If there ever was a venue ideally suited for a particular band or artist then I would have to argue that the Beacon Theater, Manhattan's majestic, upper west side art deco performance space, is the perfect concert locale to host Steely Dan and their 10 piece band.
The partners 'Dan'- Walter Becker and Donald Fagen have been making jazz inflected rock music since the early Seventies and this sold out crowd of two nights (with three more remaining in June) smiled in delight as they highlighted the albums Aja and Gaucho to near perfection. And unlike their previous tours which found them in cavernous sheds (i.e. Jones Beach Amphitheater, or PNC Arts Center) or even at the antiquated Roseland (SRO), the sound tonight was clean and uncluttered. Becker commented if he had his druthers, all their remaining shows on tour would be at the Beacon and they would simply buss in the patrons from the other cities! The two founding members of Steely Dan are indeed known for their droll sense of humour (see: the derivations of the title of their Band!)
The hour and forty five minute show opened with "Time out of Mind". This tune gave singer songwriter and master of ceremonies Donald Fagen an opportunity to get up off his piano stool to play the clavinet when he wasn't singing lead. Fagen's singing is distinctive and singular as it is idiosyncratic. It is made even more compelling when watching his contorted face make the high notes and this image is highlighted by his trademark red framed eyeglasses: "Son you better be ready for love / On this glory day / This is your chance to believe / What I've got to say "
Article comments
1 - Melodica
Donald was playing me. The clavinet is a keyboard instrument. Think "Superstition."
2 - d alper
Thanks Mel! mea culpa, next time i'll ...."read the writing on the wall"
D
3 - robcoun
Long Live Steely Dan!!!^_^
4 - Jim O'Malley
Seen the Dan last night 6-10-07 front row balcony middle two seats and being a drummer myself Keith was amazing , I listened intently and there was not one minor error if anything he improved on songs that he possibly wasn't even born yet. The band was incredible, the crowd was so aware of what they were witnessing. Pretty much same set list and our encore finished with My Old School . All in all one of the best shows I have ever been to and I have probally been to over 500 going back to Fillmore East days.
5 - doc
Concert was not a great as last years. I think Walter is becoming a liability. He can no longer sing, his guitar riffs are amateurish at best and if you watched, he didn't sing back up on any of the songs that mattered. In contrast, Donald gets better with age.
6 - d alper
Jim-appreciate your comments, it is agreed that Keith Carlock is certainly a force to be reckoned with in the years to come. We'll keep our eyes and ears opened to see what he does from here.
And Doc, I don't think Walter is a liability at all. Like, say Bob Weir, a rhythm guitarist kind of hangs in the back and is an understated key player in the bands scheme. Without Walter, we're watching a Donald Fagen solo show and certainly theres nothing wrong with that, but Kid Charlemagne doesn't get played with the same verve and gusto if Walters not there. Again, he was never a vocalist, even in the early years he stayed away from the Mic and I'm sure he'd be the first to admit it! Remember how Donald introduced him- my friend and PARTNER for over 40 years-no, without Walter's zen-like presence on stage there is no Steely Dan!
7 - Joe
I feel compelled to comment here on "Doc" 's statements ...Walter Becker's guitar playing, while certainly not at the same level as Jon Herington's, is CERTAINLY not "...amateurish ..." , it's just very different from Jon's ...sure, there are times Walter might get slightly waylaid in the midst of one of his riffs / solos and play a note that might sound off-kilter once in a while ...but for many of us, guitar players or not [ I'm one, just FYI , have been for about 35 years , and actually study with the aformentioned Mr. Herington ], players that take chances and go for things in the midst of soloing , it's part of what makes their styles interesting to listen to ...many of the world's great soloists , Keith Jarrett on piano comes to mind, CONSISTENTLY try to go after ideas that , when performed live, might come off as less than "perfect" ...but great music is performed live by imperfect human beings ...and these things happen, as much as some people might not get this in the lip-syncing against studio tracks world we now live in ...Walter's guitar style is a huge part of the fabric of what IS Steely Dan ...think of "Josie" , as an example ...those guitar breaks are fantastic in that song, and that's the key , in the context of the song ...not trying to measure his playing against someone else's, it's an invalid comparison ...Joe
PS - Going tonight to the Beacon ...can't wait ...saw the show at the Tower in Philly on 5/25 ...and they were tremendous, a tremendous band where despite all of the individual achievments and talents of the people in the band ...the whole IS greater than the sum of its parts ...J
8 - Jim O'Malley
Sorry...been away studying . We also had Dirty Work and Phoebe Snow came out and blew the roof off and probally cracked a number of eyeglasses. Walters guitar play is what is has always been-imaginative,subtle, sort of like the way Joe Dimaggio played centerfield,not showy and never breakin a sweat.
9 - d alper
Perhaps its time to pull out the Rock and Soul Review! Fagen's pre-Dan live music extravaganza at the Beacon featuring McDonald, Vivino, Young Rascals and Phoebe Snow. Its worth a listen if you've never heard it. Sorry I missed that one last night though, glad you enjoyed it!
10 - JoAna
Sounds like a great show!Set list looks good.. The Beacon Theater has never disappointed me
::knock on wood::
11 - J Burton
Was at this Beacon show. As stated above, the sound was clear and uncluttered. I attended the Susquehanna Bank Center show last evening where they only sold pavilion seats (no lawn) The setlist is as follows:
Steely Dan 6-28-08 Susquehanna Bank Ctr, Camden,NJ
The Fez, Royal Scam, I Got the News, Showbiz Kids, Everything You Did, Two Against Nature, Hey 19, ?, Babylon Sisters, ? , Gaucho, Home at Last, Parkers Band, Josie, Green Earrings, Peg, FM
encores: Don't Take Me Alive, Kid Charlemagne
12 - markrudnick, atco, nj
Steely Dan 6-28-08:
the question marks from above: New Frontier, Godwhacker and Gaucho.
13 - Jared B
Made my way back to this page after thinking of this memorable show at the Beacon. Mark, thanks for filling in those question marks! Author, have you seen the Dan since?