The Setlist For The Boston Show - Citi Wang Theater

Here is the setlist for the 9/25/13 show last week, from my notes.

You can also see it on SetlistFM.

I heard that Walter Becker left the concert early Tuesday night, due to a fever. I am so glad he was in good form, for my concert.

My apologies for being so late with this post. I hope to have the concert review, by the weekend.

Blueport
(Gerry Mulligan cover) (Bipolar All-Stars only)

Your Gold Teeth
Aja
Hey Nineteen
Show Biz Kids
Black Cow
Black Friday
Time Out of Mind
Daddy Don't Live in That New York City No More
Deacon Blues
Bodhisattva
Rikki Don't Lose That Number
Do It Again
I Want to (Do Everything for You)
(Joe Tex cover) (Band Intros by Walter Becker)

Josie
Peg
My Old School
Reelin' in the Years

Encore:
Kid Charlemagne

Untouchables Theme
(Nelson Riddle cover) (Bipolar All-Stars only)

Trusty "Angel" Girl

I am sure this has crossed your mind, if you post anywhere on the internet where I do. So what's with the trusty angel girl line you use? As I have mentioned in conversation before, I love the music of Steely Dan. When I first began reading a place called Under the Banyan Trees (also known as The Yellow), I noticed that posters mostly had "handles" that referred back to lyrics in Steely Dan song. One of my best friends is Luckless Pedestrian, from a line in "Don't Take Me Alive". Well, I began looking at lyrics for something that somehow spoke for "Me". Debated Katy at one time, because one of my favorite songs is on the Katy Lied album, but there was a Me Katy who posted at that time. So I looked further. I then noticed a trend...angels seem to be prominently featured in Steely Dan songs. I have no understanding as to why this occurs but there were at least (at the time) 6 references that I found to an angel. Well, I make my home in Los Angeles and I happen to be Catholic, so I have a connection to angels. I signed onto the yellow with this line from Steely Dan's first album song, "Brooklyn". February of 2001 a new entity appeared saying...

A race of angels...
bound with one another...

There she was, a bit more friendly then she is now. Lots of flaming does tend to bring down ones enthusiasm a bit but she has persevered and grown in this internet world. She signed onto the Max Martini world (a new venture for her) back in November of 2006 and now she switches between worlds but the same persona exists. These past years make me feel that she has grown up to have a personality of her own. It's funny sometimes to see. She has walked and fund raised for Cure Autism Now as Angelle Lemarche, she has "starred" as a movie extra as Angelle Lemarche, and The Navy Seals send her invites to their museum events, since she donated to them, too. lol
Anyway, I felt like paying tribute to some of those lyrics that helped make her personality. What follows are angel references in Steely Dan songs. I like to think that "angel" references are on the rise in Steely Dan recordings of the 21st century, because of me. I take pride in that...if only in my own mind.

____________


Can't Buy a Thrill 1971

Brooklyn

A race of angels
Bound with one another
A dish of dollars
Laid out for all to see
A tower room at Eden Rock
His golf at noon for free
Brooklyn owes the charmer
Under me

_____________

The Royal Scam 1976

Green Earrings

Cold, daring
No flies on me
Sorry, angel
I must take what I see

Green earrings
I remember
The rings of rare design
I remember
The look in your eyes
I don't mind

Greek medallion
Sparkles when you smile
Sorry, angel
I get hungry like a child

_____________

Kamakiriad 1993 (Donald Fagen)

Tomorrow's Girls

Our home is just like any other
We're grillin' burgers on the back lawn
Some time goes by
We fall asleep with the TV on
I dream about a laughing angel
Then the laugh becomes a furious whine
Look out fellas
It's shredding time

_____________

11 Tracks of Whack 1994 (Walter Becker)

Girlfriend

So come on angel
Tune in on me
You 'll see your faithful servant
Lost in misery
And all of your hard work
Coming down to no good
Better see about me babe
If you only could now

