DREAM THEATER's JOHN MYUNG Blames Last Summer's Head Injury On 'Dehydration'

In a recent interview with Gearnews, DREAM THEATER bassist John Myung was asked how he ended up performing while seated during the band's headlining concert last July at Marymoor Amphitheater in Redmond, Washington after suffering a head injury of some sort. He said: "That event was triggered by dehydration on tour. We were just constantly traveling, and on the 13th night we were on the bus, and I just wasn't drinking enough water. Around 2.30 a.m., I woke up at a border checkpoint and went inside the building, and the next thing I knew I passed out and hit a metal post with the right side of my forehead, which cut me open. I went to a hospital in Bellingham, Washington, and they stitched me back up. We got through the show, and I've been feeling normal ever since."

He added: "So… don't underestimate the benefits of water. Your life will not flow without it."

One person who attended the Redmond show told BLABBERMOUTH.NET that the 56-year founding member of DREAM THEATER, who was sporting a bandage on the right side of his forehead, didn't disclose how he sustained the injury, but James LaBrie told the crowd that the concert was almost canceled. The singer also indicated that Myung would discuss the circumstances that led to his wound in his own time.

DREAM THEATER kicked off the first edition of its progressive metal festival, "Dreamsonic", on June 16, 2023 in Cedar Park, Texas. Support on the trek came from Devin Townsend and ANIMALS AS LEADERS. The tour concluded on July 26, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona.

Born in Chicago, Illinois, to Korean parents, Myung grew up in Kings Park, Long Island, New York. He played the violin from the age of five until he was asked to play electric bass in a local band when he was fifteen, which he accepted. After graduating from high school he and his high school friend John Petrucci enrolled at the Berklee College Of Music, where they met future bandmate Mike Portnoy.

Though DREAM THEATER is his primary focus musically, he has appeared in a number of other projects through his career. His first was the progressive rock supergroup PLATYPUS, with Rod Morgenstein, Ty Tabor and ex-DREAM THEATER bandmate Derek Sherinian. After PLATYPUS disbanded in 2000, Myung, Tabor and Morgenstein recorded four albums as the JELLY JAM.

Myung's favorite bands include THE BEATLES, BLACK SABBATH, THE WHO, IRON MAIDEN, RUSH, YES, JETHRO TULL and GENESIS. He cites bassists Geezer Butler, John Entwistle, Chris Squire, Steve Harris, Geddy Lee and Jaco Pastorius as the main influences on his playing style.