------------------------------------------------------- JUNE 28, 2004 ------------------------------------------------------- Source: The Man Room http://www.themanroom.com/interviews.php/?id=10 Armchair Interview: Mike Portnoy (YES content) By Greg Necastro NOTE: These are the YES excerpts from the interview. TMR: How did the upcoming tour with Yes come about? MP: I don’t know who asked who. It was mainly through management and booking agents. That’s how tours usually come about. This one was no different. However it came about, we’re excited about it. They are one of our all-time favorite bands and biggest influences. To us, it’s an honor to be on the same stage as them. They are one of the few bands that we thought that we could really have a great touring package with. I think for the Yes fans they’re probably going to have heart attacks once we hit the stage. They won’t know what hit them. We are going to have to tone down our set a little bit to make sure we don’t offend any of the older Yes fans. On the other hand, I think we are going to be bringing a younger generation to the shows that maybe didn’t grow up on Yes the way that we did. There’s a whole new generation of younger progressive fans that started out with Dream Theater. We started out with Yes, Pink Floyd, Genesis, and Rush. So, I know that we’ll bring a younger generation to the tour. TMR: Will it be equal set times? MP: No. We are absolutely the opening. These guys are celebrating their 35th anniversary. We wouldn’t dare suggest co-headlining with them. We’ll play about an hour set. A longer than usual set for an opening act. TMR: But, a very short set for Dream Theater. MP: Yeah. But, that’s fine. We’re up for it. We busted our asses on the Train of Thought tour playing 3 and 3 ½ hour shows every night. It really beat the hell out of us. Playing an hour every night and opening for one of our favorite bands of all time is going to be a nice summer vacation. TMR: You started the Official Bootlegs CDs and the Portony Archieves DVDs. How’s the response been? MP: It’s been great. I’m real happy that we are able to offer things like that. It took a long time for us to be able to arrange it because of contractual things with our label. Now that it is up and running, I think it’s a great thing. It’s fun for me to put together. I know the fans are digging it. I think it’s a win-win situation for everybody. ......... TMR: After the Yes tour, are you going back into the studio? MP: After the Yes tour, I think we’ll be ready to start something fresh. So, I think that’s the plan. TMR: One of the themes of TheManRoom is the concept of a “Man Room”; the room in the house that has all the video equipment and stuff most wives aren’t interested in. Do you have one in your house? MP: I actually have a movie theater that I just built in my basement. My entire basement is like the “Man House.” My wife has two floors above me of anything she would like. I have the entire basement which has been transformed into a movie theater/library/office. I have a drum room which has four or five of my kits from throughout my career setup almost like a showroom. The movie theater is my pride and joy. It has three rows of stadium seating and a huge projection screen. I’m a huge DVD fanatic and I have thousands and thousands. I’m a big collector. When I come home of the road, you can put me down in my basement and you won’t hear from me for months on end. TMR: Any final words to the website members about how right I am in my quest to convert people to Dream Theater in our forums? MP: It’s a small, but growing club, the Dream Theater club. It’s been around for a long time. This club has been in existence for almost twenty years. It’s the sort of thing where once you’re a member, you’re a lifetime member. But, it’s an exclusive club. Not everybody gets it. That’s what makes it so special. Maybe the more people you try to tell about Dream Theater and they don’t get it, makes it even more special for us that do. I think that’s kind of been the story of our career. TMR: I appreciate the time to talk with me. MP: Good speaking with you. Close Window YesInThePress.com For site comments, inquiries, corrections, or additions, contact yitp@yesservices.com