Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy shared an emotional new post on Instagram to honor the lives lost on September 11, 2001. The post revealed a startling coincidence tied to his band’s history.
In the post, Portnoy recalled where he was on that day and reflected on the eerie timing of Dream Theater’s live album “Live Scenes From New York.” The album was released on the very same date and featured the Twin Towers in flames on its cover, forcing the band to recall physical copies and change the artwork.
“September 11th 2001…one of the worst days in American history…a day that still seems completely unfathomable to me even 25 years later…I remember it like it was yesterday,” Mike Portnoy said.
“It was an absolutely gorgeous day and I was due to be going to NYC where we were mixing the Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence album,” he continued. “Suffice to say, I never made it to the studio that day and spent the remainder of the week glued to the TV in complete disbelief over what was unfolding in our beloved NYC merely miles away…”
Portnoy went on to describe the unsettling connection between that day and the band’s album release.
“I hate posting about ANYTHING else on this day, but I would be remiss to not point out the incredible coincidence of DT releasing our live album ‘Live Scenes From New York’ that same very day…which on the cover was the Twin Towers in flames!” he said. “It was one of the most eerie coincidences in the history of music. Suffice to say, we were horrified and immediately recalled all physical copies of the CD and changed the front cover artwork…”
He closed his tribute with a reflection on the significance of the day.
“In any case, let’s Never Forget that horrible day…one that I hope we never see the likes of again in our lifetime,” Portnoy said.
The details behind that album’s release only deepen how eerie the timing truly was.
“Live Scenes From New York” was recorded live at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City on August 30, 2000, more than a year before it hit shelves. The three-disc set was originally scheduled for release on September 11, 2001. This made the coincidence with the terrorist attacks even more unsettling, given how far in advance the release date had been locked in.
The original artwork depicted the band’s signature flaming logo reimagined as a burning apple, a nod to New York’s “Big Apple” nickname. The design was set against the city’s skyline, with the World Trade Center towers visible engulfed in flames. The design had been conceived purely as a tribute to the city where the album was recorded, with no connection to the tragedy that would unfold on release day.
Once the attacks occurred, Dream Theater moved quickly to pull the album from shelves entirely. The band recalled all physical copies bearing the original cover. The album was then reissued on October 16, 2001, with revised artwork that removed the burning skyline imagery.
Guitarist John Petrucci has also spoken publicly about the unsettling coincidence over the years. He confirmed that the band never anticipated how the cover’s imagery would collide with real-world tragedy on the very day of release. The episode remains one of the most cited eerie coincidences in modern music history, a stark reminder of how art and unforeseen tragedy occasionally intersect in unimaginable ways.
