Dixie Dregs
Steve Morse
Rod Morgenstein
Dave LaRue
Jerry Goodman
Jordan Rudess
November 30 1994, The Birchmere, Alexandria, VA, USA
December 2 1994, Tramps, New York City, NY, USA
Aftershock
Assembly Line
Good Intentions
Country House Shuffle
Hereafter
Goin' To Town
Bloodsucking Leeches
Odyssey
Kat Food
Ionized
The Bash
Cruise Control
December 4 1994, Iron Horse, Northampton, MA, USA
Aftershock
Assembly Line
Country House Shuffle
Hereafter
Goin' To Town
Bloodsucking Leeches
Kat Food
Ionized
The Bash
Crusie Control
Shapes Of Things
December 5 1994, Charles Playhouse, Boston, MA, USA
THE DREGS NEVER LIVE DOWN TO THEIR NAME
Steve Morse, Globe Staff
The Dixie Dregs and Freedy Johnston, you say? Not exactly household names, but they're
critic darlings-cum-cult figures whose talent earns high marks even though they haven't yet
cracked the mainstream market. And both acts may never crack that market because of
their ruggedly independent musical visions. The jazz-rocking Dregs and singer-songwriter
Johnston were both in Boston on Monday night, playing different venues but acquitting
themselves with great distinction. Audiences in both cases w ent away wondering why fate
hasn't brought these acts more popularity.
In the case of the Dregs, it's because they're an all-instrumental band. Rock radio is not kind to
instrumental acts -- and radio is puzzled further by the way the Dregs intercut country, funk, heavy
metal and classical music into their Zappa-meets-Jeff-Beck core. What little attention the Dregs get
is usually through the print media, not radio.
The Dregs lived up to their press clippings with maximum-overdrive virtuosity at the Charles
Playhouse. Guitarist Steve Morse (no relation to this writer) blended speed riffs, arpeggios, piercing
sustains and unlimited imagination in his solos.
Electric violinist Jerry Goodman, formerly of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, matched Morse with
lightning-quick unisons and equal creativity on such complicated songs as "Bloodsucking
Leeches," "Odyssey" (sounding like symphonic rock from the Yes songbook), the meditative
"Hereafter" and the country hoedown "The Bash," with spectacular flatpicking that was like hearing
"The Wabash Cannonball" at warp speed.
The Georgia-based Dregs plan to break up soon "for a long time," said Morse, who will become
lead guitarist for arena-rockers Deep Purple in January. The Dregs will be missed, because there
aren't enough groups playing instrumental music with this degree of meticulous skill and all-out
drive.
One of them is Boston's Jon Finn Group, which opened Monday's show with a supercharged set
ranging from the scampering "Bus Hair" to the Santana- flavored "Spanish Ice."
Finn, a Berklee College of Music guitar teacher, was a polyrhythmic wonder rich in ideas. Drummer
Dave DiCenso and bassist Joe Santerred rounded out this hot-lick trio.
Later at the Paradise club, Johnston trotted out his superior pop craftsmanship. His songs carried
the melodic strength of a Dire Straits, teamed with the edgier side of R.E.M. and the pop purity of
Marshall Crenshaw. Johnston had a light, Al Stewart-toned voice, but probed dark songwriting
themes about love and disappointment. He's an amazing character -- a rural Kansas native who
sold the family farm to subsidize a music career -- but, judging from talent alone, he made the right
move.
Johnston, who will open Sheryl Crow's tour early next year, proved a contemplative storyteller on
"Tucumcari" and "Perfect World." Amid the Byrdsy guitar jangle, he also rocked out, turning loose
multiskilled guitarist Mark Spencer, who had played with Boston's Blood Oranges before they broke
up. Another cult fave that deserved a better shake.
- Boston Globe, December 7, 1994
December 7 1994, Club Metrodome, Burlington, VT, USA
Aftershock
Assembly Line
Country House Shuffle
Hereafter
Goin' to Town
Bloodsucking Leeches
Kat Food
Ionized
Odyssey
Kat Food
The Bash
Cruise Control
Shapes Of Things
December 29 1994, Ventura Theatre, Ventura, CA, USA
Aftershock
Assembly Line
Good Intentions
Country House Shuffle
Hereafter
Goin' To Town
Bloodsucking Leeches
Odyssey
Kat Food
Ionized
The Bash
Cruise Control
Shapes Of Things
December 31 1994, The Coach House, San Juan Capistrano, CA, USA
Aftershock
Assembly Line
Good Intentions
Country House Shuffle
Hereafter
Goin' To Town
Bloodsucking Leeches
Odyssey
Kat Food
Ionized
The Bash
Cruise Control