ME is now an occasional “when the mood strikes me” blog but you never. I kinda forgot about it to tell you the truth.
I’ve written before about Steve Morse. You can see that post here. That was part of a series I did as a leadup to my first Rock Camp which is, oh Lordy, four years ago now. Morse was one of the featured players at the camp, a journey I wrote about starting here and for which, if you’re so inclined, you can search mu blog on rock camp and find.
So when I found out that Morse was touring with the Dixie Dregs I figured I would notify the boy and we’d check it out together. They were playing at a place called Somerville Theater. Somerville is a town a mere five miles from Boston and has been hipster-ville for a while now, especially after we moved out.
The 900-seat theater is old enough to go back to vaudeville days and has shown movies and occasionally features bands. Springsteen played there and famously, U2 showed up there a number of years ago and caused quite a ruckus. The boy and I saw a 70mm version of 2001 there a few years back and I’m pretty sure we saw Hateful Eight there as well.
So, the show. Interestingly, the Dixie Dregs formed back in the late 70s when jazz fusion was still very much a popular thing. And every one of the guys is still alive and kicking. I think there’s just one guy, the keyboard player, who doesn’t come back for their occasional reunions but he still plays down South.
Now I have seen many great jazz and rock bands and I am no stranger to witnessing virtuosity. (I bet I’m one the few people to see Andres Segovia AND Miles Davis AND Weather Report/John McLaughlin/Billy Cobham.) But the boy? Well, he’s seen his fair share of rock bands.
But by his own admission he’d never experienced virtuosity like this. There were two bands, both with Morse on guitar – the Dregs and the Steve Morse band. In addition to Morse, his band consists of drummer Van Romaine and bassist Dave LaRue. All this guys are fucking monsters but La Rue is something else again. Here are some videos for your dining and dancing pleasure. (They all came out at the end together. Dregs bassist was no match for LaRue).
You want more? You know you do
A couple of Dregs videos