Down at the Bottom

like the feathers and I love the hat
I like that little gypsy tune you're humming
I guess I'm happy now we've had this chat
Oh yeah I'm really glad I saw you coming
There in the corner of the eastern sky
The tortured angel of your rising sign
Darkens the evening with his one good eye
An evil omen of the dopest kind

_____________

Medical Science (Bonus track on Japanese version of 11TOW)

And all the jiveasses and the true believers
The bullshit givers and receivers
Here today tomorrow gone
To the triage tent in the great beyond
Wherein the angel tangoes with the infidel

_____________

Everything Must Go 2003

Godwacker

We track your almighty ass
Thru seven heaven-worlds
Me, Slinky Redfoot
And our trusty angel-girls
And when the stars bleed out
That be the fever of the chase
You better get gone poppie
GodWhacker's on the case

Blues Beach

Grab Big Dog a blanket
Angel of my heart
Things may get a whole lot worse
Before suddenly falling apart
Give your roommate Yvonne a ring
Cause if she still wants in I gotta pull some strings

_____________

Morph the Cat (Donald Fagen) 2006

Security Joan

Well I guess I needed a miracle
If I was gonna make my flight
I had to get to Gate C13
And it was still way out of sight
But something in my carry-on bag
Ticked off the x-ray machine
Cause then an angel straight from heaven
Asked me to step behind the screen
When I felt her wand sweep over me
You know I never felt so clean

Yes, it's a pretty diverse bunch of lyrics and I truly appreciate Donald and Walter for giving me so much to work with over the years.
Thanks guys.

"The Steely Dan Show" Is A Real Song

If you would like to hear the song and follow along with the lyrics, click the title of the song and it will bring you to a You Tube video from 2003.

"The Steely Dan Show"

Boys and Girls
They come from all around
From dear old Stockholm
To Copenhagen town
Forget their troubles
In tasty riddum n' rime
So here you are
And now it's party time
Wrap your mind
Around this sound
And let the goodness ripple down
Goodbye to Lonely Street
You're in the Catbird Seat
At THE STEELY DAN SHOW

If you got backpacks
And pointy little shoes
Late-model roadsters
Or just those walkin' blues
A case of heartache
That you're too numb to fight
A secret sorrow
That keeps you up all night
Well don't you fret
It's not your fault
Just lay it all on Don and Walt
Just trip out on these hits
The groove that never quits
At THE STEELY DAN SHOW

So buy a program
And/or a hat
You don't pass up a deal like that
It's only promo stuff
But hey it's good enough
For THE STEELY DAN SHOW

Set Lists of Steely Dan Concerts

It amazes me what comes along on the Internet. Back in the day, we would post our Steely Dan set lists over on something called The Blue Book. Then along came Twitter and the first night someone would Tweet the set list and it would post over on the Blue, too.

Now days, there is such a thing as Set List FM and look how cool it is!

Set List FM.

What I have learned from checking this out once in a while, is that the really cool songs I would have died to see, are gone. Darn!

Check out your favorite bands set lists, if you are so inclined. Lots of stats, too.

I love evolving technology.

Rarities & Unreleased: Steely Dan At The Beacon

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

Santa Barbara Bowl

This is what I wrote on the Steely Dan Website, in regard to the concert on Wednesday night.



Santa Barbara Shuffle Diplomacy Review

WHAT A NIGHT!

The End. :-)

-----------------------------


Actually, I loved the venue. Santa Barbara Bowl is just beautiful. Lots of money going into the renovation of it and it shows. Take a look at these photos, which were the only ones I could take. The first one is the view of the Channel Islands, from our seat. The second is my view of the stage and the third, the rest of the bowl.


On a personal level, I just couldn't get over being just 12 rows from The Donald and for the first time, I could see him playing his keyboard. It was mystical and wonderful and just added to the magic of the evening. The only bad part is that I was the last seat in row 12 and that meant that I had to keep getting up to let people in and out and more importantly, I had to not use my camera, because security was "SO OUTRAGEOUS"! My Husband (many on you know how even tempered he is) finally got into a shouting match with the security guard, because he kept shining the flashlight at him, to check out the lady with a cell phone next to him. She had a set list and was checking it each song. She was not taking photos, but he kept coming at her anyway. It was truly a royal pain!

