Dream Theater’s James LaBrie on the Secret to Band’s Longevity

Dream Theater are currently out on their 40th Anniversary tour and during a chat with Full Metal Jackie for her weekend radio show, frontman James LaBrie shared the secret to the band’s longevity.”When we go in to create an album, to us, it has to be like we are at the beginning of our career,” explained the singer. “It’s really about pushing ourselves, feeling that we’re growing not only as a band, but individually and collectively, that we can produce something that feels fresh.”He adds, “There’s no denying that we’re still in it for the right reasons. We love creating new music, we love putting out new albums and we love touring and interacting with our fans.”Within the chat, James and Jackie dig into Dream Theater’s Parasomnia album. They reflect on what drummer Mike Portnoy’s return has meant to the band and where they stand after making the transition. Plus LaBrie discusses Portnoy’s handling of material from the time he was not in the group.LaBrie also shares with Jackie that album that provided his most rewarding time in the band and he discusses the challenge of doing a conceptual album so early in their career and setting a blueprint for others.Check out more of the chat below.It’s Full Metal Jackie. These are exciting times as we welcome Dream Theater’s James LaBrie to the show. There’s so much to discuss in the Dream Theater world. Obviously. more attention has been thrust upon the band with Mike Portnoy’s return. Having now toured and written with Mike back back in the fold again and seeing how fans have reacted, what is your take on where the band is at at this point in your career?I think it’s very exciting times for the band. I say sometimes at these shows to the crowd, “Hey, we’ve just begun a whole new chapter.” Because it feels like it. It feels like possibilities are endless for us and we’re feeling really good where we are right now.The album that we just released, Parasomnia, has been received gloriously with rave reviews. The fans just seem to be embracing everything that we’re doing right now – the new incarnation, which is of the old as well.I think of it sometimes. I guess I could say, if a glove don’t fit, you must equip. But I’d say when it does fit, there’s no denying it. With Mike back, it just felt so natural. He’s such a talented individual, not only on the drums, but when it comes to composing songs and stuff. He’s just right on it. He’s had so much experience, and especially working with us, it was seamless. We’ve done this before.We did several albums leading up to Black Clouds and Silver Linings with Mike, and we have tremendous material there to reflect on. So it wasn’t that big of a surprise when he came back in and we started working on the new material.It was kind of like here we are. Let’s go for it. And the results, I think, speak for themselves.Dream Theater, “Midnight Messiah”James, one of the more interesting aspects of Mike’s return, as we were just talking about, is that he’s been picking set lists for the group. I do notice that there are some songs from the era in which Mike wasn’t part of the band. I understand from past quotes that he’s been great with communicating about what’s going on. What kinds of discussions were had about what from the Mangini era would go in and how they would be presented? Is he bringing something different or trying to stay true to the original approach?The initial conversation was just why don’t you listen to those albums and let us know what you gravitate towards. What songs hit you best and what songs would you be comfortable playing in a live environment? And he came back, and that’s the songs that he picked.So there’s two songs from the Mangini era. And he does them justice. You know, he’s. He’s playing it as close to the original, but at the same time he’s giving it a little bit of his. His flair and his, um, style and his approach.I think that’s cool. You don’t have to be a robot. I think that even in the songs that he was all part of, he still might not necessarily play it right to the T. There might be little flourishes here and there.Granted, 98 percent of the time, he’s playing exactly like the album. But one of the beautiful things when you’re playing live is that you do have that freedom to do little embellishments here and there. And he does it in a very calculated way, in a creative and artistic way.So everything was fine. It wasn’t like, “Oh hey, you know, I’m sorry about it. You’re going to have to do some of these.” It was just like, “Hey, you know, we can’t ignore the fact that we have five albums there that we should be doing a little bit of that material.”So it was all good. We’re all in a very good place right now. I guess when you grow older, you evolve, you mature, you wisen up. And we understand what we’re doing, and we feel that we’re blessed to still be doing what we’re doing and that we’re in it 100 percent.It’s not just a matter of, let’s generate some money and go out there and throw something out. For us, creating an album like Parasomnia was this has got to be the best that it can be. It’s like a band presenting their first album or their