The Catalyst interview: John Petrucci of Dream Theater

Genre-splitting, in popular music, is an art form. In ancient times, you played, rock, soul, jazz or country, case closed. It was probably in the late ‘60s, early ‘70s, that infamous Petri dish of musical change, when the borders began blurring. And things got really interesting.

Dream Theater arrived in the latter part of the 1980s playing a hybrid of progressive rock (aka prog), with its complex melodic and structural changes, and heavy metal – guitars chugging like locomotives, solos screaming, all about thunderous power.

Innovative guitarist John Petrucci co-founded Dream Theater, and continues to play a pivotal role in the New York band’s forward creative motion. Petrucci is a skilled technician, a shredder and a riff-monster, but he also plays with finesse and delicacy, all things necessary in progressive metal.

Guitar World calls him “arguably the most versatile and proficient player in his realm, with a highly developed melodic sense and an alternate picking technique that is virtually untouchable as far as speed and precision.”

Petrucci is also a frequent participant in the global G3 concert tours, alongside his fellow electric guitar goliath Joe Satriani (and the likes of Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen, Robert Fripp and Steve Morse).

Dream Theater performs Wednesday (June 21) at Ruth Eckerd Hall. The Catalyst spoke with Petrucci just before the tour-opening show in Austin.

St. Pete Catalyst: Why did you pick up the guitar, and who did you want to be? When I hear you play, where the notes go, the first name I think of is Alex Lifeson. I hear so much Rush. And then I started hearing Steve Howe of Yes …

John Petrucci: When I first started playing, I was only 12 years old and I was listening to the music on rock radio stations, which really was Zeppelin, AC/DC and Pink Floyd. Stuff like that. There was Van Halen, there was Sabbath and stuff. But as I started to get better, like in the first couple of years, then I started to really sort of form an opinion on what music I really liked. And you nailed it with Lifeson, ‘cause Rush is like my favorite band of all time.

And you also nailed it with Steve Howe because Yes is another one that was just a tremendous, tremendous influence on me. I’ve always said Dream Theater is like a heavy metal Yes. Same instrumentation, and that prog style of long songs with lots of instrumental sections and solos. I mean, we kind of took a page from the Yes book – but we do it in more of a metal sound, you know?

The thing here is that Rush and Yes don’t really sound anything alike.

The commonality is that it falls under that prog umbrella, where there’s bands that are doing something different than the normal rock style, the song forms are longer, there are different movements and parts with conceptual elements to it. Storytelling. That whole thing.

And the way that they presented themselves back then was a big influence as well, because they had such great artists – with Roger Dean with Yes’ imagery, and Hugh Syme with Rush’s imagery. Not only were the albums – the physical product you’d pick up and buy – so interesting, but then you’d go to the concerts and they would have this whole world that you would just walk into.

I tried to do that with our band as well, just bring people into our world with the music, with the visuals and the art, and with the live show.  

Dream Theater’s been around for quite a while … with all due respect, I don’t hear you on the radio a whole lot. What do you attribute the longevity to?

Very early on, we knew that in order to have a career we were going to have to really get out there and work hard. So we started touring very early on, internationally. So from the second album, from Images and Words on, we hit the road. And we played not only where we’re from, in the U.S., but in South America, all throughout Europe and Asia. And as a result, we’ve just built such a big, loyal, dedicated fan base that’s global.

So the fact that our music isn’t necessarily on the radio, more like a pop act would be … we were able to have the success because of the live audiences and the touring.

Was it a hard sell in the beginning – people expecting another prog band, another Yes or Gentle Giant or whoever, and then they got this aggressive power?

You gotta remember, when we first started in 1989, progressive metal wasn’t a thing. You maybe had Fates Warning, and Watchtower, a couple of bands. Some of the early Queensryche was sort of like that. But we were just kids, and we were like ‘We love Yes, Genesis, Rush and Pink Floyd,’ but then we also loved Metallica and Iron Maiden and Ozzy and Sabbath. So when we got together to write music, it just came out as like a metal version of prog. And then obviously it developed from there on.

But there was no expectation, there was no pressure, nobody saying that we had to do this or that. If anything, there was criticism like: ‘Why are you doing what you do?’ ‘Why are your songs so long?’

OK, you’re sitting around in the dressing room with Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. What do you guys talk about?

You know what, I’ve had some of the greatest conversations with Joe and Steve, and some of the best guitar players out there, and it ranges. I mean, sometimes we talk about guitars. On G3, it was a nightly thing where we’d get offstage after the Jam, and just all talk about the Jam and everything. But sometimes you just talk about life. You literally talk about just how your family’s doing, and whatever hobbies that you’re in, it might be art, it might be cooking or barbeque. Just like regular guys hanging out.

Does Satriani say ‘Man, that last Dream Theater album just killed ….’?

We definitely talk about music, of course … I’m such a big fan of those guys, and so many players I’ve been influenced by. And have been fortunate enough to have played with and become friends with. Of course, we talk about each other’s music. The other thing that guitar players just always nerd out about is gear – guitars, amplifies and pedals. That never stops.

You’re a hero to a lot of young guitar players. There’s a million guitar players coming up out there. Do you take that seriously – that there are kids looking at you going ‘I want to be like this guy’? That’s got to be kind of awesome.

It’s really great, it’s really humbling, because I just think about how it was for me when I was younger and I was like looking up to these guitar players that just moved me, that did something that communicated something that inspired me – not only to play the instrument but to pursue music as a creative person. To want to do that.

So I take it really seriously when there are young people who are influenced by me, or are into what I do. I guess the best way to look at it is, it’s music, it’s a universal language. Everybody wants to play guitar. Best instrument out there! It’s fun to share knowledge, to share information.

I do these Guitar Universe camps – my fourth one is actually in August, in Florida. And it’s such a great opportunity for young players, from all ages, just to be in that environment together. All the veils come down and you’re just hangin’ out at the community and talkin’ shop, and nerding out about guitar. Teaching and playing and performing.

That’s the best way to look at it, that it’s a collective community and it’s all about sharing and making music. Creating.

And love for the instrument. When you called me, I was just practicing. I still love playing and practicing and trying to get better. It never ends.

Tickets for Ruth Eckerd Hall are here.

Dream Theater