Me and 4 others behind me danced the entire show. We were the people over on the far camera right totally enjoying the evening. Some guy passed us by and said he wanted to come over for our after party. We thought that was pretty funny, actually.

EMG being played for the first time since 2003 (if memory serves) was just Masterful! Folks, it was an interesting song in 2003, but the words now days just show that Steely Dan was 5 years ahead of their time with this song. You couldn't write a better song about this current depressing economic downturn.



I enjoyed the way they shifted the songs around, I had seen the set list, but didn't have it memorized, so it was a nice change for me. I think Paso Robles was the only other time I was so clueless about the set.
I would have liked them to try out something else that they plan on using, later on in the tour, but it was not to be.

Place was packed. I was surprised, since it was a small town and a Wednesday night.

Special thanks to my "Steely Dan Friend" who made my night...Gus.


Thanks guys and girls...or is that ambassadors and brats. ;-)


Set List 7/6/11 Santa Barbara Bowl

INTRO: Dizzy's Business

Your Gold Teeth
Aja
Hey Nineteen
Green Earrings
Everything Must Go
FM
Time Out Of Mind
Godwhacker
Show Biz Kids
Black Cow
Dirty Work
Neighbor's Daughter/Band Intros
Night By Night
Josie
Peg
Reelin' In The Years
Bodhisattva

ENCORE: Kid Charlemagne

OUTRO: Last Tango In Paris

Internet Request Night At The Gibson

Final night of my 4 show Steely Dan Marathon brought me Internet Request Night AKA "Taking It To The Seats".
We had heard that the big adds for this show would be the long asked for song, Dr. Wu, from Katy Lied.
For me, it has meaning not just as a song, but as a nod to my real name. :-)

I owned this album as a young teen. (My sister kept it when I moved west, but that's life and another story altogether.) I loved the sax solo that was masterfully done by Phil Woods and the Bosendorfer Piano played flawlessly by Michael Omartian. Donald's voice, almost crying, when he sings the line "Katy Lies, you can see it in her eyes".
It's an unforgettable experience, when you listen to this song. Unfortunately, it is not a favorite song, of Donald Fagen's. They had sound checked the song for a concert at Soboba (near Palm Springs), back in 2006 and Donald nixed it, when its turn came on the set list. This elevated the song even more, because Donald then commented that it felt "not complete" and he did not want to sing it. I was sure I would never get to see this song played live.
Boston Internet Request Night comes along and amazingly, there it was, along with Rikki and Any Major Dude. Blasts from the past and hints that my night would also have these songs performed. In NY, they played Wu just after Rikki. When Rikki was followed by Home at Last, my heart almost stopped, because I thought that Donald had done it again, getting me so close to the song and then nixing it.
We had the final victory, because then the opening piano began and Dr. Wu was mine. I recorded it, just for me, because I figure I will never see this song live again, so my most vivid memory is of trying not to breathe as I sat there mesmerized by the song. Yes, The Donald has some problems singing the song, due to his not being able to hit all the notes, but the band just cooked and the end is masterful. Even the sax wasn't bad. Walt Weiskopf did a good job on it, which made me happy.

Rikki, by the way was note for note perfect. They really should do this one once in a while. 13 years between live renditions, is just a little long for their first big hit. :-)

Any Major Dude was lovely and so nice to hear.

Carlton was HOT and since his 2 big songs ended up back in their rightful concert location at the end, he was showcased well.

My rating of the four shows. A big surprise to me was that Gaucho turned out to be the best. It JUST beat Aja. Both were huge audience reaction shows. By the time Royal Scam and Internet Request came around, the audience was much more subdued.
Number 3 on my list was Internet Request Night, due to Carlton, Wu and Rikki. My absolute favorite album, Royal Scam, ended up dead last and that is mostly because of having the 2 biggest songs on the album turn up so early in the set. It gave the end of the set, a bit of a let down. Carlton was not as good as he was on Internet Request Night, due to learning to work with the band and finding his place amidst 3 guitars. Big props though, cause he did a masterful solo on Third World Man.

