Mood Swings: 8 Miles To Pancake Day Tour

Legendary jazz-rock icons Walter Becker and Donald Fagen have announced that Steely Dan will hit the road again in 2013, taking their Mood Swings: 8 Miles To Pancake Day Tour to almost four dozen stops throughout the US.

Here's the whole schedule:

Here’s the plan:

July 19 – Atlantic City, N.J., Ovation Hall
July 20 – Canandaigua, N.Y., Constellation Brands - Marvin Sands PAC (CMAC)
July 23 – Cleveland, Ohio, Jacobs Pavilion At Nautica
July 24 – Kettering, Ohio, Fraze Pavilion For The Perf. Arts
July 26 – Louisville, Ky., The Louisville Palace Theatre
July 27 – Detroit, Mich., Fox Theatre
July 28 – Milwaukee, Wis., Riverside Theatre
July 30 – Fort Wayne, Ind., Embassy Theatre
Aug. 1 – Highland Park, Ill., Ravinia Festival At Ravinia Park
Aug. 2 – Highland Park, Ill., Ravinia Festival At Ravinia Park
Aug. 3 – Indianapolis, Ind., Murat Theatre
Aug. 5 – St. Louis, Mo., Peabody Opera House
Aug. 6 – Omaha, Neb., Orpheum Theater
Aug. 8 – Morrison, Colo., Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Aug. 10 – Salt Lake City, Utah, Red Butte Garden
Aug. 11 – Boise, Idaho, Idaho Botanical Garden
Aug. 13 – Troutdale, Ore., McMenamins Edgefield Amphitheater
Aug. 15 – Redmond, Wash., King County’s Marymoor Park
Aug. 17 – San Francisco, Calif., America’s Cup Pavilion
Aug. 18 – Reno, Nev., Reno Events Center
Aug. 20 – Santa Barbara, Calif., Santa Barbara Bowl
Aug. 21 – San Diego, Calif., Humphrey’s Concerts By The Bay
Aug. 23 – Las Vegas, Nev., Pearl Concert Theater
Aug. 24 – Los Angeles, Calif., Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE
Aug. 25 – Los Angeles, Calif., Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE
Aug. 28 – Austin, Texas, Bass Concert Hall
Aug. 30 – The Woodlands, Texas, The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Aug. 31 – Grand Prairie, Texas, Verizon Theatre At Grand Prairie
Sept. 3 – Kansas City, Mo., The Midland By AMC
Sept. 4 – Tulsa, Okla., Brady Theater
Sept. 6 – Memphis, Tenn., Mud Island Amphitheatre
Sept. 7 – Alpharetta, Ga., Verizon Wireless Amph. At Encore Park
Sept. 8 – Saint Augustine, Fla., St. Augustine Amphitheatre
Sept. 11 – Orlando, Fla., Hard Rock Cafe / Hard Rock Live
Sept. 12 – Boca Raton, Fla., Mizner Park Amphitheatre
Sept. 14 – Clearwater, Fla., Ruth Eckerd Hall
Sept. 15 – North Charleston, S.C., North Charleston Perf. Arts Center
Sept. 17 – Charlotte, N.C., Time Warner Cable Uptown Amphitheatre
Sept. 18 – Raleigh, N.C., Red Hat Amphitheatre
Sept. 20 – Bristow, Va., Jiffy Lube Live
Sept. 21 – Philadelphia, Pa., Mann Center for Performing Arts
Sept. 24 – Boston, Mass., Wang Theatre - Citi Performing Arts Center
Sept. 25 – Boston, Mass., Wang Theatre - Citi Performing Arts Center
Sept. 27 – Bethlehem, Pa., Sands Bethlehem Event Center
Sept. 28 – Mashantucket, Conn., MGM Grand At Foxwoods

Here is the almost 2 hr. home version of Steely Dan's PBS "In The Spotlight" Special.

Shuffle Diplomacy Twenty Eleven from Steely Dan

Steely Dan is following up its 2009 Rent Party Tour with this summer’s Shuffle Diplomacy Twenty Eleven.

The tour will feature both greatest hits and deep cuts. Walter Becker and Donald Fagan will also be bringing back the classic-albums-in-full concept for select cities along the routing (details not yet announced) .

