Concert dates and media coverage came out today, in regard to Donald Fagen's tour with Connor Kennedy and his band.
It is a no frills tour that will (at this time) hit 16 cities in the US and 2 nights in Tokyo Japan.
The tour is billed as Donald Fagen and the Nightflyers.
Check it out HERE.
Tonight's The Night.
Are you into Las Vegas?
If you are, Steely Dan begin their 9 night residency at The Venetian Hotel.
I will be attending their quick trip, over to the coast in Santa Barbara on the 25th.
We got a hotel and a day off to explore, so it should be a nice time for Hubby and I.
In addition to this mini tour, Donald Fagen will be performing in Japan in September with The Nightflyers and yes, Steely Dan is part of both The Classics East and West concerts in July.
I intend to miss them all, due to several reasons...most involving money.
Rumor has it more to come in the way of tour dates, by the way...so stick around.
I hear about songs that were recorded by Steely Dan, either before they were Steely Dan, or outtakes that never were added to albums.
One of these missing songs, was something called Gullywater.
Among other things with this song, was the fact that it got confused by fans with another song called Funky Driver.
After 16 years of hearing about this song, it was uploaded by someone, for what I believe is, the first time.
Early, oh yes, not polished, definitely, but the elements that make a Steely Dan song, a Steely Dan song, are there.
The Fagen vocals, the guitar solo half way through, the very cryptic lyrics...check.
Enjoy a listen to something that has been lost and now is found.
Someone's attempt at lyrics.
Well if a life is a well made of stone
And there's a hole in the bottom where it gets ... [so lost?]
Then jealous love is the mud in the hole
Gullywater
Well if a soul is a room in the mind
And there's a dog in the middle with a new lifeline
Then jealous love is the smile on the dog
Gullywater
I don't care about your dead soul
I don't care about your lifeline no no
I don't care
(Repeat)
Repeat first verse
Repeat second verse
This press release came out today and tickets go on sale (American Express only) TOMORROW.
A note to the NAB crowd. These dates overlap the NAB, which is 4/22 to 4/27. Just sayin'. :-)
LAS VEGAS (Jan. 16, 2017) – STEELY DAN's yearly residencies in New York City are now the stuff of legend — and the west coast faithful always had to cross a continent to join in on the multi-night fun.
That's about to change: In 2017, Steely Dan founders Donald Fagen and Walter Becker will play a nine-night Steely Dan residency at the Opaline Theatre at The Venetian ® in Las Vegas, Nevada between April 12 - April 29 (dates below ).
Donald and Walter are again supported by "the best touring band on the stage today": Jon Herington (guitar), Keith Carlock (drums), Freddie Washington (bass), Jim Beard (keyboards), Roger Rosenberg, Walt Weiskopf, Michael Leonhart , Jim Pugh (horns) and Carolyn Leonhart, Cindy Mizelle, and La Tanya Hall (backing vocals). Critics and fans now rightly evoke the legendary Big Bands of a previous era as the only apt comparison for the virtuosity, versatility, and vise-like cohesion of this Steely Dan musical collective.
These master musicians will treat audiences each night to a diverse set of classics, drawn from Steely Dan's extraordinary catalog of infections tunes, bodacious harmonies, irresistible grooves, and, of course, those sleek, subversive lyrics — all decked out in perfect Sin City style: sparkling solo work and blazing musicality sewn up into ensemble arrangements of skintight fit.
American Express® card members can purchase advance tickets beginning Jan. 17 at 10 a.m. PT through Jan. 19 at 10 p.m. PT. Tickets will go on sale to the public on Jan. 20 at 10 a.m. PT and can be purchased through ticketmaster.com, The Venetian Box Office, and charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000. Tickets are subject to applicable service charges, and event time and date are subject to change.
Visit steelydan.com and Steely Dan on Facebook for tour news and updates as they develop.
A friend of mine works with graphics.
She made this a few years ago and I am stealing it now, to wish you a very Steely Holiday Season.
The snowman has a Walter Becker Circus Money shirt on and the scarf from Donald Fagen's Morph the Cat tour.
Over the years she has done some of the best Fan Art for unofficial Tee-shirts.
She is also a great cook and has graced my Angel blog with a recipe or two.
She also gave me free tickets to the Boston Steely Dan Concert, back in 2013.
