I’ve been a Mike Portnoy fan for so long that I legitimately think most of my understanding of rhythm and time can be traced directly to different things he’s done in different bands. I might not be a drummer, but listening to his playing in Dream Theater and Liquid Tension Experiment made me suddenly care very deeply about the drums. So when I had the chance to talk to him, I of course jumped on it.
He’s a man of many bands (all of them pretty spectacular), and right now he’s on tour with his main squeeze, The Winery Dogs – an insane trifecta of a supergroup, featuring Billy Sheehan – the greatest bass player in rock, and Richie Kotzen, the man who shreds like Paul Gilbert and sings like Chris Cornell.
I talked to Mike about his new but old-school style kit, his Winery Dogs-branded everything, the Hello Kitty drum set, Â and what’s in the cooler he keeps next to him every show.
Be sure to go see their incendiary live show when the tour comes near you – dates here.
