Zappa on CNN 1986, tellin’ it to The Man. And that turd Robert Novak…
Mike Portnoy Revisited
My first exposure to Mike Portnoy was, I think, seeing him in Mapex ads in Modern Drummer in the early 1990s. Pretty soon, he was everywhere in MD: ads, articles, features, interviews, blurbs… Then, I saw a transcription of the opening to “6:00” in a Sabian brochure. I had to hear it.
I went to Blockbuster Music (remember those?), where they would open any CD and let you listen to it. That’s when I heard “6:00” for the first time. Holy crap… My fifteen-year-old head nearly exploded. Yeah, I’d heard and seen a lot of great drumming to that point, but Mike Portnoy and Dream Theater differed so greatly from what I was into at the time. And that was the start of long (mild) obsession with the band and their drummer.
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A Studio Gig & Pop Drumming’s Unappreciated Nuances
So, I did this session of rock/pop covers a couple weekends ago at Q Division Studios in Somerville, MA. (Awesome joint, btw.) I’m not too proud to admit that I’m always a bit nervous in the studio. I’m not some cool cat like Vinnie Colaiuta or Josh Freese who breezes into a session and cuts perfect tracks with any range of feels the producer desires. …Keep Reading