Concert Review: Steely Dan, 6/9/08 at Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, Florida
Published June 10, 2008
“This is a special night,” Walter Becker announced after introducing the 10-piece band. “It’s Donald Fagen’s birthday.” As cheers and well wishes abounded, Fagen hunched over his keyboard in embarrassment, reticently raising his arm in gratitude. Moments later, Becker recanted, saying that, actually, his partner’s birthday is “sometime in January. Who knew?” Shaking his head in mock-astonishment, Fagen retorted dryly, “He sure knows how to work a crowd.”
Truth be told, the sold-out audience inside Ruth Eckerd Hall on June 9 didn’t mind being duped into unwarranted applause given that Steely Dan ultimately earned genuine approbation by playing a vibrant two-hour set.
Incidentally, the album most represented on the setlist was The Royal Scam, yielding four songs including the title track, which began the show.
On this, the second stop on their “Think Fast, Steely Dan” summer tour, Becker and Fagen drew on a diverse range of material, forgoing a number of their more familiar works – including “Deacon Blues,” “My Old School,” “Bodhisattva,” “Don’t Take Me Alive,” and “Aja” – in favor of lesser-played fare. While this may not have satisfied some, most responded well to hearing album cuts like “I Got The News,” “Everything You Did,” and “Glamour Profession” played with gusto and fresh perspective. Also dusted off was “New Frontiers,” from Fagen’s first solo work, The Nightfly.
Consistent with Steely Dan tours of late, Fagen ceded his lead vocal duties for a couple tracks, as on a storming run-through of “Parker’s Band” – courtesy of backup vocalists Cindy Mizelle and Tawatha Agee – and a competent (albeit comparatively less exciting) take on “What A Shame About Me,” sung by keyboardist/vocalist Jeff Young.
Much like they exhibited in playing rarities, the Dan delivered the night’s most recognizable songs with invigorative panache. They jazzed up "Show Biz Kids" with vehement percussion while, on “Babylon Sisters,” they leveled a hard line of bass and brass.
Becker served up some particularly heated guitar solos on “Hey Nineteen” and “Josie” while Fagen – ever the image of hip in dark shades and black leather coat – worked his mojo on “Black Friday” and “Kid Charlemagne,” swaying and twitching in time. “FM” then escalated into a rollicking jam to close the set, the band vamping just long enough for Becker and Fagen to saunter off stage.
A graduate of the University of South Florida with a B.A. in English, Donald Gibson writes about music as well as on film, books, and various pop culture topics.He is a regular contributor to Blogcritics Magazine and he publishes his own website.
- Concert Review: Steely Dan, 6/9/08 at Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, Florida
- Published: June 10, 2008
- Type: Review
- Section: Music
- Filed Under: Review, Music: Live Concerts, Music: Jazz, Music: Classic Rock and Oldies
- Writer: Donald Gibson
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Thanks for the great review. You included a number of the songs they played. Can you post a set list please? Thanks in advance!
Saw Steely Dan last night in Alpharetta, GA. There were great, Fagan's voice was just fine.
Reminded me of Ray Charles at times on the piano. Becker was not so hot vocally on Guacho. But Becker did play some good guitar. Surprisingly they did a lot of jamming, they had a trombone player that did a number of solos and he was great. The drummer has great, and the girls on backing vocals were real god. The sax players were disappointing, I expected better. But overall a good show. Stevie Nicks the night before was terrible...
I went to the concert last night in Alpharetta, GA. If you like Steely Dan's sound and their material, you will definitely enjoy the concert. If you are hoping to hear their early hits, you will be disappointed. The Review above is very accurate. They played and sounded terrific, but they played very little from their first four albums. Here are the songs I remember from last night:
*From Can't Buy a Thrill--nothing from this album
*From Countdown to Ecstacy--Show Biz Kids
*From Pretzel Logic--Parker's Band
*From Katy Lied--Black Friday
*From Royal Scam--The Fez (instrumental only); The Royal Scam; Everything You Did; Kid Charlemagne
*From Aja--I Got the News; Peg; Josie
*From Gaucho--Babylon Sisters; Hey Nineteen; Glamour Profession; Gaucho
*From Nightfly--New Frontier
*From Two Against Nature--Two Against Nature
*From FM--FM
I'm sure they did a few more songs that I'm forgetting, but you get the jist. They did a few of their later hits, but did a lot of songs from their later albums that did not get much airplay. Great concert...
