Dream Theater’s James LaBrie recently explained why the band refuses to erase the Mike Mangini era from their setlists. This comes even after original drummer Mike Portnoy returned to the band. His comments were shared in an interview with Igor Miranda.
LaBrie addressed the band’s approach to creating setlists and their commitment to honoring all eras of Dream Theater’s history.
“Mike Portnoy has taken the torch as uh as far as creating the set list. And he is extremely methodical and analytical and thorough in the way that he goes about creating set lists because he looks at the last time we were in any given city, any given country. What did we play there last time? Okay, so let’s mix it up,” LaBrie said.
The vocalist emphasized his strong support for the albums created during Mangini’s tenure with the band.
“Those albums that we did with Mike Mangini, I stand behind them 100%. 100%. They’re great albums. Mike did a superb job. He’s a great drummer. He’s unique. He’s one of a kind in the way that he plays, his style, his approach. And I think that’s what makes any given drummer extremely interesting and intriguing is that if they have their own um their own identity, their own approach to music,” he continued.
LaBrie further explained what makes drummers distinctive. He also explained why the Mangini era remains important to the band’s identity.
“Because you know the great great drummers are extremely musical and they have something that’s just it could be subtle but it’s all those nuances and you know inflections that they create around their instrument that makes them who and what they are. Doing a couple of songs from the Mike Mangini era is important and it’s necessary because that is us. It is Dream Theater, you know, with another drummer,” he said.
Dream Theater’s recent lineup change saw founding drummer Mike Portnoy officially return to the band in October 2023, replacing Mike Mangini after a 13-year absence.
Portnoy, who originally left the group in 2010, rejoined alongside longtime members James LaBrie, John Petrucci, John Myung, and Jordan Rudess, marking a major reunion of the band’s classic lineup.
The band confirmed that Mangini’s departure was amicable, while Portnoy’s return immediately set the stage for a new studio album—the first featuring him since 2009’s Black Clouds & Silver Linings.
