The Iconic Drumming Behind "

[@DrumeoOfficial]

Iconic drum intro! 👊🏼Hit your drumming goals-Get a 7-day FREE trial 👉🏼www.drumeo.com/trial

[@TheSateef]

i hope Drumeo held mike captive for a month and keeps dropping all his DT songs for the next 5 years

[@dabbyl528]

I agree

[@darkknightenberg]

​@@dabbyl528as MAN i also agree

[@DJT544]

Third

[@DPW13]

I hope hes still there filming content. Love this dude.

[@carlos_7x]

Forth

[@geodio]

In 1996 I was 16 and walked into the local record shop which always had cool music going. As I walked in that crazy tom intro blared. I stopped and looked at the owner and said "6 o clock??". He paused, asked me some more questions, then offered me a job. My first ever job. $5/hour in a cd shop in the mid-90s. That guy took me to my first concert too (Rush's 1997 test for Echo where they played all of 2112). Thank you Mike for me getting my first (really cool) job.

[@glbwoodsbum2567]

That's awesome!!!

[@Lantern7100]

Amazing story!!!

[@aajusansjunger9403]

Gracias por la historia. Sentí nostalgia

[@traquemorrel1820]

I listened DT for the first time in 1996! I was 14

[@tsps03]

thanks for sharing!

[@decomicssehablaasi]

Kevin Moore wrote only classics, the guy is a freaking genius, great songwriting, and innovative keyboard sounds, I don't know if people appreciate how important he is in DT history

[@iosibcn]

We have always been appreciating Kevin's amazing talent!!! We still miss him nowadays

[@jamesbalestrino2670]

Isn’t he a doctor now? The dude is a genius all the way around.

[@moreblack]

It doesn't help that he was only there for a short time.

[@iosibcn]

@jamesbalestrino2670 he's a Psychiatrist !! And he doesn't have any contact with the Band, since 20 years....is difficult to understand!

[@FlightdeckJohnny]

Totally agree. I actually lost interest more and more after awake due to the fact the song writing wasn’t as good anymore to my taste. Jordan is a phenomenon of course but Kevin was a genius when it comes to creating good songs. God I miss him

Talk about one of the most underrated prog albums of all time. Awake is epic. 6:00 is one of the greatest prog tunes ever written. I mean NO disrespect to Mike Mangini as he is one of the nicest guys on earth, and for sure one of the greatest drummers, but Mike Portnoy's personality takes Dream Theater through the roof. His persona, playing, creativity, passion, etc make DT probably the greatest prog band in history. If you don't love Mike Portnoy, get counseling.

[@AtomizedSound]

Mike is top tier for sure

[@lyricbread]

Agreed!

[@DaveThomson]

@@AtomizedSound Mike is great

[@Miguvideos]

My first prog album. What a gateway drug! 🙂

[@CompleteProducer84]

I absolutely love MM too, but I agree. There are 4 things I personally like about drummers - Creativity/Composition, Technicality, Showmanship, and Drum Sound. Speaking only in the context of DT, MP wins out all of those categories aside for Technicality. But even then, I still prefer MP’s looser, more human feel, even if this makes him less perfect than MM on the kit.

[@Slayerformayor1983]

Awake is such a killer album.

[@VLAQ]

totally agreed!

[@tompramanaaccount8892]

Awake is Labrie at it's peak IMO, he can still do Images and Words stuffs live, but his voice mature quite a lot in Awake era.

[@Lantern7100]

I think it might be my favorite

[@JamesPhillips-cp4vn]

100%

[@SwedeSpeeder]

@@Lantern7100 Def mine.

[@nachomagallanico]

So glad to see Mike giving his props to Dr. Kevin Moore. He was such an integral part of the band during those early years. His genius is all over those tracks

[@AngelMartinez-wk1bf]

I miss Kevin's"melodic" approaches, those sounds more sinfonic than so prog.&tech, I think

[@andreagrazianodibenedetto1464]

@@AngelMartinez-wk1bf Same for me. DT's quality of music started plummeting as soon as Kevin left.