The two hour set at The Borgata in Atlantic City included a sizzling version of Don't Take Me Alive. Gaucho was great but would have been better if Fagen had handled the vocals instead of Becker. Definitely enjoyed Show Biz Kids, Kid Charlamege, Black Friday, Peg, and Hey Nineteen. Could have done without The Royal Scam, Everything You Did, and Two Against Nature. My Old School, Black Cow, Aja, and Bodhisatva would have been better choices. Still waiting to hear Doctor Wu one of these days.
Looking forward to this evening's performance at The Susquehanna Bank Center. I caught a show at The Beacon Theater in New York which was quite intimate. I'm not sure what to expect in such a large venue.
The setlists look great so far this tour. Deacon Blues in Tampa! Wanting a Dr Wu!
I think WB is encouraged to sing to take some of the load off of Fagen and because "Circus Money" is now out. As Frank Zappa said, shut up and play yer guitar. I'm looking forward to next weekend and some of the more obscure material they're playing this time around. The traditional encore of My Old School / FM was getting a bit tired after five times...
Steely Dan played Cincy last night. A few standards they played two years ago, but many different ones. Led off with The Royal Scam, followed by I Got The News, Show Biz Kids, Everything You Did, Two Against Nature, Hey Nineteen, (then one I didn't know...thought I knew it all!).
Next Babylon Sisters was a crowd pleaser, followed by perhaps the best performance of the night...Fagan's New Frontier. Becker then sang lead on Gaucho.
Glamour Profession was outstanding with very cool visual effects in the background. Then Parker's Band led into three straight from Aja: Josie, Aja and Peg.
The evening ended with FM and one encore of Kid Charlemagne. The crowd wanted at least one more (of course) and had earned it. That was the only disappointment of the night to this Dan fan.
I just saw Steely Dan at St Michelle Winery in Woodinville, WA. They sound great and the showmanship was fine.
BUT...
I am sorry, but as what I would term a typical kid groing up on their music in the 70s, I was absolutely shocked that they did not play their most famous songs - no Rikki, no Reelin' in the Years, no Back Jack.
Now, I know we all have our own tastes, but I can tell you there were a LOT of shocked faces when they ended with none of those played. Half the songs were fairly unknown to most there.
Let's face it, a good gauge of any classic tour is when the crowd is on its feet, and it is always ALWAYS for the famous songs we all know and can sing along with. There were a couple like FM, Josie and Hey Nineteen - but to not play three of your biggest hits of all time including THE biggest hit of all time is, well, a big letdown for me and those I talked to afterward.
As the group I was surrounded by walked to our cars, an impromptu Rikki sprang up and we all sang it; even if Dan wouldn't.
If you are going to their concert and expect to hear these songs, at least you are forewarned.
We just saw Steely Dan at St Michelle Winery (Seattle July 31st Show). I was very pumped to see the show being a huge Dan Fan. The rain didn't even bother me. They sounded great, it was an awesome show, very talented musicians. They have so many great songs there is no way they could play them all (I wish they could though, how great would that be to see an 8 hour show). My only complaint was that they did leave out some big ones, like... Deacon Blues, FM, Reelin' in the Years, Dirty Work, Rikki Don't Lose That Number, Only a Fool Would Say That, Turn That Heartbeat Over Again, Fire in the Hole, Bodhisattva, The Last Mall, Things I Miss the Most, Time out of Mind, Bad Sneakers, Chain Lightning, Any Major Dude will Tell You, Pretzel Logic, The Fez, Haitian Divorce, Gaslight Abbie, Cousin Dupree, and one of my Favorites, Home at Last..... Remember this is a list of songs they didn't play. Pretty awesome that they have that many great songs! Anyway it was great show.
Fagen is showing some wear and tare. He's not only getting older but he was at the end of the tour when I heard him.
Unbeilable drumming and light show. Set list still has too many holes list given their incredible catalogue.
Still, brilliant muscianship and songwriting. I mean, who at the Harvey's Summer Music festival can stand up to their overall quality? Absolutely no one. There's no one even close. Long sail good ship Steely Dan.
the concert at the verizon wed night was great
I too wish they had left off 2 against nature for
rikki or reeling. They have so many hits they would be there 4 hours to do them justice. I would pay for that
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How *was* Fagen's voice? I've seen them 4 times since they took their show on the road in 1993 and he's uneven at best when live. It usually doesn't matter as the silken quality of everything else lures you in like a drunken dream.