Originally published in Modern Drummer magazine 286 · September 2003
Mike Portnoy comments (excerpts)
ArticleMike Portnoy1 min read
When word about this MD tribute got out, phones rang and emails flew. Moon’s friends and fans rallied, providing praise, analysis, and anecdotes. Dream Theater’s Mike Portnoy was among the first to respond. Mike was eleven when he sat transfixed in a movie theater watching The Kids Are Alright.
“I couldn’t take my eyes off of Moon,” Portnoy admits. “I knew I wanted to be the same kind of drummer. He was my first real ‘drum hero.’ He was funny, entertaining, dominating... standing up while playing, throwing sticks in the air, making crazy faces, and occasionally destroying his kit. To this day, I find myself doing some of the same antics on stage – well, maybe except for the kit destruction!”
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Mike Portnoy reflects on Moon’s considerable latitude: “I can’t think of many others who play with the absolute ‘controlled chaos’ that Keith did – the constant pulsating 8th notes on the kick drums, the furious stampede of constant tom fills, and the steady whirlwind of crash cymbals .”