[@dnllrnt]

​@@andreagrazianodibenedetto1464 I'm sure fans of Scenes from a Memory through Octavarium would heavily disagree.

[@andreagrazianodibenedetto1464]

@@dnllrnt yeah I'm sure they would, but I really don't care m8. I've been listening to DT since 1993 and my own judgement is perfectly sufficient for me :)

[@computerman789]

@@dnllrnt "Scenes from a Memory" overstays it's welcome in terms of it's lyrical content and a majority of the lyrics are just downright hammy "Victoria's real, I finally feel. At peace with the girl in my dreams"; it really taints the mysterious, abstract and ambigious nature of it's predecessor. I truly believe they should have made it a suite rather than a concept album for that very reason. Excellent in terms of it's instrumental composition, otherwise I'd say for me it's a let down.

[@ThePoorBoy]

I'm a drummer, and this was the first DT song I'd ever heard. It was the fall of 1995, and I was 15 at the time. I spent most of the rest of my school year listening to this album nearly every day. Still my favorite DT album. A masterpiece that kicks you in the face with that opening fill and holds you by the nuts until it breaks your heart with the final track, "Space-Dye Vest."

[@raytheater]

This song was the start of it all for me. The minute the drum intro hit I new this was the music I was searching for. It was the beginning of the roller coaster ride for me.

[@HoracioGaray]

This was the first Dream Theater song I checked out, back in '97. It completely blew me away, especially the drumming. The snare sound was just killer IMO. Awake is definitely one of my favorite DT records. Plus, it was my introduction to this kind of music.

[@thevorace]

6:00 is such a great song. Kevin's contributions to the earlier albums really makes them unique.

[@osirisgolad]

For all the great drumming, that bass/keyboard unison part at 7:30 with the funky large vertical intervals dotted throughout is probably my favourite part of the song.

[@eptagramma]

delighted by the Kevin Moore reference. Thank you so much, Kev'

[@SevenStarBricks]

I remember watching MTV in the early 90s and seeing Tool and some other bands and then this absolutely mental song plays; Pull Me Under. I snuck into a local bar in Binghamton, NY to watch this band from Long Island play not long after that. (I was only 17) When Awake dropped I grabbed my copy from Music City and popped it into my portable CD player. I must've restarted 6:00 about 2 dozen times before letting the song play because it was the absolute coolest drum intro I had ever heard. Still one of my all-time favorites. Thanks Mike!

[@na-tv6rn]

I didn't get into DT until about 2004 in my first year of University. The first new album I experienced as a new release was Systematic Chaos. Pretty sure I did the exact same thing for the entire intro to In The Presence of Enemies before I finally let it play past the slow interlude lol. Mike's drumming was just relentless.

[@ifgwelf]

For me it was hearing the song Ytse Jam I was floored by that riff

[@klantic2]

Man I love this song so much. Mike: I haven't played this for 20 years... then goes on to play it beat for beat (save one or two modifications). *SWOON*

[@Claudio_AG]

He played it on the Pokemon kit for Loudwire so that's less than 20 years - kzbin.info/www/bejne/fpPJeaZqqdWbb80si=ieUf5IpPeDqThIPU&t=80

[@XtopherBryson]

@@Claudio_AGwhat a stupid attempt at a correction from this guy 😂

[@DaveThomson]

I'm sure they edited the part where he practiced it to relearn it

[@vosoryan]

​@Claudio_AG I know you're probably joking, but when he says he hasn't played it I think he meant the song in its entirety. That drum intro itself is legendary so I'm sure he plays that quite often

[@Claudio_AG]

@@XtopherBryson it's obviously a joke, the loudwire video is only the intro played on a toy kit

[@phobit]

Drumeo has been milking the Portnoy machine for months now AND I‘M FUCKING INTO IT, KEEP IT GOING DRUMEO, here’s hoping for a breakdown of Honor Thy Father

[@Pirustae]

You've got clips of that from his DVD

[@Sam-cv6un]

don't cross the crooked step

[@damo8615]

i think he breaks down the intro on the hour long drumeo video

[@Hsusk8]

This song is so good and seeing this video makes it better. It’s like the whole song is a 6 minute drum solo. Makes me smile that I realized that EVERY time this starts to play in my car I instantly start to air drum the whole intro using of course all my feet and hands and I nail it perfectly haha.

