get a ticket to Wednesday’s show at the El ‘n’ Gee in New London, not to worry – the club has added an unprecedented second show for Dec. 30.
This is a performance that’s drawing fans from as far away as Texas, Wisconsin and New Jersey.
Drummer and percussionist Mike Portnoy says the band is calling Seasons a gift to their fans; it includes the 23-minute opus of the same name that titillated live fans and audiences for years but could never be found on any disc.
The new release also includes a healthy slice of live material recorded at their “Uncovered” tribute show at London’s Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club last January, a performance dedicated to paying tribute to the music of artists like Led Zeppelin, Elton John, Journey and Pink Floyd.
“Our fans wanted something like this,” said Portnoy in a recent press interview. “We’re the kind of band that likes to do what’s in our hearts, not just what’s best for our pockets.”
The band’s had a great relationship with their fans since their first major label effort, 1992’s Images And Words. The Long Island group emerged as a clear, back-to-basics change from the grunge and alternative acts found at every turn; their ‘94 release, Awake, further underscored their multi-layered art-rock approach.
Long, complex arrangements and provocative lyrics were keystones for the band’s fans, who started following DT’s every move on the Internet.
Portnoy credits the fans’ zealotry for the band’s releasing Seasons. It had never been recorded because of its length, but fans around the world learned the band was performing it in Germany and New York.
Finally, the record company said the band could make Seasons as a sort of thank you gesture.
“Basically, A Change Of Seasons is a six-year-old song that we were able to improve on and finally get it right,” Portnoy says. “Not many bands get a chance like that, to get five years to reflect on it and improve it and then deliver it like this to their fans. We appreciate what that means and how rare it is.”