20 Jan 2002, Catamaran Resort Hotel, San Diego, CA, USA

Here's the set list from the fantastic Dixie Dregs show at the Catamaran on Sunday night:

Ionized
Bloodsucking Leeches
Sleeveless in Seattle
Assembly Line
Hereafter
Just Us (T Lavitz)
Busybodies (Split Decision)
Kat Food
Brick Chicken (Jerry Goodman)
The Dance of the Maya (Mahavishnu)
The Bash
Cruise Control

Encore songs:
Divided We Stand
Take It Off the Top

My friends and I sat in the front row (about 7 feet directly in front of Steve Morse) and enjoyed a thrilling show.  I have been to about 20 Dregs/SMB shows and never had such a great vantage point.  It was amazing to see Steve's technique executed from such close range.  All of the songs were excellent.  The intimate venue was standing room only, and the crowd had a great time.  I would go see other concerts at the Catamaran. 

Of the non-Dregs tunes they played, I particularly enjoyed "Just Us" (reminiscent of "I'll Just Pick") and "Brick Chicken".  Highlights of Dregs songs were the crescendo of "Hereafter" (always amazing), "Take It Off the Top", and of course the show-stopping "Bash".

A couple of other notes: I could not hear Jerry's violin very well.  I don't know if it was the overall mix or just because I was right in front of Steve's amp.

It appeared that Rod did not do the sequenced piece during his "Cruise Control" drum solo.  Looked like technical difficulties.  This led to what seemed to be an abbreviated version of the song compared to what I am accustomed to seeing live.  Usually Steve comes out and plays an extended guitar/drum jam, but that didn't happen.

Opening act Gary Hoey offered an entertaining one-hour set of mostly instrumental, fluid guitar music.  I'm not familiar with his repertoire of originals, but he played energetic covers of the following tunes:

Gotta Serve
Red House
Wipeout
Low Rider
Linus and Lucy
Hocus Pocus

Thanks to the Dixie Dregs and Gary Hoey for a great night of music!

John L.