[@barilefano]

Side note: "Awake" - era LaBrie was UNTOUCHABLE! So sad he got sick later that year

[@wf29499]

If you’re reading this and wondering why - go look up Dream Theater live in San Fran ‘94!

[@CompleteProducer84]

Yes agreed! I feel it's such a travesty that so many of the people who bash LaBrie do not know how good he was LIVE back in the early 90's! There is a set they did in Germany in 93, and he nails every single note on Images - an incredibly hard album to sing live

[@nachomagallanico]

Go check Winter Rose his band before joining dream theater, there is even a bootleg of him with that band also, and it's minsblowing.

[@liquidrum7]

what happened to James after 94?

[@julioluiz]

​@@liquidrum7he got food poisoning on holiday in Cuba later that year and ruptured his vocal cords while vomiting... tough stuff

[@andresmarin5328]

And this is why Mike is my all time favourite drummer. Amazing composition, energetic performance, true playing, unbelieveable musicality... you will always find other skills in other people, but the balance of his abilities and what he has provided to music and drumming will be there forever for everyone to enjoy.

[@k0mbutcha]

well said!

[@QSS6]

Literally the first thing I ever heard of Mike’s playing was this intro. Fanboy ever since. 🙏🏻

[@BigPhi84]

Man, I remember riding in my friend’s Chevy Blazer, blasting this song as loud as the stereo system could go! That intro-fill is burned into my memory banks. Mike Portnoy might be 30 years older now, but he still has that special sauce! Even though I don’t really listen to prog-metal anymore, I’ll always count Portnoy as one of my greatest musical influences. Thank you, Drumeo, for letting me walk down that memory lane once again. 👍🏽

[@skrounst]

Honestly, I had never heard this song before I watched this video... As soon as I heard the drum intro in this video, I went and listened to it. It immediately shot into my top 5 drum grooves of all time. Side note, this song is 30 years old... Mike could have easily taken credit for the creation of the beat, but gave it to someone else. I'd argue it was both of them since , like Mike said, he added the embelishments, and actually had to play the dang thing. Collaboration is (almost) always going to give you a better song than if everyone just did whetever they wanted.

[@ooo_Kim_Chi_ooo]

Check out the next song on the album Caught in a Web

[@julioluiz]

I'll do you one better: check out the whole album Awake.

[@ooo_Kim_Chi_ooo]

@@julioluiz The Mirror/Lie. I remember showing that song to a friend of mine and he was like OMG THAT RIFF IS SO HEAVY!!!! JP made the 7 string a trend thing.

[@myprivateyoutube1440]

The first couple of bars from the outro of Scarred is probably my favorite groove from that album.

[@skrounst]

@@ooo_Kim_Chi_ooo The intro and chorus of Caught in a Web is SO good. The synth melody in the intro is so good it could be used as a chorus for a song even to this day. The production in general on this whole album is insane for 1993.

[@97Mizzo]

I had to play this for my final drum exam in high school. Got a lot of love for this song

[@BrunoNunes83]

Kevin Moore ❤

[@USMCSDI]

Watching Mike Portnoy play the drums is absolutely *POETRY IN MOTION*

[@GillBoldberg]

Really cool to see Kevin Moore getting some love. Such an underrated musician and a huge part of Dream Theater's sound and success.

[@ooo_Kim_Chi_ooo]

Jordan is amazing but Kevin Moore has soul.

