Saw Edgar Winter and Deep Purple Friday night, through a lucky chance.

Wow, what a show Edgar Winter puts on.  I have not seen him live before and his interactions with the other band members were very impressive, they were virtuosos all.  They did Tobacco Road, a song I've always enjoyed performing and (of course) Frankenstein, and it was high energy all the way.  (Edgar Winter - Lead Vocals, Saxaphone, Synthesizer, Keyboards, Timbales; Doug Rappoport - Lead Guitar; Mark Meadows - Bass Guitar [they called him the "Bass Cowboy", cute]; Mike Leasure - Drums, Percussion.)

Deep Purple took the stage after break, sporting Steve Morse as lead guitar, along with Ian Gillan (singer of the second incarnation), Roger Glover (bass, another of the second incarnation), Don Airey (keyboard), and Ian Paice (drums, the original from the first incarnation).  You can't tell the players without the score cards.

Those who don't recognize Steve Morse - he was lead player for the Dixie Dregs.  I love the Dixie Dregs albums.  Those people could really play their socks off.  I remember buying Dixie Dregs on vinyl and the store clerk saying, "My day is complete!  I've sold another Dixie Dregs record!  It can't get better!"

Ritchie Blackmore (coiner of the name "Deep Purple) is off doing Ren Faire stuff and he is an excellent guitarist, but Steve Morse is a unique talent.

Deep Purple had a much more coordinated, planned show, highly integrated with the lighting effects.  High energy, no doubt about it, but not as free-form and improvisational as the Edgar Winter lineup.  A great evening, especially since my two tickets cost a grand total of $7.60.