What Mike Portnoy Thinks About Not Being Asked to Join Rush for Reunion Tour

What are Mike Portnoy's thoughts now that Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson have revived Rush for more touring after the 2020 death of drum legend and Portnoy's friend, Neil Peart? The Dream Theater musician addressed the Rush reunion tour while speaking with Chile's Radio Futuro and shares that he's actually a bit relieved that he wasn't asked to partake in the reunion run.

What Mike Portnoy Said About Rush's Reunion

Within the chat, Portnoy revealed that he was often asked in recent years if he would ever take part in what was then a hypothetical Rush reunion.

"It's a question that I would get asked in almost every single interview for the last decade: 'Would you ever play with Geddy and Alex? Would you ever?' Of course. Those guys are my heroes," shared Portnoy.

"But in all honesty, I'm kind of glad that they didn't even ask me, because that would be way too much pressure, way too much pressure. So, it's much better this way. I get to enjoy it like a fan," he confesses.

Last year it was revealed that Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson had reversed course on their previous declaration of not touring as Rush after the death of Peart. In returning to the stage, they tapped Anika Nilles to handle the drumming for their 2026 tour dates.

"It's extremely exciting. I, as a fan, can't wait to see how they do this and what it's gonna be like. Neil Peart was not only one of my biggest drum heroes, but he was somebody that I was honored to become friends with in the last decade or so of his life. So, yeah, as a fan of the band and as a friend of Neil's, I'm very happy to see them doing this, and I can't wait to hear what they do," Portnoy added.

While admitting he had never seen Anika play previously in person, he shares, "Like everybody else in the world, as soon as the announcement was made, I started pulling up videos on YouTube and saw her playing with Jeff Beck and doing the jazz fusion kind of stuff she does. She's obviously a tremendous drummer, so I'm really curious to see how it sounds."

Dream Theater's Mike Portnoy Speaks With Radio Futuro

What Else Mike Portnoy Has Said About Neil Peart

Speaking with Loudwire back in 2020, Portnoy shared, "Losing Neil has been truly devastating and heartbreaking. I just wanted to say, Neil, rest in peace. You’ll always be my hero and I love you. Thank you for everything.”

Just last year, Portnoy also dove into a bit more of his Rush and Neil Peart fandom with SiriusXM host. Eddie Trunk.

"As far as which album showed Neil's best drumming or at least my favorite drumming, it would be either Hemispheres (1978) or Permanent Waves (1980). That's the sweet spot for me — Permanent Waves, Hemispheres, A Farewell to Kings (1977) — that group of albums from the late '70s early '80s, that was Neil in his prime," Portnoy responded.

The drummer added that he essentially learned how to play in a progressive style with odd time signatures through studying Peart's performance on Permanent Waves and learning how to play it front to back. He also acknowledged it as his favorite Rush album of all time.

"Studying those early Rush albums was huge for me," the rocker said.

During an interview on CBC's Q with Tom Power [via Ultimate Guitar]. Portnoy shared of his relationship with Peart, "I didn't get to know him till many years into my career, because, as everybody knows, Neil was a very private person, and it was hard to infiltrate that bubble. He had a very close inner circle and to break down that wall and get to him, it took years and years of me trying."

"I had gotten to know every other drummer on Earth, doing drum festivals and things like that, but Neil was always very elusive," he continued. But after finally establishing the relationship, Portnoy says he remained in touch with Peart up until his death in 2020.

"Once you get to know him and once he befriends you, he was such a genuine, giving person to people he was friends with. And I'm honored that I eventually got to that point with him."

Peart was known for having one of the largest drum kits onstage. See the legendary drummer and other rock and metal drummers known for having ridiculously large drum kits in the gallery below.