[@centralfloridachrysler3766]

Aaaaand Kevin never had a computer with the music note for note in front of him. All by memory. Amazing.

[@TheItoogami]

As a guitar player looking for a drummer that exhibits such control of time and measure I'm absolutely floored. Wish I could play as good as these guys. Hats off to you "ALL!"

[@cloudstrife8833]

Mike portnoy is a legend

[@SoulRollerFIN]

First heard of Dream Theater in early 2000s and was hooked. One of the reasons why is this song.

[@tobydavy2052]

loved what Mike did at 8:30, simple but absolutely AWESOME.

[@spencergsmith]

Simple but certainly not easy

[@thekitchenfreak]

It’s actually on the original studio take… and I was waiting for that part exactly!!!

[@Seregor_6]

I miss Kevin Moore’s presence in DT. He’s a truly underrated musician. OSI and Chroma Key kick ass

[@KyleS.1987]

I miss him, too, but on the other hand he became a whole-ass doctor in 2020, and that's pretty cool, too.

[@AtomizedSound]

He offered a “atmosphere” in his playing style and songwriting that is definitely different after he left

[@rjs617]

I miss Kevin’s lyrics more than anything else.

[@PaulEubanks]

@@KyleS.1987 Wow he's apparently a psychiatrist now in ND?! That's wild

[@Prossdog]

@@AtomizedSoundyeah Jordan is absolutely incredible but he’s WAY flashier rather than complimentary like Kevin was.

[@frayman]

"Awake" is one of my favourite albums from dream theater. I love this track! Can't wait to see MP play this live sometime..

[@ooo_Kim_Chi_ooo]

I remember buying this CD the day it came out and that opening drum run changed my musical life along with the guitar intro to Caught in a Web.

[@TheSpartanMoose2453]

Today I learned that between this and "Sound of Muzak" two of my favorite drum parts were modified versions of drum loops from demos non-drummers programmed. Neat!

[@lunarfifthstudios]

This video quickly reminded me that I don't need to pre-program out every single hit to have fun and even to write a good song, an attitude which, unfortunately, has actually paralyzed me lately from even sitting down and just playing for fun. Thanks for this, now I cant wait to just get to jam again. 🥁❤️

[@King-Gilamashur2758]

Yes!

[@recognizerarcade]

Always love to see DT guys talking about Kevin Moore and giving him credit for his brilliant contributions.

[@whiteglovepc]

@@recognizerarcade Kevin is the goat

[@luke211286]

I've always thought it was James saying "6:00 on a christmas morning" with some vocal effects. How silly of me😂

[@BARACHETA30]

Me too!

[@jakasepta]

You're not the only one 😂

[@shaneweldon]

Came here to say the same thing! 🤣

[@gimmemoreborisbrejcha9794]

me too.

[@markitux]

we should make a club, right?

[@hamzahm4382]

Mike, I watched it carefully & I think that is Garuda Indonesia Logo 🇮🇩 on your shirt. Its special for me (especially) because its August, August 17th is our independence day! Cheers from Indonesia 🤘 Glad to have you back to DT. No doubt 6:00 is one of your most iconic & famous drum opening. You rock! 🤘 I hope to see you (& DT) live at Indonesia with you on stage!

[@JabbarVePiaggio13]

Saya menunggu formasi ini ke Indonesia❤

[@robcosh9993]

This was this the song that got me into DT. Was rooming with a bunch of musicians, all of us going to recording engineering school and they couldn't believe I'd never heard of Dream Theater. Put me in the middle someone's huge speakers and blasted it. Been hooked ever since - but this song has a special place. So awesome to watch MP break it down. Can't wait to see them in March 2025!!

[@Eccentrics]

Awake is one of DT's greatest records.

[@whiteglovepc]

No doubt. It’s tough to choose for me between Images, Awake, Scenes, and Six Degrees. They’re all some of their best material and are each unique.

[@leddygee1896]

Scarred Is my personal favorite on Awake…

[@Lantern7100]

@@leddygee1896amazing song!

