Mike Portnoy plays gig with Dream Theater just half an hour after learning that his sister had died

nme.com:

Dream Theater played a live show shortly after drummer Mike Portnoy found out that his sister had died earlier this week, and paid tribute to her on stage.The progressive metal band performed at the Arena Zagreb in Zagreb, Croatia on Tuesday (October 29) as part of their current 40th anniversary UK and European tour – which began in London earlier this month.Portnoy returned to the group’s line-up after a 14-year absence for the celebratory gigs, having departed in 2010.Following the concert, the musician said in an emotional post on Facebook that his sister had passed away – and that he had learned of her passing just before he took to the stage.“Tonight in Zagreb Croatia was one of the hardest shows I’ve ever had to play,” Portnoy’s message began. “About 30 minutes before showtime, I received a call from my brother that my loving sister Samantha Leone Cattaneo had just passed away.“My sister had been battling cancer all year and the last few days she took a turn for the worse… it’s been a devastating couple of days for me and my family knowing the inevitable was coming.”He continued: “As hard as it was, tonight’s show went on and James [LaBrie, frontman] dedicated ‘The Spirit Carries On’ to her… this picture is from tonight… those lights in the air were for Sam… I wept like a baby the entire time. (John [Myung, bassist] even came and sat beside me at my kit for the ending solo which meant so much to me…).”Portnoy went on to call his late sister “one of DT’s biggest fans & supporters”, adding that their reunion had “meant sooooooo much to her”.“She wanted so badly to be in London but her health had declined so quickly that it was impossible for her to travel,” he explained. “But she told me she watched some videos of.