Marking their 40th anniversary, Dream Theater comes home to play Nassau Coliseum

Dream Theater’s dream is about to come true. The progressive metal band from Long Island grew up attending concerts at Nassau Coliseum and now in its 40th anniversary year the group will headline the venue for the first time on Oct. 25.

"It’s always been this bucket list thing," said Dream Theater guitarist John Petrucci, who grew up in Kings Park. "I spent my teenage years going to see every concert there from Judas Priest to Iron Maiden to Rush. The fact that we never played there before as a Long Island band makes it exciting. This is a really special event for us."

These days, the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame members have a lot to celebrate. Not only are they in their 40th year but original Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy rejoined the band after departing in 2010.

A DRUMMER RETURNS

Portnoy, who grew up in Long Beach, decided to leave the band to take a break and pursue other musical interests. This was devastating to the fan base and the group — he wasn’t just a stickman but also Petrucci’s partner in writing and producing. But DT fans’ prayers were answered as Portnoy and Petrucci eventually found their way back to each other.

"It was an evolution that transpired over the course of several years," Portnoy, 58, said. "Back in 2017, John and I made a point to reconnect on a personal level with our families, our wives and our kids to rekindle our friendship. Then the musical reconnections began."

Portnoy played on Petrucci’s solo album, "Terminal Velocity," in 2020 and they reconvened for a third Liquid Tension Experiment album in 2021 with along with fellow Dream Theater member keyboardist Jordan Rudess and King Crimson bassist Tony Levin. Additionally, the duo fully bonded on Petrucci’s solo tour in 2022.

"There were all these little steps that started to make it feel like it was inevitable," Portnoy said. "We realized the clock is ticking, we are all getting older and there are no guarantees as to how much longer we are going to be here as individuals or as a band. Plus, when you see your heroes start to pass away like Neil Peart [Rush drummer] and Eddie Van Halen [Van Halen guitarist], it shakes you. You realize that our time on this Earth is limited. That kind of impact and awareness played a big part in us reuniting."

Petrucci, 58, added: "All of a sudden one day, it felt like the right time to do this and everybody agreed. It’s been wonderful. Having Mike back has been special for me, the band and for the fans who have missed him."

NEW ALBUM EMERGES

The reignited spark between Petrucci and Portnoy prompted the band to enter the studio to record its 16th studio album, "Parasomnia," which they will be performing in its entirety at Nassau Coliseum.

"It is a concept album with its own aesthetic that’s dark and disturbing," Petrucci, who produced the album, explained. "The songs are about different types of sleep disturbances like night terrors, sleep paralysis, the Hat Man and all of these phenomena. We will be bringing people into that world as they enter the venue only a few days before Halloween. The timing is perfect."

Portnoy added: "Our creative process is the same as it has always been dating back to 1985. The band gets together in a room and everyone bounces ideas off of each other then we spend time arranging and developing them collaboratively."

GROWING UP IN KINGS PARK

Dream Theater has very deep roots that begin in Kings Park in the late 1970s when Petrucci and bassist John Myung became friends at William T. Rogers Middle School.

"I’d steer my 10-speed bike with one hand and I’d have my bass case in the other riding over to John’s house. We’d jam and put things together," said Myung, 58. "John and I had a shared outlook on practicing and the importance of putting the time in. There was an unwritten rule ... if it was Friday night and we saw each other at a party or social gathering, we would have already put in three hours of practicing."

Petrucci said he feels living in the Long Island suburbs greatly impacted his musical direction.

"I wouldn’t be the same guitar player if I didn’t grow up where I did. Not only was the local station WBAB playing rock but the people in my neighborhood played. I’d go from one garage to another jamming for hours and hours," Petrucci said. "By the time I was 16, I developed a real passion for the instrument and I knew that’s what I wanted to do for the rest of my life."

BERKLEE BOUND

After graduating Kings Park High School, Myung and Petrucci ventured off to Berklee College of Music in Boston, where they met Portnoy.

"They had these individual drum rooms where people would pop in to see who was playing," Myung said. "Mike caught John’s attention and they set up a time to play. When we started to jam, it all fell into place. It felt very natural."

Portnoy added: "We all had this love for progressive rock and heavy metal with the same influences — Rush, Yes, Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath. Plus, all three of us came from Long Island."

The trio didn’t return to Berklee, but instead focused on the band, which they initially named Majesty with local friends Kevin Moore (keyboards) and Chris Collins (vocals).

"We decided to stay put on Long Island and practice at night in basements of hair salons, butcher shops or whatever space we could rent," Myung said. "A demo was made in John’s bedroom in Kings Park using a four-track. We’d stay up all night until the morning getting tracks done."

The band would perform local gigs at Sundance in Bay Shore and the Right Track Inn in Freeport.

"We spent the first year of the band playing all over Long Island," Portnoy said. "From battle of the bands to little clubs to parties, we’d play wherever they would have us."

PROGRESSIVE METAL DIEHARDS

Through the years, Dream Theater stuck to their guns playing their own brand of progressive metal and never veered off the path.

"We play a style of music that isn’t the easiest to digest," Petrucci said. "It bucks all the norms in terms of the song lengths, the subjects we write about and the amount of solos we have. Because of this, we have always had to swim upstream and work hard at something we were invested in and passionate about."

The band’s longevity is fueled by its dedication to the style of music it makes.

"Dream Theater didn’t follow what was popular, trendy or in fashion," Portnoy said. "But we persevered the entire time, through all the ups and downs. The band needed to be patient, driven and focused in order to overcome. Forty years doesn’t happen overnight."

Now that the band is reunited and moving forward, the future seems wide-open for Dream Theater.

"The best is yet to come in terms of what we can accomplish. I think everyone’s mindset is to surpass what we have done up to this point and go even further," Myung said. "We are firing on all cylinders right now. The band is stronger than ever."