Steely Dan: Final night of the EMG tour in Honolulu

Tonight was the final stop of Steely Dan's "Everything Must Go" tour in Honolulu. This was my first Steely Dan concert.

Tomorrow I'll post about specifics (and post pictures) but for tonight, here's the setlist:

-Aja
-Time Out of Mind
-Godwhacker
-Caves of Altimira
-Black Cow
-Babylon Sisters
-Daddy Don't live in that New York City no more (Becker vocal)
-Peg
-Home at last

Intermission

-The Steely Dan Show
-Janie Runaway
-Hey Nineteen
-Haitian Divorce
-Lunch with Gina
-Everything Must Go
-Parker's Band
-Josie
-Kid Charlemagne
-Don't take me alive

Encore:

-My Old School
-FM

Fantastic show, more will be posted tomorrow. I'm going to bed.

Aloha,

Tyler

 

Before the concert, I finally got to meet Tyler. Couldn't miss him with that Radiohead Hail To The Thief shirt.

I'm sorry, Tyler, that they didn't play "Deacon Blues" for you , but it was still an awesome concert, especially with that "incense" part...

 

Noticed something odd--Becker sang "Slang Of Ages" from EMG at the Detroit gig, as well as "Haitian Divorce". I see they also swapped out some EMG songs for others. The rest of the setlist looks pretty much the same.

 

Becker also sang "Slang of Ages" and "Haitian Divorce" at the show I saw in Jersey in August. I find it interesting that Becker handled the vocals for "Daddy Don't Live in that New York City No More" at the Honolulu show. When I saw them, they did nothing from Katy Lied.

 

No Katy Lied tracks at our show either. Maybe next tour they'll focus on earlier albums. Becker did "Daddy Don't..." on the 2K tour, IIRC.

 

Rudy, I'd like to see Becker and Fagen "mix it up" a bit more. More earlier material would be nice. I love Aja, but when I saw them in August, it seemed like they were on the Aja tour. As you know, the souvenir stands even had Aja T-shirts. Since I had never seen them live, I guess it was O.K., but if I catch them on another tour, I would not want to see such an emphasis on Aja again.

Of course, when I saw the Dan, they left out a lot of great songs from the new album.

 

They REALLY nailed Aja, Gaucho and, surprisingly, Royal Scam on this tour. That's fine by me (it WAS different than 2K)...but yes, it seems that the first four albums barely got a nod this time around. It just shows you that they know where their real strength is at...Two Against Nature only got a cursory nod with Janie Runaway, and the number of tracks from the new one (I think they only played three at ours--"Things I Miss The Most", "Slang of Ages" and "Godwhacker") were outnumbered by tracks from Aja, Gaucho and Scam. And yes, the Aja tee shirts...HAD to get that one, it's a classic. Wish I'd bought a spare.

 

When I saw them in CT, they did Aja, Gaucho, and Royal Scam. I was suprised there was so much from Royal Scam!

I expected more from TAN and EMG.

Would have loved to here "Pretzel Logic" or a few others from the first 3 LPs.

However, the show was MUCH better than I expected. I had always heard that SD was never that good live.

 

No Katy Lied tracks at the Gorge show in early August either. The last time I saw Steely Dan, in 2000, Becker sang "Daddy...". He's been singing it live for years, possibly on the 1993 and 1996 tours as well.

Here is the set list from the Gorge Amphatheatre at George, Washington, Saturday, August 2, 2003.

SET ONE:
1. Cubano Chant (Ray Bryant tune)
2. Aja
3. Time Out Of Mind
4. Godwhacker (extended "mix")
5. Caves of Altamira
6. Blues Beach
7. Babylon Sisters
8. Slang of Ages (Walt - vocals)
9. Peg
10. Home at Last

SET TWO:
11. The Steely Dan Show
12. Janie Runaway
13. Hey Nineteen
14. Haitian Divorce (Walt - vocals)
15. The Things I Miss The Most
16. Parker's Band (Carolyn, Cynthia, Victoria vocals)
17. Josie
18. Kid Charlamagne
19. Don't Take Me Alive

ENCORE:
20. My Old School
21. FM

I still haven't developed my pics from the show yet.

 

I wish they'd release "official bootlegs" from the shows...the show at Great Woods back in August was the best SD show I've ever seen.

 

I've been anticpating this concert since it was announced. My original plans were to see both shows in Hawaii (they played on Maui the night before). The Maui concert meant working a half day, flying to Maui, getting a rental car, getting a hotel, and the concert ticket. I loved the idea, but my wallet didn't. Luckily I talked my wallet into springing 200 bucks for a fantastic fifth row seat!

You'd think that most people within the first couple rows would be die-hard Dan fans ready to celebrate the final show of the EMG tour, well you'd be wrong. This was the lamest concert crowd I've ever been a part of (at least where I was sitting). The woman sitting next to me asked me to stop singing so loud. People behind me were yelling "Sit down!". These people really needed to lighten up, you're at a rock concert and you're acting like you're at a ballet! Towards the end of the evening, Walter Becker said that we were the best f****** crowd of the tour. He either says that at every show, or was ignoring the comatose first through eight rows. Then there was the guy behind me that kept yelling "Bodhisattva!" and the elderly couple next to me (they were in their early 60's!) who only owned "A Decade of Steely Dan". No one around me knew any of the new material, or any deep album cuts. I wasn't going to let these killjoys ruin my first Steely Dan concert.