In addition, fans will once again get the chance to help determine select nightly set lists through an online vote. In 2009 Steely Dan performed 1977’s Aja, 1980’s Gaucho and 1976’s The Royal Scam with one album per night accompanied by additional tunes.

Becker and Fagan always put on a great show and are well known for being extraordinarily cordial to backstage pass holders. So request yours right away.

Here are the dates and venues:

Sat 07/02/11         Seattle, WA     WaMu Theater    

Sun 07/03/11         Portland, OR     Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall    

Tue 07/05/11         Saratoga, CA     The Mountain Winery    

Wed 07/06/11         Santa Barbara, CA     Santa Barbara Bowl    

Fri 07/08/11         Los Angeles, CA     Greek Theatre    

Sat 07/09/11         Los Angeles, CA     Greek Theatre    

Tue 07/12/11         Tulsa, OK     Brady Theater    

Wed 07/13/11         Thackerville, OK     Winstar World Casino    

Fri 07/15/11         Indianapolis, IN     Murat Theatre    

Tue 07/19/11         Cincinnati, OH     PNC Pavilion At Riverbend    

Wed 07/20/11         Toledo, OH     Toledo Zoo Amphitheatre        

Sat 07/23/11         Canandaigua, NY     Constellation Brands - Marvin Sands PAC (CMAC)    
       
Mon 07/25/11         Danbury, CT     Ives Concert Park    

Tue 07/26/11         Lenox, MA     Tanglewood    

Fri 07/29/11         Mashantucket, CT     MGM Grand At Foxwoods    

Sat 07/30/11         Atlantic City, NJ     Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa / Event Ctr.    

Tue 08/02/11         Columbia, MD     Merriweather Post Pavilion    
       
Thu 08/04/11         Durham, NC     Durham Performing Arts Center    

Sat 08/06/11         Atlanta, GA     Chastain Park Amphitheatre    

Sun 08/07/11         Atlanta, GA     Chastain Park Amphitheatre    

Wed 08/10/11         Bethlehem, PA     "Bethlehem Musikfest", Sands Riverplace    

Fri 08/12/11         Highland Park, IL     Ravinia Festival At Ravinia Park    

Sat 08/13/11         Highland Park, IL     Ravinia Festival At Ravinia Park    

Mon 08/15/11         Interlochen, MI     Kresge Auditorium    

Wed 08/17/11         Louisville, KY     The Louisville Palace Theatre    

Fri 08/19/11         Whites Creek, TN     The Woods At Fontanel    

Sat 08/20/11         Tuscaloosa, AL     Tuscaloosa Amphitheater    

Sun 08/21/11         Southaven, MS     Snowden Grove Amphitheater    

Wed 08/24/11         St. Louis, MO     Fabulous Fox Theatre    

Thu 08/25/11         Kansas City, MO     Starlight Theatre    

Sat 08/27/11         Milwaukee, WI     Riverside Theatre    

Sun 08/28/11         Milwaukee, WI     Riverside Theatre    

Tue 08/30/11         Saint Paul, MN     Minnesota State Fair Grandstand    

Wed 08/31/11         Omaha, NE     Orpheum Theater    

Sat 09/03/11         Snowmass, CO     "Jazz Aspen Snowmass", Fanny Hill    

Fri 09/09/11         Upper Darby, PA     Tower Theatre    

Sat 09/10/11         Upper Darby, PA     Tower Theatre    

Tue 09/13/11         New York, NY     Beacon Theatre    

Wed 09/14/11         New York, NY     Beacon Theatre    

Fri 09/16/11         New York, NY     Beacon Theatre    

Sat 09/17/11         New York, NY     Beacon Theatre    

Tue 09/27/11         New York, NY     Beacon Theatre    

Wed 09/28/11         New York, NY     Beacon Theatre    

Member Review: Steely Dan

Member Blackheart writes:

That was Aja, what do you want to do now?” joked Steely Dan singer-keyboardist Donald Fagen.

Fagen and guitarist Walter Becker had just performed the ‘70s New York jazz-rock duo’s most commercially successful album, 1977’s Aja, in its entirety with the help of a big-and-crisp-sounding 11-piece band, and was feeling particularly jovial.

“Sit back, relax, and we’ll take care of the rest,” added Fagen.