I am glad I went to all 4 of the shows, because each one was unique and worthy of seeing. Tracks that I will probably never see again, were performed and that just made my day.

I will never forget this.



Intro: Teenie's Blues

Black Friday
Aja
Hey Nineteen
Peg
Dirty Work (Ladies on Vocals)
Bodhisattva
Rikki Don't Lose That Number
Home At Last
Dr. Wu
Any Major Dude Will Tell You
Do It Again
Love Is Like An Itchin' In My Heart/Band Intros
Babylon Sisters
Daddy Don't Live... (WB Vocals)
Black Cow
Josie
Don't Take Me Alive
Kid Charlemagne

Encore: Reelin' In The Years, Original Version
Outro: Last Tango

I Crossed My Old Man Back In Oregon - Don't Take Me Alive

Royal Scam: Wow, an uneven experience. This is the first time in my life I have seen so many shows one after the other and so I am hearing those nuances of difference as they do the same songs, night after night.

Might as well start with what I didn't like.

Having Kid C start the show. These two people placed themselves in the handicapped area right in front of my section and danced their hearts out, totally blocking our view. Here we are wanting to see Larry at work and we saw squat. Thank goodness for the guy in the first row who went over to them (twice) and finally got them out of there.

Having Don't Take Me Alive as the third song. Again, this album is plum in my book, but I found that I really like those songs in the "Kick it into overdrive" section of the concert. I really missed that. As someone mentioned before in the NY review, Larry is a bit low in the mix and that hurt these two songs. Especially with everything else that was distracting me, people still being seated, the drama in front of me and even the band getting used to having Larry there.

Things I loved!

Sign In Stranger. Who knew I would be so enthralled with this song. I have it on Alive in America, but it truly was a special moment for me. Great work by everyone.
Haitian Divorce with The Donald on lyrics. Again, have heard this many times with Walter, but The Donald is just so special. :-)

Third World Man: Saw it the other day, but this one kicked major butt! Thanks Larry.

Walter did one heck of a good Hey 19 talk. After none the past 2 times, it was a good change. If I am not mistaken, he got a standing O for Daddy Don't Live. If it wasn't a true standing O it might have been that he got VERY appreciative applause from the crowd and that might be the first time seeing that.

The Gibson rocked again. The crowd are fabulous and make the experience worth it. One lady behind me kept yelling "I Love You Keith". I so agree. :-)

I do want to say that getting the entire album played has been a huge success, at least for this fan. Each night was different and special in its own way. Let's see what Taking It To The Seats does for me, Tuesday night.

My absolute final comment on the evening.
Jon Herington, you are a GOD! (There, I said it)


Set List

Intro: Teenie's Blues

Royal Scam (Album)
Hey Nineteen
Daddy Don't Live... (WB vocals)
Aja
Black Friday
Home At Last
Parker's Band (Ladies on vocals)
Love Is Like An Itchin' In My Heart/Band Intros
Third World Man
Peg
Josie
My Old School

Encore: Reelin' In The Years (Original Version)
Outro: Last Tango

Gaucho Night At The Gibson

Gaucho night and there we were, Hubby and I and a bunch of people we had seen the previous night. Obviously, the buy all 4 nights, was doing well for Steely Dan. :-)

Sitting waiting for the back up band, Sam Yahel (with sit in's from the Steely Dan '09 Band - Michael Leonhart and Walt Weiskopf), we were asked by the people behind us, what we thought of last night's show. Next thing you know, others got into the conversation and we found out that all of them had seats for all nights. The consensus from all in our area of the venue, is that the seats were excellent and the band was HOT SO. :-)

Steely Dan came out and this time we saw Carolyn put down the needle for the first side of Gaucho. Babylon Sisters starts up and we are on our way. The crowd is again a happy cheering crowd, but a bit more subdued then the night before. Not a bad crowd, but really, could we keep up the energy that Aja brings?