[@ooo_Kim_Chi_ooo]

By far their greatest album.

[@ooo_Kim_Chi_ooo]

@@leddygee1896 That clean ringing strummed chord in the pre-chorus is so perfect.

[@ShreddingDragon]

Such a treat to hear this song played by MP and with the modern, clean drum sound production! Top notch drum tones and playing. Also Mike: "I haven't played this song in 20 years" > proceeds to nail every iconic drum moment, fill and hook in the song AND adds new cool little grooves, like the stacks at 8:17!

[@66Samus]

Been waiting for this one!! Ohhhh YURRRR!!!

[@snareline]

Sex!

[@King-Gilamashur2758]

Now it's your turn Samus. Do it.

[@arturoruiz-aburtoaguilar1100]

"Although you've kept us captivated with your odd time signatures from Metropolis 2 onwards, we can't deny that the album *Awake* literally woke us all up, and we can't change your status as a god of the Olympus of drumming (as I see it). But what about today, many years later? You're still making songs extremely well! I can only feel joy and congratulate you! Thank you for everything! Keep making us happy."

[@GabrielFerreira-eo3ci]

One of the most fucking awesome drum intros i've heard in my life! I love the groove, the musicality! Mike always perfect!

[@purplegoose22]

i know its probably nobody elses favorite moment in this song and it may not be all that remarkable, i have always LOVED the way that Mike fills in the space near the end when James is singing "but dont cut your losses too soon"..(cool kick pattern/groove playing around) "cuz theyll only be cutting your throat" ..(cool drums filling the space). idk just as a kid getting into music when i first heard this song, that part and the intro was just everything to me.

[@michael4591]

What he plays now is like an UPGRADE to the studio version

[@diptherio]

I picked up Awake in '97 or so, used from some random record store bargain bin, not having any idea what to expect, just thinking the cover looked cool. Got home, put it in the CD player and got blasted by this track. I'd never heard anything like it. Pretty cool all these years later seeing the man himself do it. And finally figuring out where that clip was from. Great stuff guys, as always!

[@jomo167]

just when you think Drumeo has finished dropping Mike Portnoy content, they suprise you with another BANGER. WE WANT MORE. FUCK!

[@kayleeguth7291]

We need caught in a webb off the same album!!

[@mhsigrist]

First DT song I've ever heard. That intro instantly caught my attention and it was the start of my love for the band. Iconic!

[@CristianoTonelFetter]

Man, I love the OG Dream Theater. Images And Words, Awake, Falling Into Infinity.

[@AtomizedSound]

OG would include WDADU too. Falling into Infinity is eh kinda and idk I would call that OG either to a degree

[@Crovax]

i would replace fif with a change of seasons, even when is a glorified demo, i like it more :P

[@CynicAtheist]

FII was when they got haircuts and tried to make ballads

[@abohsukampret]

I'd take FII over any Mangini era records any day. It has some great songs (Peruvian Skies, Trial of Tears) along with unreleased gems such as Raise the Knife. The ballads weren't all that bad either, they were just forced upon them by their label, who demanded more streamlined & radio friendly songs. If they had full control over their own records back then the result would've been much better.

[@lacsarlacsar3566]

@@CynicAtheist An4lly? f that LOL

[@panayiotis131]

What a legend Mike is, what a treasure. A lover of music, an ever passionate "kid" for awesome drumming. Man are we lucky for these videos! A celebration of a TRUE LEGEND.

[@KhaledAkbik]

I actually was at that Istanbul concert they mentioned back in 2002. Had no idea that was the last time he played it live! I feel privileged :)

[@planetcaravan2925]

Heard it from mangini tho

[@Yngwie.Malmsteen]

Haha same here! I even still keep that ticket :)

[@KhaledAkbik]

@@Yngwie.Malmsteen I think I have it somewhere as well. It was my first DT concert.