The audience did just that and got one dynamic night of music given Fagen and Becker’s notoriously high standard of musicianship, Aja hits like Deacon Blues, Home At Last, Peg, I Got The News, and Josie, and tons of stuff from their impressive back catalogue.

It helped that their 11-piece band, including a four-man horn section and three female background singers, provided a vibrant backdrop for the duo, who have always been great musicians, if not consistently exciting live performers.

Fagen, in sunglasses, energetically rocked back and forth while on his piano stool a la Ray Charles (even though that was Duke Ellington painted on the front of his keyboards), and even got up and roamed the stage withmelodica in hand.

While seated, he often raised one arm in the air to emphasize a note or when a song was coming to its conclusion, he’d get up and stand in front of drummer KeithCarlock with both arms raised over his head and his point his fingers wildly.

His passion was evident.

“What a night!” Fagen exclaimed to me when when he returned backstage after the encore.

All night long, Becker, who gave up lead guitar billing to Jon Herington, also the musical director, was content to maintain a pretty static position during his solo turns and took over on lead vocals for, thankfully, only one song during Daddy Don’t Live In That New York City No More.

Fans, meanwhile, stayed seated for the most part, although some of the more enthusiastic ones attempted to stand up and dance briefly, even that one woman who danced backwards up the aisle while being herded by an usher.

By the end though, practically everyone was standing up and cheering for the encore barnburner, Reelin’ In The Years, with Herington doing justice to the classic song’s signature guitar solo.

SET LIST

Black Cow

Aja

Deacon Blues

Peg

Home at Last

I Got the News

Josie

Bodhisattva

Hey Nineteen

Daddy Don’t Live In That New York City No More

Godwhacker

Babylon Sisters

Green Earrings

Black Friday

Dirty Work

Love Bug (Supremes cover)

Don’t Take Me Alive

My Old School

Kid Charlemagne

ENCORE

Reelin’ In The Years

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Think Fast! Steely Dan Returns

Most rock & roll bands are a tightly wound unit that developed their music through years of playing in garages and clubs around their hometown. Steely Dan never subscribed to that aesthetic. As the vehicle for the songwriting of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, Steely Dan defied all rock & roll conventions. Becker and Fagen never truly enjoyed rock -- with their ironic humor and cryptic lyrics, their eclectic body of work prefers Chet Baker jazz, traditional pop, blues, and R&B. Steely Dan created a sophisticated, distinctive sound with accessible melodic hooks, complex harmonies and time signatures, and a devotion to the recording studio.

With the help of punchy horns, backup singers and the standard rock-band complement (bass, guitar, drums, keyboards), Fagen and Becker maintained what really was a long look back at how Baker and his audience must have anticipated an easy future of personal jet packs, video phones and ever-larger tailfins.

Now, here they come again: Think Fast, the 2008 tour.

Sun 06/08/08 Hollywood, FL Seminole Hard Rock Live

Mon 06/09/08 Clearwater, FL Ruth Eckerd Hall

Wed 06/11/08 Alpharetta, GA Verizon Wireless Amph. At Encore Park

Fri 06/13/08 New York, NY Beacon Theatre

Sat 06/14/08 New York, NY Beacon Theatre

Tue 06/17/08 New York, NY Beacon Theatre

Wed 06/18/08 New York, NY Beacon Theatre

Fri 06/20/08 New York, NY Beacon Theatre

Mon 06/23/08 Boston, MA Bank Of America Pavilion

Wed 06/25/08 Wallingford, CT Chevrolet Theatre

Fri 06/27/08 Atlantic City, NJ Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa

Sat 06/28/08 Camden, NJ Susquehanna Bank Center

Sun 07/13/08 Cincinnati, OH National City Pavilion

Tue 07/15/08 Chicago, IL Chicago Theatre

Thu 07/17/08 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre

Sun 07/20/08 Phoenix, AZ Dodge Theatre

Fri 07/25/08 Murphys, CA Ironstone Vineyards

Sat 07/26/08 Berkeley, CA Greek Theatre

Mon 07/28/08 Saratoga, CA The Mountain Winery

Wed 07/30/08 Woodinville, WA Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery

Thu 07/31/08 Woodinville, WA Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery

Sat 08/02/08 Stateline, NV Harvey's Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena

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