Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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Mike Portnoy joins his son Max Portnoy for their first in-depth conversation exploring life on the road, early tour memories, and how Max was shaped by growing up around Dream Theater. They break down some of Mike’s most iconic recordings, including "Take The Time", "Beyond This Life", "This Dying Soul", "Octavarium", "The Dark Eternal Night", and more—unpacking the stories, recording approaches, and musical ideas behind each era.

The discussion also dives deep into the evolution of Mike’s legendary drum kits, from the original Dream Theater setup to the various “Monster” kits that defined different phases of his career.

Throughout the interview, Mike and Max bring these classic Dream Theater moments to life with multiple drum jams, culminating in an open-ended final jam session on Mike's “Dream Monster” drum kit.

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