sophomore album. It’s gotta be great.James, let’s talk about the new record, Parasomnia. There seems to be some connective thematic tissue throughout this record. Granted, sleep disturbances can be a little unsettling, but from a creativity standpoint, how enjoyable is it to flesh out how these songs will tie together and bring it together as a band?I guess you could say it’s a thematic album, but for all intents and purposes, it is. At the end of the day, it is like a conceptual album. You have the reoccurring motifs that are going throughout that interweave and that support and make the album cohesive.As far as everything has a purpose, everything needs to flow, that you feel that not only are the lyrics dealing with the subject matter that can all tie in, but each one has. As far as the lyrics, each one has its story to tell of a specific ailment that somebody might be experiencing with parasomnia, but the music is really the glue that kind of gives you that feeling that it’s much more than.Yeah, it’s thematic, but it’s much more than that. It is conceptual to a certain degree, That was the beauty of listening to this album from beginning to end, is that musically, it does interweave, it ties in, it reflects. And that’s what makes it an exciting ride.The epic at the end just kind of is like a signature with Dream Theater. For us to be able to do songs like that and not feel any constraints, that’s what we love doing.That’s a big part of who and what we are musically. It’s a really beautiful way to end the album. You have “In the Arms of Morpheus” to begin and then you have “The Shadow Man Incident,” so it’s a good way to bookend the album. It really, really ties it up.It’s hard to imagine saying this, but this tour that you guys are doing is celebrating 40 years of Dream Theater. Obviously, that is a lot of time. What do you feel is the biggest change that has happened for Dream Theater since your early years in the band? And what do you feel is the through line that’s kept you consistently solid as a group throughout the run?As I just mentioned there a few minutes ago, at the end of it all, when we go in to create an album, to us, it has to be like we are at the beginning of our career. We’re wanting to produce something that is the absolute finest, the best results.It’s not just a matter of going through the motions and creating something that will allow you to get back out there and tour with us. It’s really about pushing ourselves, feeling that we’re growing not only as a band, but individually and collectively, that we can produce something that feels fresh.There’s no denying that we’re still in it for the right reasons. We love creating new music, we love putting out new albums and we love touring and interacting with our fans. So I think really, that is the biggest part of why we’ve had this longevity, this glorious and long career.I think because we’ve stayed true to ourselves. We don’t get caught up in any trends or anything like that. By being the kind of band we are. It comes with its challenges, but we’re willing to accept that 100 percent and embrace it full heartedly because it’s what makes us who and what we are.And I think our fans really appreciate that. They understand and they expect that from us. It’s created who and what we are throughout these several years.And as you said, it’s our 40th anniversary tour. That was the inception, right?That was when the band got together and created what ultimately became Dream theater. Back in 1985 at Berkeley Music School was John Petrucci, John Myung and Mike Portnoy who became the nucleus of the band. And then from there it expanded and then they eventually got Kevin Moore and then Charlie Dominici doing the first album When Dream and Day Unite. And then I came in on Images and Words and I’ve been with them ever since.So if you go back to the Images and Words album, we’ve been touring relentlessly for the last 34 years. But just to be able to say that the band really did become who and what we are today, back in 1985, it’s slightly mind boggling. It really is.James, let me preface this by saying this is not the “best album” question, but as we’re celebrating 40 years, this seems like a good time for reflection. For you personally, what album and tour cycle was the most rewarding for you just in the way it turned out and whatever else might have been happening in your life at the time. Do you have one that just brings back the best of memories for your time in Dream Theater?It’s a no brainer for me. Images and Words, that whole tour. The album came out, we got behind it, we toured almost 18 months, the album blew up. We all of a sudden were able to confidently and comfortably say that this is who we are and this is our career.We are full fledged professionals. We just had such a blast. We were very young. Each and every one of us were extremely young and we were having such a great time and going around and playing the sold out shows everywhere and being on MuchMusic in Canada and MTV, down in the States. It was surreal, but at the same time it was just so liberating and thrilling an experience for each and every one of us because we had never experienced