Big Ones

The Winery Dogs

Celebrities talk about Louisville

Entertainment Genre:

Music

Style - Rock with a classic style

MEMBERS

Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater)

Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big)

Richie Kotzen (Mr. Big, Poison)

LINKS:

website - http://www.thewinerydogs.com

Click to read the rest of the interview at Hip Rock Magazine

Mike Portnoy/TWD: "I’m more of an Eggo waffles fan than a Legos guy."

I love it when proven veterans get together to meld their magic. In most cases, the ego washes away, the spark of creativity from the soul ignites and the end result is beautiful. Well, it is if the chemistry is right. Luckily, The Winery Dogs are an example of a great balance in power.

The Winery Dogs explodes wonderfully with Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater, Avenged Sevenfold), Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big) and Richie Kotzen (Mr. Big, Poison), But the charisma isn’t just in the band, it’s also under the hood with Jay Ruston (Anthrax, Stone Sour, Steel Panther) doing the mixing and producing. Don’t worry, this is genius through and through and they have youtube videos to prove it for the songs “Elevate,” “Desire” and “I’m No Angel”.

Sure, we don’t recall many super groups living very long but this one may just stick around a while. They’re in no hurry to shatter records or take over the world. They just love their music like their own reproductive organs and that means good things for everyone!

To my wonderful surprise, being able to listen to the album already caused an instant stress reduction and simultaneous awe. Richie Kotzen’s voice over soon to be legendary tracks is a dream come true for fans of the last generation of great music with enough freshness to solidify their place in today’s huge market. It’s like Soundgarden repossessed Zeppelin and the Damn Yankees joined in for the fun.

Here to tell you about The Winery Dogs is the legendary Mike Portnoy. Why this is extra cool for me is that Dream Theater (who Portnoy played impeccable drums for) was the only band I listened to while writing my first action/adventure novel “Dream Shade: Suit of Aragnon: Kane’s Quest”. It seemed appropriate at the time and now I get to thank him for being part of one of my biggest soul creations. Here we'll highlight some of his questions and what he said about Louisville, Ky. For the complete interview head to the Hip Rock Magazine article HERE.

THE INTERVIEW

Daniel/HRM: Please introduce yourself and tell me what your fondest memory of your favorite Fisher Price toy was.

Mike Portnoy/TWD: Mike Portnoy here, “A legend in my own lunchtime” as The Ruddles once said. I think it was one of those ones where you spin a dial and a cow head pops up, then a switch and a dog pops up, then a lever and a pig pops up. That’s all I can remember. (Chuckles)

Daniel/HRM: I can totally picture you as a little boy assembling a drum set made completely out of Legos. Have you ever attempted such a thing?

Mike Portnoy/TWD: I’m more of an Eggos waffles fan than a Legos guy. (laughs)

Daniel/HRM: Your creativity and determination took you through a series of bands and landed you here at The Winery Dogs. Take us on a brief journey how you got here and how it feels to rest with a band of legends in their own right. This is a bit of a change for you, right?

Mike Portnoy/TWD: It is a bit of a change stylistically, but I can condense 30 years into one minute. I started as a classic rock fan when I started playing drums over 30 years ago. I was listening to bands like The Who, The Stones, The Beatles, and Zeppelin. I have come full circle with the Winery Dogs tapping back into those roots. Along those 30 years I went on a 25 year journey with Dream Theater, which was one of my more progressive rock and metal sides. Basically, I think this entire journey has led me back to where I began with The Winery Dogs.

Daniel/HRM: To me, The Winery Dogs have a rock sound that resembles Damn Yankees, Zeppelin and Soundgarden. Kotzen’s voice has that kind of flair to it. But let’s say that you’re sick of people telling you who they think you sound like. Tell me what you think The Winery Dogs sound like but do so as if you’re making breakfast for the day.

Mike Portnoy/TWD: You made a great comparison. You nailed it. I can't come up with any better ingredients than that. Taking that classic rock old school sound but putting a new school shredding player twist on top of it. If you look at some of the other bands that have done a similar thing like Chicken Foot and Black Country Communion, I think Winery Dogs is that same idea. It's an old school sound with a new school approach.

Daniel/HRM: Speaking of breakfast, has any of your past lovers every made a drum set out of pancakes for you for breakfast?

Mike Portnoy/TWD: (laughs) I don't have breakfast. I usually don’t wake up until 1:00 pm. I usually go straight to lunch. So I go straight to buns. (laughs)

Daniel/HRM: Wouldn’t that be epic though? Maybe some cereal sticks for drum sticks and strawberry jam for blood stains for how fierce you pummel the drums?