[@davidgradinaru7313]

I saw Dream Theater play this song live in 2022. It was still with Mike Mangini on drums, currently the only show I got to see with Mangini behind the kit

[@ozantargal4066]

same here :) first ever DT concert and first ever big concert of my life. I still remember how the live sound was identical to their album sound.

[@harrygrps2222]

MP’s groove on the drums is otherworldly! It’s not only about the technicality or the chops. I’m all about innovative drum orchestration and killer groove and Mike has it all!

[@frxble22]

Thank you for this song. Growing up in the 90s, Mr. Portnoy and Tichy were my drum heroes. The intro of this song, I just loved it when I first listened to Awake. I would always played the intro over and over when I was doing soundcheck or rehearsal or practice.

[@andrewgunnerdrums8889]

Brian too is a legend and so underrated!

[@jaytee-h7q]

I find myself drumming this on my steering wheel every day in my truck. There are times another song is playing at a stoplight and the intro fill to 6:00 takes over my hands and interrupts the song coming through the speakers. Awake was incredible, Portnoy it is incredible, dream theater is incredible. Can’t wait for the new tour. Cheers!

[@AirwavesEnglish]

Mike is just SO musical, it's ridiculous.🏆

[@escher2112]

Thank you Mike and Drumeo for this! This was my frigging anthem in College every time I headed out for class... Such a classic and iconic Portnoy song! Brings a tear to my eye to see him back! I met Mike at the Detroit, MI stop for this tour at St. Andrews Hall I believe it was - Such a great guy and always happy to talk to the fans, even after playing for two hours!

[@michaelespinosa9168]

Awake is the zenith of dream theater and I love it so much! October 5th 1994 I sat in front of my stereo and listened to it start to finish and it changed my life. Then I was lucky to see dream theater live waking up the world at a venue seriously called metropolis in El Paso Texas November 1994.

[@FFCarr2]

The mention of kevin and the in depth info over a song that still isnt even too off the charts makes this video super satisfying 👍

[@KyleS.1987]

It's 2024 and I'm watching Mike Portnoy rock the shit out of one of my favorite DT songs. Hell yes! 🤘

[@FrancescoDiMauro]

Awake was the first DT album I bought, back in 1997 when I was 14. It literally changed my life, and I will never fortget the moment I put the CD on and listened to that killer crisp drum intro to 6:00. Can't wait to see them live in October now that Mike is back, it will be the 16th DT show I've been to in the past 26 years ❤

[@NetoMathias]

Best drum parts e songwriting! Kevin Moore was brilliant during his time in Dream Theater.

[@vulcandj]

This was so good!!! Thank you Drumeo for doing this stuff. One aspect of Mike that no one really talks about is how good his drums always sound. I hope o get to see the Dream Theater tour now that he’s back.

[@JiTiAr35]

It's nice to see Mike Portnoy loving Drumeo. Good job guys

[@beshuro]

I so wish they could bring Gavin Harrison in studio! Two my favourite drummers on Drumeo Chanel - isn't it a dream?

[@N5Gabe]

​@@beshuroThere are already Drumeo videos with Gavin out there ;)

[@beshuro]

@@N5Gabe yes but I mean - to create a drum part for a song, I think everyone wants to see watch Gavin this way

[@gerardolillo8748]

Thanks Drumeo, thanks Mike! This video keeps me "awake" so many good memories...you still got it man! and you always have. Through the years, you will always be a hero to me. There are millions of ridiculously amazing drummers today. But you were one of those who paved the way for us, you are a giant Mike.

[@scalazann]

I was there at the Istanbul concert when he last played the song in 2002. It was my 2nd year at the university and I was a die hard DT fan. Before the concert, I wished that 6:00 was on the playlist, and it was the 2nd song they played if I'm not mistaken. It was a great show!