Highlights for me. Donald singing Gaucho, the title track and just going totally into Steely Dan mode of sneering as he sings. The song was written that way and he just nailed it.

My Rival. If not for this type concert, I would have NEVER have heard this song live. What a treat to hear such lyrics as "The smell of Prickly Pear" "The milk truck eased into my space" and "Yes, I will match him whim for whim now". It's a song about a baby who arrives into the life of this man and though he loves the child, you can see a bit of adjustment will need to happen.

I can't resist, the lyrics follow...

The wind was driving in my face
The smell of prickly pear
[My rival - show me my rival]
The milk truck eased into my space
Somebody screamed somewhere
I struck a match against the door
Of Anthony's Bar and Grill
I was the whining stranger
A fool in love
With time to kill

I've got detectives on his case
They filmed the whole charade
[My rival - show me my rival]
He's got a scar across his face
He wears a hearing aid

Sure he's a jolly roger
Until he answers for his crime
Yes I'll match him whim for whim now

I still recall when I first held
Your tiny hand in mine
[My rival - show me my rival]
I loved you more than I can tell
But now it's stomping time

Sure he's a jolly roger
Until he answers for his crime
Yes I'll match him whim for whim now

Moving on.
It was good to see Glamour Profession and Third World Man again. Both I have seen in concert, but not often.

The rest of the night was as expected, except they put in Godwacker for Do it Again and Dirty Work instead of Parker's Band. Songs from Aja were added to the greatest hits section and the ones that they had played the night before from Gaucho were deleted. Reelin' 72 Version closed again.

Nice!

Set List:

Intro: Teenie's Blues

Gaucho Album

Godwacker
Daddy Don't Live (WB vocals)
Black Cow
Bodhisattva
Showbiz Kids
Black Friday
Dirty Work (Ladies on vocals)
Love is Like an Itchin' in My Heart/Band Intros
Peg
Josie
Don't Take Me Alive
My Old School
Kid Charlemagne

Encore: Reelin' in the Years, Original Version
Outro: Last Tango

Aja Night At The Gibson

This is the first mini review of 4 Steely Dan Concerts in the LA Area.
Gibson (formally Universal) Amphitheatre.


I wasn't really into the idea of an Aja night. Hubby was, but I wasn't.
OMG! They made me a believer.

It was just spectacular!

The LA crowd was on their feet multiple times. At the start of Aja, at the end of the cut Aja, at the end of the album. After a while of that, Donald said something like "We are now going to do some of our hits. Everyone just sit down and we will do the rest".
The crowd obviously considered Deacon Blues their song and gave it a standing O, too. At one point I was so happy with how this LA crowd was behaving (many wanted to dance but they would be good to their neighbors and sit) come the end, they would be up again showing their love at the break between songs that I shouted something like, "This is LA!" just so Donald and Walter KNEW that we love them here in this town. It was truly a spine tingling evening. The band feeding off the crowd type thing.
At one point Donald said something like he felt like Kermit the Frog tonight. Not sure why. His voice was good, but not perfect. In a concert setting, that is to be expected. I didn't hear any flubbed lines, but sometimes he got low, so that might be where he may have got lost for a second or two. No biggie to me, because I lose track of lyrics all the time. lol

All in all, it was just great. Lighting, sound and band.

They closed with Reelin' 72 which I have never heard performed and it was everything I would have wanted...and more! What a closer!!!!!

Gaucho tonight. :-)





This is what it looked like when they lit the crowd, to let the band see what they had done. I cropped the photo, so it's a bit hard to see, but these people are all standing. :-)







Set List that I wrote down:

Teenie's Blues

Aja (the Album)

Time Out Of Mind
Daddy Don't Live in NYC (Walter Vocals)
Bodhisattva
Babylon Sisters (Definitely an LA song)
Showbiz Kids (Lots of screams and claps for the F bomb)
Parker's Band
Hey 19
Love is Like an Itchin' In My Heart (Band Intros)
Black Friday
Do It Again
Don't Take Me Alive
My Old School
Kid Charlemagne

Encore
Reelin' In The Years (72 Version)

Last Tango Outro