Mike Portnoy praised Anika Nilles’ debut
The drummer of Dream Theater, Mike Portnoya well-known admirer of Rushexpressed a largely positive opinion on the first date of the reunion tour of the historic progressive rock formation, dedicating particular praise to the new drummer Anika Nilles.
Portnoy, a reference figure in the international drum scene, has always indicated the late Neil Peart among his main sources of inspiration. His name had been repeatedly linked to Rush by the media and fans as a potential replacement in view of a resumption of live activity. Nonetheless, since the announcement of Nilles’ hiring, Portnoy has maintained an attitude of constant support.
Although he did not attend the inaugural date on Sunday 7 June at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, Portnoy followed the event remotely via live streaming of RushCon on YouTube and videos posted online, while also receiving real-time text updates from musician Chris Jericho, present on site.
Through a statement published on his Instagram profile, Portnoy described the event as “magical”, underlining the perfection of the setlist and mentioning the existence of three other variations of the same scheduled for the continuation of the tour. The drummer praised Nilles’ work, calling her “the perfect choice” for having performed Peart’s historical passages with precision and a positive attitude. The post also highlights the high emotional value of the tributes to Peart – which pushed him to emotion -, the high standard of the artistic production curated by Howard Ungerleider and the relevance of the reunion for the historical members Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson and for the public. Portnoy finally confirmed his intention to attend one of the next concerts in person, indicating New York or Philadelphia as probable destinations.