[@Pirates_of_the_Underground_I]

*Mr. Portnoy . . .* THIS is one of THEE "Greatest" openers for any album of any genre. And all the fills, small splash cymbal embellishments and odd-meter is what I crave in drums (and I'm not even a drummer). I had been a fan of DT since "When Dream and Day Unite", so by the time Awake came, I wasn't ready to be BLOWN AWAY by this album. It had all the elements that I loved about this bourgeoning subgenre of Metal and Progressive Rock (thank you Magnum, Queensrÿche & Fates Warning). And as DT grew, It had HEAVIENESS, the over the top musicianship (but it all served a purpose) and . . . it had its share of melodic, esoteric tracks that gave the album an "ebb and flow" and a very unique personality. It is why its my Favorite DT album and in my Top 10 DT Tracks of all time ("6:00"). - Can't wait to hear what you have in store for us with the new album \m/. BTW - Thank you to the person who put the "Lyrics" up many years ago on the site "Dark Lyrics", because they also put-up all the "Dialogue" and "Titles" of the Films used for the dialogue inserts in Awake and other albums.

[@Musashiwith46gun]

One of my most favorite drum parts from Mike that I love so much. Great job mike!

[@quotething]

Awake is my favorite album. Darker theme, peak performance by LaBrie, the writing style, the tone of Mike's drum... absolutely wow And yes, 6:00 is great opener

[@joxafoxa2552]

I kinda feel these earlier years and records with Kevin Moore always carried more profound emotions and not always about the skill of playing! And to this day some of them including 6:00 are my favourite DT songs!

[@Podzzy]

Wait for Sleep Space-Dye Vest Eve ❤

[@MoeedKazi]

Even after 30 years this song is just awesome and so fresh. This is the brilliance of Portnoy. Even today his drum parts feel so organic and human, so technical yet musically appropriate to the feel of the song. That’s something that I surely missed in the years that he wasn’t a part of DT. Cheers to him for coming back and saving DT from monotonic slumber. I really wish Kevin also comes back. Miss the space that they use to give in their music, last few years it just has been technical unison run competition between Petrucci and Rudes.

[@kevinac4397]

Awake is probably my favorite DT album. Kevin Moore was such an awesome player and songwriter.

[@Opeckie]

My favorite album of all time. Listening to this STILL gives me the same goosebumps the first time I heard back when the album first came out. A Masterpiece, and SO happy to see Mike P back in the band!

[@kevindudley9617]

"Awake" is still my favorite Dream Album to date.

[@DrProgNerd]

One of my favorite DT songs. I'm a guitar player - but I'm a huge fan of drummers. Portnoy is at the top of my list of favorite drummers of all-time.

[@ArnHaz]

If you compare this performance with how Mangini played it...I mean there is no comparison. Portnoy's feel and artistic choices are much much more tasty and palatable, full of flavor. Mangini cannot even begin to touch him. Portnoy is on another level.

[@yangerjamir0906]

Maybe that's cause Portnoy was part of the song development process? I feel sorry for Mangini getting shit on by plenty of Portnoy fans. I can guarantee that not even many pro drummers are even half up to Mangini's level.

[@ArnHaz]

@@yangerjamir0906 Nobody's shitting on Mangini's playing ability. Mangini is not a god. Neither is Portnoy. But Portnoy's sound is an integral part of DT. It enhances their sound. It's more crisp, more dynamic, more accent-y. His artistic choices are better here. In my subjective opinion. I think Portnoy will have similar trouble playing the Alien. But then again I prefer Portnoy so I think he will make the Alien sound even better.

[@ArnHaz]

If anybody wants to see Mangini's peak ability, check out his work in the inaugural G3 with Steve Vai. I love him there.

[@yangerjamir0906]

@@ArnHaz you should explore more. Fanboys can't accept changes.

[@ArnHaz]

@@yangerjamir0906 You should namecall less and accept that people may have different opinions. And maybe assume less about how much music others have explored.

[@Mattr3X]

I remember this album came to me thanks to a friend of mine, back in High school. It was a life changer. People that bring new music to your life is unimaginably important. Just so you know. big up!