We fans are hardcore. :-)
This second photo graced the home page of Steely Dan, back in the 2000's.
I fell in love with it, the first time I saw it.
It is the infamous Pretzel Logic cover, with a Santa Hat.
Very cute and so deserving to be here.
Whatever you celebrate, enjoy all that this season has to offer.
Hold onto your hats, Steely Dan Fans. Here is an oldie but goodie Documentary from VH1.
I have been a fan of Steely Dan since the year 2000. That is almost 17 years and in all that time, THIS video has never crossed my path...until last weekend.
A worth it 21 minutes of your life, if you wondered about the band and what their roots were.
I never knew that Walter Becker came to Bard College expecting it to be a music school and instead finding out that there were only 4 bands...all with Donald Fagen in them. HA!
One of them was (I am sure) Leather Canary, the band that Chevy Chase was in. A fact that I did know.
The photography was 90's stupid, but the knowledge you gain is worth the price of your time. I laughed multiple times at the things that come out of their mouths. They are just so funny.
Enjoy.
A few weeks ago, Steely Dan played the entire Countdown To Ecstasy album at the Beacon Theater.
As I may have mentioned to you, dear readers. I would have loved to attend this particular concert...but serious lack of money has been a constant problem, this year.
So I scheduled an inexpensive trip to Phoenix with my family and passed on this opportunity.
Yes, I am sorry to have missed it, but at least this song turned up on Youtube.
It is the one song on the album I have never seen them play live...King of the World.
It is a personal favorite of mine...and my son's, due to the Arp Soloist (which is a synthesizer) that Donald Fagen played on the original recording. You can read Denny Dias account of the recording of that part of the song, HERE.
Enjoy the video, which has many problems with how the photographer moved the camera, (especially whenever Jim Beard would begin to play the solo) HERE.
If you have ever listened to the title cut from the Steely Dan album, Aja, then you know what a complex piece of music it is.
Donald and Walter took pieces of other compositions they were working on at different times and combined them into a suite, of sorts.
They not only put together the music, they got some of the best in the business, to play on it.
Steve Gadd on Drums and Wayne Shorter on Sax, add just the right amount of punch to the tune.
Check out THIS article and play the songs, as you read it.
The men are geniuses and that is why this album is "The One" that decades of audiophiles used to test their speaker systems.
Enjoy.
I decided to go to one tour date for Steely Dan this year.
The one that attracted me, was the Hollywood Bowl. Not because it was close by, but because it would have the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra playing with them.
My bet was on Aja and Deacon Blues being played and yes, that turned out to be the case.
I also thought Josie would get played, because of the ethereal open they normally use as an intro. I figured it was right up the Orchestra's alley.
So, how did I do...
Three for three. :-)
Here is the set list, from someone else who attended. It matches mine, so hey.
Set list at the Hollywood Bowl 6/18
LA Phil star spangled banner.
LA Phil/various
Green Earrings (Yay, angel!)
Aja
Caves of Altamira
Hey 19
Royal Scam
Deacon blues
Night by Night
Time Out Of Mind
Third World Man
Home at Last
Josie
Bodhisattva with fireworks!
Kid Charlemagne
Honestly, it was a great show. The orchestra did most of the opens and then stayed in the background, for most of the tune. I am sure they were adding extra punch to the songs, but they did not get in the way.
Walter Becker did a pretty good speech during Hey 19. Especially since they lived in LA for a decade of their lives. Something about Reseda comes to my mind.
Everyone was great and the fireworks during Bodhisattva, just took it over the top. As Donald said, he has never played to fireworks before.
Cheap night and such a great unexpected bunch of lesser played songs.
A great review and GREAT video! Check it out, HERE.
The Dan Who Knew Too Much Tour 2016 has begun.
They did a soft open up in Port Chester, New York and now they have played at New Orleans Jazzfest. This photo was taken at Jazzfest. Seriously, I have never seen Donald Fagen look so cool.
They will round out the first leg of the tour with another 4 dates and that will be it til June.
In good news, for me. The Hollywood Bowl date finally got a pre-sale and I managed to purchase 2 tickets in the nose bleed section of The Bowl, on Friday.
They are end seats, which makes my Husband and I happy and the total came to Just over $100.
Opening night, Fireworks and The Dan. I am not expecting anything unusual, music wise, but the vibe will be different.
What a night it will be!