I got to meet up with Kym for a couple of minutes before the concert, which was very pleasant. I think Kym and I are the only forum members who live in the People's Republic of Hawaii. I'm not exactly sure where Kym's seats were, but they weren't as good as mine!

"My Old School" was the oldest track played last night, nothing from "Can't buy a thrill". The set was heavy with Aja, Gaucho, and really surprising "Royal Scam" tracks. "The Caves of Altimira" has always been one of my favorite Dan tracks, hearing it performed live was a real treat. They played one token track from TAN "Janie Runaway" I would have prefered to hear "Gaslighting Abbie", "West of Hollywood", "Jack of Speed", or "What a shame about me". Janie Runaway is my least favorite track on that album.

I had high hopes that"Deacon Blues" would be played, but it was passed over. Was Deacon Blues played at all on this tour?

The encore was the best part of the evening. The band came back on stage with slips of paper and incense. Becker made them do their "backstage ritual" on stage because it was the final night of the tour. The band members did a pledge, led by Walter Becker, where the promised (among other things) that Donald and Walter were always welcome in their homes, and their kitchens would be stocked with their favorite tasty treats. You would have to be there, it was hilarious. If you've read any of Becker's writings on the Steely Dan website you have an idea of his sense of humor.

Oh yes, back to the encore. I left my seat and marched right up to the front of the stage during "FM" and "My Old School". It was easily the highlight of the evening. The crowd finally loosened up and acted like they were at a concert. A man standing next to me desperately tried to get Becker to sign his "Pretzel Logic" album. I hope he got it signed.

Being in the first row was great, I couldn't tell if I was making eye contact with Fagen (he was wearing the trademark shades) but Becker and Harrington were having a good time. Maui resident Walter Becker was playing like a homecoming concert (and it sort of was).

I will post more pictures later, but this is one of my favorites. The two principles together on stage for the last show of the tour. The band was tight, Fagen's voice sounded great, it was a fantastic show.

Aloha,

Tyler

 

Donald made some kind of "you're a great crowd" announcement in the 2nd set, if I remember correctly.

I'm also trying to remember in 2K, if Walter did more announcing than Donald did...Donald seemed to do the lion's share of it this time. My favorite part is when he called our venue by it's old (and IMHO proper) name, Pine Knob...."acronyms be damned", he added, which got a good roar out of the crowd. (It's now DTE Energy music theater...basically, our electric company. )

The duo are not known for signing albums, something Pete Fogel mentioned before the show here in August. I can tell they're not into the "pop star" thing.

 

Performing "Aja"

 

What pissed me off was that they didn't have the backdrop projection screens. I guess they didn't fit inside the Blaisdell Center.

They really enhanced the whole concert experience, IMO.

 

Kym,

Maybe it was a cost thing. Perhaps it was cheaper to leave it on the mainland and have a stripped down show for the Hawaii dates.

 

Great coverage, Tyler and Kym. Thanks a lot!

The set list at the Nissan Pavilion (Northern VA) in late August:

Opening instrumental--probably the Cubano Chant though I couldn't say for sure.
Aja
Time Out Of Mind
Godwhacker
Caves of Altamira
Black Cow
Babylon Sisters
Slang of Ages (Becker vocal, with band intro)
Peg
Home At Last

Intermission

Steely Dan Show
Janie Runaway
Hey Nineteen (fun turn-on-a-dime segue from JR into HN)
Haitian Divorce (Becker vocal)
Things I Miss The Most
Parker's Band
piano solo from Donald going into
Josie (great drum solo here--brought the crowd to its feet)
Kid Charlemagne
Don't Take Me Alive

Encores
gospel-flavored piano solo into
My Old School
FM

Becker told us we were a great audience.

It was a magnificent show in every way. B&F were relaxed and bantered quite a bit with the audience (there had just been a terrific thunderstorm and they had a lot to say about the lightning, though they didn't break into "Chain Lightning," alas). I loved it.

 

At the Gorge show in August, it was Donald Fagan who chatted with the audience during the show. At the Gorge concert in June, 2000, Walter Becker was our host for the evening. Both times I saw Steely Dan Walter and Donald told the audience at around the second song that the Gorge is their most favourite venue to play when they tour. Crowd usually goes nuts.

For those who missed this photo, first time 'round. Clockwise from the top right:
Pete Fogel, Pat "St. Alphonzo" Beemer, Jim "Hoops" McKay, and yours truly in my heavier, goatee wearing days, at the Steely Dan show, Gorge, June, 2000. I was suffering from a wicked cold/flu. I was stuffed up and could hardly talk as I had almost no voice. I was not drinking alcohol that night, even though it looks that way in the photo.

Pat/St. Al, made it to the Gorge this year. Hoops and Pete Fogel were unable to attend.

 

He did the same thing on August 16th when he addressed the crowd at the Tweeter Center (Tweeter is a stereo / video electronics chain), referring to the venue by it's old (and IMHO proper) name, Great Woods.

In fact, I usually refer to it as The Venue Formerly Known As Great Woods.

 

Jon Herrington at the Blaisdell arena