Steely Dan 2018 tour with the Doobie Bros

Yeah, illness and impending death will do that to you...

 

Yeah, there was a lengthy thread on "The Walter Becker Liability." So anybody with a beef should've posted it in there I stead of here.

 

Apparently, you hadn't witnessed his performances last year. It's not as if his musical presence was exactly felt when he was still around.

 

Local tour stop has lawn tickets up on Groupon for $25, and at that price I'll end up checking it out.

 

Not to mention they played shows without him while he was still alive so he was clearly ok with it then...

 

Yeah I got lawn seats for like $20 direct from the venue/TM last time they were through here. It was well worth it for no other reason than I got to see Fagan and Becker together. The Dan touring band was solid, Keith Carlock on drums was outstanding.

 

They should call the headliner on the tour

Steely DON @

I am patenting that@

Don stated in an interview Walt asked him to carry on

This is sad

Don and Walt finished each others sentences

To speculate from some recent Fagen interviews

Walt had no interest in making another Dan album

Don was upset with Walter's on again off again drug habit

 

If I remember right Dukes Of September was it's own tour not opening for anyone. McDonald, Fagen & Skaggs.

 

Saw the Doobies @ Bluesfest in Ottawa ON...major let-down. They played sub-standard tracks for 45 minutes before they played a single hit my daughters or bride could recognize. They lost us...so, kinda think Donald is slumming?

 

Man, I wish I had your electric bills!

 

Then I still want to go see the best Steely Dan tribute band ever.

 

average between $50 and $60 a month.

 

So is Larry Carlton playing on this tour with the Dan?

 

Hey, man, I hope we never have to find out someday...

Good question.

 

Hmmmm. I tried to find the set list and concert you are referring too. This is the set the Doobies have been playing pretty much for months. The first three songs are considered hits in the Doobies cannon and on their first greatest hits album. I'm not sure how big a fan you are? I can understand non-fans not knowing Road Angel, Spirit, acoustic Slat Key or World Gone Crazy. But for Doobies fans, these are chest nuts. Then Eyes of Silver, Dark Eyed and Sweet Maxine are all well known songs by Doobies fans. Then, you go into straight but nothing hits from Takin It To The Streets to Listen to the Music.

Being a huge Doobies fan, I would take this set list anytime. Sorry that you didn't enjoy it. I have secured my tickets for the tour.

1. Jesus Is Just Alright
   (The Art Reynolds Singers cover)
   Play Video
2. Rockin' Down the Highway
   Play Video
3. Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)
   (Kim Weston cover)
   Play Video
4. Road Angel
   Play Video
5. Spirit
   Play Video
6. Slat Key Soquel Rag
   Play Video
7. World Gone Crazy
   Play Video
8. Eyes of Silver
   Play Video
9. Dark Eyed Cajun Woman
   Play Video
10. Sweet Maxine
    Play Video
11. Bill Payne keyboard solo
    (joined by Marc Russo on… more )
    Play Video
12. Takin' It to the Streets
    Play Video
13. The Doctor
    Play Video
14. Black Water
    Play Video
15. Long Train Runnin'
    Play Video
16. China Grove
    Play Video
17. Encore:
18. Without You
    Play Video
19. Listen to the Music

 

Just got an email that the show I was going to was cancelled. Anyone else?

 

Which show?

 

I haven't heard who is in the SD Band, yet.

I wouldn't be surprised by a few members: Jon Herington guitar, Horn section: Jim Pugh, Michael Leonhart and Walt Weiskopf. BG Vocals Carolyn Leonhart and Cindy Mizelle.

 

Jon Herington's website notes he will be touring with Steely Dan from May through July.

 

I saw opening night in Charlotte, NC last night.

The Doobies were about like the last time I saw them (a year or two ago, co-headlining with Chicago). Their set was about 2/3 greatest hits stuff, 1/3 "deep" tracks. My only disappointment with them was that they didn't play "Without You"--one of their hardest rocking songs.

Steely Dan was somewhat disappointing. Roughly half their set was "deep" cuts, which was probably cool for diehards, but all I have is the 2 disc greatest hits collection (which is still pretty thorough as far as their 70s stuff). I think Becker's absence was felt--we didn't get the ultra long monologues in songs like "Hey Nineteen." Although everyone was a good musician, a few songs were played about 10 BPM too slow. They are down to only 2 "Danettes," but at least hottie Carolyn Leonhart is still with them.

 

How was the crowd size? I'm going to see this in July, more for the Doobies though.

A partial review taken from the Charlotte Observer. I don't think the author was real thrilled on Donald's take of Walter Becker's absence..........

Sixteen songs into Steely Dan’s 17-song set at PNC Music Pavilion on Thursday, it seemed like frontman Donald Fagen might come to and go from Charlotte without acknowledging the painfully obvious absence of his longtime friend and band co-founder, Walter Becker.

Then Fagen ambled back onstage for the encore, settled into the chair behind his electric piano, and finally paid a little homage.

“It’s weird for me to be up here without my brother, my partner, Mr. Walter Becker,” the 70-year-old New Jerseyan, sounding more puzzled than sad as he referenced Becker’s death last September from esophageal cancer. Steely Dan has performed since his passing, but the current tour — which kicked off in Charlotte — marks the first significant run of shows sans Becker, who was one-half of what made Steely Dan Steely Dan.

Added Fagen: “We’re just gonna keep on keepin’ on.”



That was it. No further ado. Directly from there, right into the famous intro guitar lick for “Reelin’ in the Years,” a rollicking romp Fagen and Becker wrote together coming up on half a century ago. The closest Fagen came to suggesting grief, in fact, came via the words in that song’s quintessential chorus.

Are you gatherin’ up the tears / Have you had enough of mine...

This wasn’t entirely unexpected. At a small handful of Steely Dan concerts last October, Fagen was similarly taciturn about Becker’s death — though, during those shows, a mic stand was placed in the spot where Becker usually stood and went unused the whole night, as a simple, quiet reminder of the band’s loss.


More of the review at the site and I didn't want to post set lists. Some don't like to see them........

 

Sorry, forget to comment on that. It wasn't that crowded, maybe 2/3 full at best? Granted, it's still early May (the outdoor "concert season" not really in full swing yet), plus it was a Thursday night and not a weekend, but there was definitely decent parking and room on the lawn. Put it this way: it was easy to get out and on the interstate, which as anyone from this area knows, is saying something.

A lot of people were leaving about 3/4 of the way through the Dan's set. Whether it was due to boredom/disappointment, the fact that the temperature had noticeably dropped, or they had work the next day is up for debate.

The other thing I noticed was that I (at 46) was definitely on the younger side there. Lots of people between, say 50 and 65.

 

Thanks and that group would be me............. I really wouldn't expect much different age wise. Heck, that's why they were all leaving early.........

 

Did Fagen make good on his threat from Eminent Hipsters and start calling out bingo numbers at the crowd?

 

You got me excited for a second there, but I looked at the setlist and I don't see much in the way of deep cuts. Nearly everything in the set was either on the greatest hits album or a single or a standard FM track or all of the above. He did do "Green Flower Street" (a solo track) the first night, and maybe that counts as a deep cut, but everything else seemed like a pretty predictable part of a Steely Dan show, even for non-diehards.