traveling around the world playing in front of thousands and thousands of people each and every night. It was as if somebody pinched me.So definitely that does touch home for me because that was the catalyst that created everything that that was to follow. If it hadn’t been for Images, well, let’s say and let’s be even more direct that if it hadn’t been for “Pull Me Under” blowing up, you and I pretty damn sure wouldn’t be having a discussion today.We would be, James. As I mentioned, long, long time Dream Theater fan, but I get it.Yeah, for sure.And I appreciate and know that about you, Jackie. But I’m just saying, when Images was initially released, and I’m sure a lot of people know this now because I’ve said it several times in interviews, but the true hard cold fact is that when that album was released, it was only released with 10,000 albums going out into the various record shops and CD shops. It wasn’t like the label thought, well let’s see what happens.All of a sudden, we were playing everywhere. I still remember playing a show in New Orleans when we first started out in the fall of 92, and we were in New Orleans and we were playing in front of five people, and four of those people were from the band Bad Company. So think about that. And then all of a sudden, in November, “Pull Me Under started blowing up at college radio, which in turn translated very well and very strongly to national radio. And then it blew up at national radio and went to No. 1. And then Bob’s your uncle as to say it just flew through the roof.Everything was unreal from that point on. Now, if “Pull Me Under” hadn’t grabbed the way that it did, I don’t know. I think maybe we would have tried to just dig our heels in and got out in the road and gone to places that would have us. But I’m not sure how successful that can be.Dream Theater, “Pull Me Under”It’s Full Metal. Jackie. James LaBrie of Dream Theater on the show with us this week, and we were just talking about Images and Words, I just have to say, that was one of the greatest albums of all time and an album that I feel like defined what prog rock and metal bands used as a guide for creating concept records. You were doing concept records before concept records were a thing to do. Like, how does that feel?You think about when Images and Words came out. I mean, come on. Most people would be saying, “Are you freaking crazy?” to the label. Are you guys crazy that you’re even considering releasing an album like this? Nirvana and Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains, those were the top runners and it was crazy.And then here we come up with an album like Images and Words with songs like “Metropolis” and “Learning to Live” and “Take the Time.” What the hell? Where do you put that within that environment? And sure enough, though, what it said to several people, especially in the industry, is, look how many people are starving for this kind of music.READ MORE: The Best Song Off Every Dream Theater AlbumIt’s not everyone. You might think that you’re reading the environment correctly, but you’re not, because there are many people that want something that’s a little more artistic, a little bit more flourishing and technical and you call it what you want, progressive or [whatever] and then we had the metal side to ourselves, the edge, the aggression.So obviously we got the whole moniker being Dream Theater, the progressive metal giants. But it worked in our favor. But before, when this album was about to be released, it was like, “Wow, where the hell is this gonna stick?” Like, Throw it up against which wall? And fortunately for us, it worked.It worked tremendously for us and it allowed us to do the albums like Awake and like Scenes From a Memory and Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence and Octavarium. Those are all other albums that I hold so dearly to my heart, because they’re beautiful albums.They stand up to each and every one that we’ve done gloriously. So thank God, Thank God that things just happen to unfold as they did.Off air, we were joking about something that every Dream Theater fan can probably relate to. Bathroom lines at their shows. I have been seeing this band for over 20 years, and back in the day, no line for the ladies room because it was just me and maybe two other women in the whole venue. Times have definitely changed.James, Good luck with all things to come. Happy to hear that the Ladies Room line is not as short and non existent as it used to be. But thanks, Jackie. Thank you, Jackie, for your support andI hope to see you at one of the shows. I’m guessing you will be at one of them. And yeah. I’ll make sure my security guy ushers you in to the restroom.I like it. Perfect. I’m in.Thanks to Dream Theater’s James Labrie for the interview. The Parasomnia album is out now. You can keep up to date with the band through their website, Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Spotify platforms. Find out where you can hear Full Metal Jackie’s weekend radio show here.Best Progressive Rock + Metal Album of Each Year Since 1983Scroll through the Best Progressive Rock + Metal Album of Each Year Since 1983Gallery Credit: Jordan Blum