How did Mike get involved with the Rush tribute?
MP: Well, it started in December of 95 and I guess I was the first person called. Originally Magna Carta asked if I would be interested in doing this with Billy Sheehan. It definitely interested meon two levels. First, playing with Billy was a really cool opportunity. I’ve always been a fan of his playing, so to do a project with him was exciting for me. And then I figured if there was any band I would want to be part of a tribute to, it was Rush. They were always a huge, huge influence for me and also for the rest of the guys in Dream Theater. And if there was any drummer I’d tip my cap to, it would be Neil. He was a big influence for me when I was younger. Once I agreed to get involved, it became obvious that I was a big, big Rush fan and had the best grasp of their career out of anybody involved. So Magna Carta gave me a certain amount of creative input in terms of picking the songs, maybe gathering some of the musicians, a lot of that kind of stuff. I had limited time, so I could o