Mike Portnoy/TWD: (laughs) Nah, man, It’d be more like scrambled eggs, everything scrambled. (laughs)

Daniel/HRM: So let's talk about Louisville for a minute. How come you never came through here?

Mike Portnoy/TWD: I don't know, man. It just never got booked on our tours.

Daniel/HRM: Did you want to ever?

Mike Pornoy/TWD: I think it'd be cool. You have some good stuff going on there!

Daniel/HRM: Yes sir! And I think The Winery Dogs would be a good fit do to its style. If you do I'd be there dude!

Mike Portnoy/TDW: (laughs)

Daniel/HRM: Let’s move on to The Winery Dogs. You have several videos out, the album just released and the praise is coming in. How do you feel about the momentum right out the door?

Mike Portnoy/TWD: It's been amazing the response to The Winery Dogs. It has been unanimously positive across the board. That’s really exciting for us. Some of the things I've done in the past isn't always everyone’s cup of tea. I mean, not everyone likes a band like Dream Theater, not everyone likes a band like Adrenaline Mob, but it seems like everybody really does like a band like The Winery Dogs. (laughs) I guess it’s just a more universal style that seems to connect with everybody. I've heard nothing but great things about it so far. We are all very excited that it’s being so universally accepted and enjoyed.

Daniel/HRM: Do you think it's because of the generation that is alive today, being from the era of the ones who grew up with Zepplin, and Dream Theater, Soundgarden, etc.?

Mike Portnoy/TWD: I think this music is timeless. It's not part of a click or trend. That's why it’s called Classic Rock. Bands like the Who and Zeppelin, are timeless, enjoyed in the 60's and today and by every generation. So I think that's the type of music we are playing. It can't be pigeon holed or delegated to a certain niche. It's something that can be enjoyed by any generation, age, or fan of any style.

Daniel/HRM: Are any songs on the album mostly written by you? What part of the writing process are you involved in?

Mike Portnoy/TWD: Well, the three of us pretty much wrote the majority of the album sitting in a room about 10ft from each other with our instruments. The first seven or eight songs were written that way, just completely collaborating and expanding upon ideas, riffs, melodies and progressions. Then we started looking at some things Richie had sitting on the shelf, and started working on some of those ideas as well. It was really a three way collaboration, we all got in there and made the music together. All except the one song I wrote the lyrics and melody to called, 'You Saved Me'. The rest were all Richie.

Daniel/HRM: What’s going on with the group next?

Mike Portnoy/TWD: We just wrapped up the first leg of the tour which was Japan and South America and a few select shows in the states. Now we are about to embark on a European tour throughout all of September, then a full U.S. tour which would be October and November. That’ll take us out to the end of the year and we plan on being out for the next 12 months or so.

Daniel/HRM: Where can people go for more about you all?

Mike Portnoy/TWD: www.mikeportnoy.com Facebook, @thewinerydogs on Twitter, you can throw a rock on the internet anywhere and pretty much hit us. (laughs)

Daniel/HRM: Since you’re an eclectic soul and creative spirit this last question might be real fun. It’s my signature Last Question. Let’s say that you were walking home one day from your favorite Independent Restaurant. You belched a fine compliment to the chef. Again you belched and realized that it caused thunder rumbles in the distance. Upon several more experimental belches you were inspired to create the most epic drum solo scene ever! Describe this scene and tell me which song from any band you performed in best represented this. Also, tell us the name of that restaurant!

Mike Portnoy/TWD: Well Id be coming out of Vincent's restaurant in Little Italy in New York City. And I do believe it was inspired by one of those belches that the entire “6 Degrees of Inner Turbulence” by Dream Theater spawned, a 42 minute epic song. Then from there I wrote the 75 minute epic song, 'The Whirl Wind' with Transatlantic. So, it was those two giant epic songs that came from a Shrimp Parmesian and Linguini with medium sauce from Vincent's belch.

Daniel/HRM: (laughs) Of all the interviews you’ve ever done I hope you found this one to be the most unique and memorable one to date. Especially if I see you guys out and approach you for an autograph (laughs) Thank you for the inspiration you were in one of the most creative pieces in my life with my novels. “6:00”’s drum style on the album “Awake” still rests well with me today. Tell the other guys that I’m rooting for you all to stick around and deliver good, fun rock. I applaud your latest effort here. Take care!

Mike Portnoy/TWD: Thank you Daniel!

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW AS SEEN IN HIP ROCK MAGAZINE HERE

Story and Interview by
Daniel C. Morrison – Hip Rock Magazine/Louisville Limelight Magazine