[@ArgonAntlers]

Every time Kevin Moore is mentioned i go "Yaaaaaaaay!"

[@YTDSoM]

I just can't get enough of Mr. Portnoy breaking down his compositions into this detail level. Please, Drumeo, keep throwing us more of this content!

[@ab-gomes]

Kevin Moore helped a lot! Thanks Kevin

[@wevelve]

My all time favorite drums from any song, thanks Mike!

[@DrFix82]

I'm always ASTONISHED by the recording quality of Drumeo. And I wonder why records don't sound like this.

[@King-Gilamashur2758]

Lol😂

[@NikolaKesla]

Man I love seeing Mike performing. Also what an incredible drum mix Drumeo!

[@Lol-h1g7o]

It's always awesome to see Portnoy play. ❤

[@soulrebornofficial]

There are drummers who were born to play in a certain band. I also liked Portnoy a lot in his other projects but he was and finally still is the drummer of Dream Theater. I am very happy that he has returned home and I expect him and the others in Milan in October. 🤘🏻🔥🤘🏻

[@justynhppdrummer98]

What a Great Groove & Drum Intro that's really brilliant ❤🔥 Thank You Mike and Drumeo 🤟 Dream Theater really changed my Life of Drumming 🥁

[@christopherlau3996]

Saw them play this song live in Toronto in 2022 and it was basically listening to the record while they mimed it on stage. Actual perfection from all of them. I hope I can see them with Mike perform all the songs that made me fall in love with their music 20 years ago

[@FlightdeckJohnny]

God, I miss Kevin Moore! For me, that setup, with him, you and peteucci was by far the best when it comes to song creation. It will be very interesting to see what you will bring to the new album! I am very positive, even though I prefer Kevin on the keys

[@diegopeart]

I was beaming the entire video. Such an iconic piece of music, and great performance. I'll be catching them on Tour in December, can't wait to be surprised by the setlist and seeing MP and the boys back in action!

[@jaewoongyoon1051]

Thank you so much Drumeo!!! I'm always willing to see Mike Portnoy's playing closely like this one. 6:00 was one of my favorite song when I started playing drum about 20 years ago. In someday, I'll definitely back to here to feel it again.

[@ponya3.66]

"Awake" is f''ing awesome! Erotomania and The Mirror are my faves🤘 😍

[@mikaelsnare]

This was my introduction to Dream Theater. I had read about Mike in the Modern Drummer September 93 issue, and drooled over the pictures of his drum kit. The local newspaper reviewed the Awake album, I bought it, and the rest is history!

[@ibanezmike]

4:46 - *closes fist* “not my tempo”

[@synthchick12]

6:00 is tied with About to Crash for my favorite Dream Theater song, so this was really cool to see. So many creative drum parts!!! The use of double bass is so tasteful and interesting, and the cymbal work is so distinctive.

[@AnthonyStudio]

Love Mike, Love DT, LOVE Awake, and *especially* LOVE seeing Kevin Moore get credit wherever possible. Can plz haz 1 more album with KM on keyboards so I can fully exit the Earth happy one day haha. All love, excited for the upcoming album.

[@chloesmith4065]

Kevin don't want to come back 😭

[@СергейЭккерт-к1п]

I was in my teenage days when I first heard this iconic song 🎧 and I still see this as a true masterpiece and the performance benchmark for the years to come. One of the greatest drum intro of all times if not the best ever. Huge fan!

[@alexandrocosma90]

this is the moment I've been waiting for

[@RaphaelPedersenOfficial]

WOW ! Just WOW! This was the first song i heard of DT. The signature intro by Mike got me blown away. Over 50 and you play better than ever…( And you have always been one of the greatest) Thanks for sharing!!

[@guitboxgeek]

Great tune from a superb album.

[@thetroubledmonk]

What a likeable human Mike is, and a helluva legend-status drummer. High Fived to Drumeo for giving him so much attention, we will gladly take more!