Six-time Grammy Award-nominated musical virtuosos DIXIE 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, Florida 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. "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 West. "We can't wait to playfor them all." 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 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 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 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-'70s. 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 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. Tour dates: Feb. 28 - Clearwater, FL - Capitol Theatre Mar. 01 - Ponte Vedra Beach, FL - Ponte Vedra Concert Hall Mar. 02 - Augusta, GA - Bell Auditorium Mar. 03 - Atlanta, GA - Center Stage Mar. 05 - Charleston, SC - Charleston Music Hall Mar. 06 - Durham, NC - Carolina Theater Mar. 07 - Washington, DC - Lincoln Theater Mar. 08 - Wilmington, DE - The Grand Opera House Mar. 09 - Collingswood, NJ - Scottish Rite Auditorium Mar. 10 - Newton, NJ - Newton Theater Mar. 14 - Ridgefield, CT - Ridgefield Playhouse Mar. 15 - Huntington, NY - The Paramount Mar. 16 - New York, NY - Town Hall Mar. 17 - Woodstock, NY - Bearsville Theater Mar. 19 - Boston, MA - Wilbur Theater Mar. 21 - Albany, NY - The Egg Mar. 22 - Pittsburgh, PA - Carnegie Music Hall Mar. 23 - Cleveland, OH - Kent Stage Mar. 24 - Chicago, IL - The Vic Theater Apr. 11 - Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theater Apr. 14 - Boulder, CO - Boulder Theatre Apr. 20 - San Juan Capistrano, CA - The Coach House Apr. 21 - Agoura Hills, CA - The Canyon Club Apr. 22 - Phoenix, AZ - Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Apr. 25 - Dallas, TX - House of Blues For a complete list of dates, visit DixieDregs.com.
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