It was back in July that I first heard the rumblings about the reunion tour by all of the original members of the legendary musical group The Dixie Dregs. For those not in the know, this was a very unique and interesting musical collaboration that mixed, Rock with Bluegrass with Country with Fusion and Electric Jazz. I remember the first time that I heard them many years ago that my mental music database just rebooted itself a few times to try and figure it out. Check out the press release below about the full on “Dawn Of The Dregs Tour” that is coming our way in 2018.
The Press Release:
Critically acclaimed and six-time GRAMMY®-Award nominated musical virtuosos, THE DIXIE DREGS (a.k.a The Dregs), are gearing up for a national U.S. tour starting February 28. The performances will mark the first time in 40 years the original band–Steve Morse (guitar), Andy West (bass), Allen Sloan (violin), Steve Davidowski (keyboards) and Rod Morgenstein (drums)–will share the stage. Tickets are on sale now.
The “DAWN OF THE DREGS” 25-date tour–with additional dates to be announced soon–will take the band across the country starting on February 28 in Clearwater, FL and make stops in Atlanta, Charleston, Washington D.C., New York City, Boston, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Chicago, Milwaukee, Boulder and Phoenix, among many others,before wrapping April 25 in Dallas, TX. For more information about the “DAWN OF THE DREGS” tour and to purchase tickets, visit:http://dixiedregs.com/.
“This tour is the result of the overwhelming requests we’ve received from a loyal audience of diehard Dregheads, and new fans who have never seen us perform live, but discovered the band for the first time through Steve’s membership in Deep Purple, or Rod as the drummer for Winger,” said Dreg’s bassist, Andy West. “We can’t wait to playfor them all,” adds West.
For guitar aficionados, Steve Morse needs no introduction, and his place in the pantheon of guitar greats is certain. But in fact, his career started with the DIXIE DREGS. The band traces its true beginnings to the band Dixie Grit, which started in a Georgia high school with Steve on guitar and Andy West on bass. Dixie Grit morphed into the DIXIE DREGS at the University of Miami School of Music, where Allen Sloan (violin) and Rod Morgenstein (drums) joined up with Steve and Andy, who were the “dregs” of Dixie Grit.
The members of the DIXIE DREGS remained committed to attending the University of Miami School of Music, which hosted a lively and talented musical community during their tenure, including future greats Pat Metheny, Jaco Pastorius, T Lavitz, and Bruce Hornsby, among manyothers. In 1975, the group’s demo album, The Great Spectacular, was recorded at the University of Miami and then re-released on CD in 1997.
After graduation, the band moved back to Augusta where Steve Davidowski (keyboards) completed the band. The band paid its dues and honed its skills playing in bars and venues throughout the South in the mid-70’s. They established themselves in the firmament of American instrumental music, seamlessly fusing rock with progressive and jazz elements to create a uniquely instrumental-driven style that has stood the test of time.
Based on a short demo and a tip from former Allman Brothers keyboardist Chuck Leavell along with legendary Allman/Dregs tour manager Twiggs Lyndon, Capricorn Records signed the DIXIE DREGS to record Free Fall (1977). The success and critical acclaim of Free Fall announced the DIXIE DREGS to the world, and after its release, they would become a cult-favorite band that would have a lasting influence on much of modern rock.
Catch DIXIE DREGS on the road in the following cities with more to be announced:
The Tour Dates:
2/28: Clearwater, FL @ Capitol Theatre
3/1: Ponte Vedra Beach, FL @ Ponte Vedra Concert Hall
3/2: Augusta, GA @ Bell Auditorium
3/3: Atlanta, GA @ Center Stage
3/5: Charleston, SC @ Charleston Music Hall
3/6: Durham, NC @ Carolina Theater
3/7: Washington, DC @ Lincoln Theater
3/8: Wilmington, DE @ The Grand Opera House
3/9: Collingswood, NJ @ Scottish Rite Auditorium
3/10: Newton, NJ @ Newton Theater
3/14: Ridgefield, CT @ Ridgefield Playhouse
3/15: Huntington, NY @ The Paramount
3/16: New York, NY @ Town Hall
3/17: Woodstock, NY @ Bearsville Theater
3/19: Boston, MA @ Wilbur Theater
3/21: Albany, NY @ The Egg
3/22: Pittsburgh, PA @ Carnegie Music Hall
3/23: Cleveland, OH @ Kent Stage
3/24: Chicago, IL @ The Vic Theater
4/11: Milwaukee, WI @ Pabst Theater
4/14: Boulder, CO @ Boulder Theatre
4/20: San Juan Capistrano, CA @ The Coach House
4/21: Agoura Hills, CA @ The Canyon Club
4/22: Phoenix, AZ @ Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts
4/25: Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
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PiercingMetal Thoughts: While I’ve owned a few of their albums and videos over the years I have never ever seen them in concert before in the true live sense so I am hoping to be a part of the tour when it passes through my town. I’m a big fan of both Steve Morse from his Deep Purple work and Rod Morgenstein from being a monster drummer and in the always rocking Winger and have been like this about them for years. Seeing them in this configuration is truly something that is going to be extraordinary. So what about you readers? What do you think of this tour announcement? I love reunions when they are of something that is really interesting and its nice to talk about a band that doesn’t come around every fourteen minutes with the same support acts. Let me know your thoughts down below in the comments section, I’ll leave the light on for you.
Official Websites:
http://dixiedregs.com/
https://www.facebook.com/TheDixieDregs/