I wanted to get back East before the bad weather came for another year. I knew that Steely Dan was touring and had a large amount of concerts at the Beacon, one of which I was interested in attending. I started checking out flights and saw the price was not too bad. When I asked my husband if it was OK to book the flights, I got caught up in the airlines raising the price, due to the expiration of some federal law. That was just not acceptable to me and so I had to wait a few days, before it all settled down. We finally made the booking happen and got tickets to the Steely Dan Rarities and Unreleased show, on Saturday September 17th. The tickets were not cheap..but they were right by the soundboard (a perfect place to be seated, in my humble opinion).
The pre-concert meet up was at the Amsterdam Ale House, around the corner from the Beacon. We got there in plenty of time, but the place was absolutely packed. After saying hi to many of my Dan friends (Ed, LWO, Danfiend, Pete, Shari and Hoops), we walked a block and had dinner at Big Nick's Pizza...which is right across the street from the theater. We had been there in the past and liked the food.
After dinner, we walked into the Beacon and checked out the scene. The place is stunning! A real lovely restoration and I was glad I got to see it. Roseland (where I saw Steely Dan in 2003), was a mess and minus the wonderful time I had at that concert, the setting itself was drab and old and detracted from the evening, just a little.
Just before 9PM, the band came in and started with the first tune. We were sizzling...
Set List
Dizzy's Bidness
Your Gold Teeth
Aja
Black Friday
Hey 19
You Got The Bear
Time Out Of Mind.
Rikki Don't Lose That Number
Jack of Speed 1996 Version (Walter Sings)
Show Biz Kids
Pearl of the Quarter
Bodhisattva
Second Arrangement
Dr Wu
Papa Don't Take No Mess / Band Intros
American Lovers
Josie
Peg
My Old School
Reelin in the Years
Encore: This Mobile Home
The first 4 tunes were part of a normal concert, though Black Friday has been played much less then the other tunes, so I guess you could say it was a rarity. I had seen the other 3 in Santa Barbara. Your Gold Teeth is quite a wonderful arrangement and I enjoyed it a second time.
Finally Donald introduces the next tune as one that was written for Aja...but not used. They break into the opening of the song The Bear. Wild applause ensues.
I had heard part of the song before on You Tube, since it was played on the opening night of the tour, but the end was new to me and I enjoyed it.
Then into Time Out Of Mind, which again I heard in Santa Barbara. It has become a standard of their set list.
Next up, a song that was a big hit for the band, but then they didn't like it anymore...at least according to Donald. Rikki was then played. I loved hearing it in 2009 and totally enjoyed it tonight, too. :-)
The next song was introduced as the original 96 Version of Jack of Speed, sung by Walter Becker. All I can say about this song is that it had some problems, but they made it through. I heard later on that some of the band members were getting confused with the recorded version and so different parts of the band were in different places, at the same time. It was what it was...a chance for Donald to get a rest for a few minutes.
Showbiz Kids was next and I saw them perform it in Santa Barbara. Great tune.
Pearl Of The Quarter played next and I was in love. It's a quiet tune and such a difference from what Steely Dan normally plays. It had been played a few days earlier, for the Dawn of the Dan evening. I was so glad they did it again, for us.
On to Bodhisattva, which is a standard tune, but I love it! The thing was, no one got up to dance to it. What was the problem with this audience? I always dance to this tune!
That set us for the a song, that Donald started explaining, got erased back in the 70's. I knew immediately what it was and started screaming, to let the band know I REALLY wanted to hear this tune. The 2nd Arrangement was played and half way through the song, I found myself crying with joy. Hearing the song with Donald's voice...it was something I never thought I would ever hear. My night was made...but it got much better. :-)
Dr. Wu was next up. Probably my favorite Dan song. I had heard it in 2009 and never thought I would ever hear it again. Well, I was wrong. They played it tonight. I was in heaven. Good thing because then came the slight downers, the band intros and a song that was recorded by Thomas Jefferson Kaye called American Lovers. Catherine Russell sang that song, again to give Donald some off time. It was lovely, but I did not know it at all. Oh well.
We were at the part of the concert that I call, kicking it into overdrive.
Josie, Peg, My Old School were played and it took us a bit, but we finally got the audience up and dancing on the third tune. Seriously, this crowd was not into dancing...
Reelin In the Years was next and at that point I was tired of my seat. I knew it was the end of the concert and I ran up to the front and danced with some Dan fans. Alan from Australia and Joe (South of Hollywood) were up there with me, and others. I didn't have my camera or anything, so I just danced and watched the band. It was great.
Donald then says that they are going to end this concert the way they want to! They then broke into a song they played on their 1974 tour: This All Too Mobile Home. What makes it so cool as a closer, is that each band member leaves one at a time, until nothing but the drum is left. Well we didn't get that far this time, the guitar and bass were up there with the drum, but it was still as cool as all heck and a totally unexpected end to a great evening.
Do I wish I had more? Probably. Do I feel I got what I had paid for? Absolutely.
Thanks to my many Dan friends who shared this evening and of course, thanks to the guys, once again. You pulled it off, with style and grace.
Here are my you tube videos of the concert, all in one place.
The Bear
Pearl of the Quarter
2nd Arrangement
American Lovers
This is not mine, but you can see me sometimes boppin', during the encore. Yeah, a total weirdo. :-)
This All Too Mobile Home
