Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Live: Steely Dan fights its way out of a jar, but barely
Steely Dan
Tuesday, June 9
Durham Performing Arts Center
You don't go to a Steely Dan concert in search of happy accidents and unscripted moments. No note is out of place, and no spotlight is late to a soloist. The tightly choreographed proceedings unfold with a precision that must inspire envy among Swiss watchmakers. In other words, it's the multi-sensory equivalent of the Steely Dan album's Aja and Guacho, two painstakingly crafted monuments to the quest for musical perfection, the recording studio used as laboratory.
Such was the case with last night’s appropriately Aja- and Gaucho-heavy program last night in Durham. The flawless execution was especially impressive considering that the Durham Performing Arts Center was the first stop on the band’s latest tour and that there were 13 people on stage, not counting the roadie zooming around on a wheeled office chair. A four-piece horn section, three female support singers, a bassist, a guitarist, a keyboardist, a drummer, longtime cohorts Donald Fagen and Walter Becker: Indeed, this was Steely Dan as a big band.
In keeping with the plan, the opening jazz trio, led by organist Sam Yahel, hit its marks, offering ever-so-slightly progressive versions of compositions from Wayne Shorter and Duke Ellington alongside “Instant Karma.” It made for perfect ushering-in music. Yahel and crew started promptly at 7:30 p.m. and ended at 8 p.m.—on the damn dot—suggesting that, chops aside, punctuality might be the main reason they got the gig.
So the night’s surprises came not from happenstance but courtesy of diversions from the crowd’s expectations. Reworkings ranged from a slightly slowed down “Black Cow” to a completely face-lifted “Reelin’ in the Years," the verses delivered in real time instead of the lightning-round fashion of the original. The chorus went to the backup singers. “Parker’s Band” was an unexpected choice, as if you were told there’d be just one cut from Pretzel Logic, “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number” would be the clear favorite. Still, the oddball was a welcome treat. Same for “Here in the Western World," reminding all that “knock twice, rap with your cane” remains one of Fagen’s best pop choruses.
And Fagen was certainly the focal point, whether he was leading the band, commenting on the venue's “hi-fi sound,” prowling with a melodica, or sitting behind the keys, looking like Alan Alda channeling Ray Charles (at least from the middle tier). Becker mostly stayed silent in the shadows. His first words came a third of the way through via a rambling monologue in “Hey Nineteen.” The part existed solely to set up the song’s “Cuervo Gold" bridge. Becker also had band-intro duty, with the ladies getting their soul on in the background. Becker’s one turn on lead vocals, on “Daddy Don’t Live in That New York City Anymore,” was disappointing. Live, the song flashed even more of an uptown strut than its Katy Lied incarnation. It deserved a voice that was soulful, not merely serviceable.
But it’s hard to complain about a show that featured expert renditions of “Time Out of Mind,” “Josie,” “Babylon Sisters” and other tunes custom-designed for a big band and for big arrangements, not to mention a lively, literally dancing-in-the-aisles take on "Kid Charlemagne." I'm going to complain just a little bit more, though: All that genius occasionally made last night’s performance feel hermetically sealed in a jar of technical proficiency. To that end, an uncharacteristically loose "Peg," as close to raw as it gets in Dan World, cracked the glass and let things breathe.
My favorite moment, though, was “Bad Sneakers,” a hushed band giving Fagen near-sole ownership of the verses and the words: “Five names that I can hardly stand to, including yours and mine and one more chimp who isn't here,” he sang, making almost 35 years melt away in an instant. It was the human connection needed to disrupt the clockwork. And “My Old School,” the latter half of a two-song encore, was the perfect closer. The crowd sang along as the horns swung, everybody awash in the song’s quirky warmth and emotion. Yet again, the unpredictable whirrings of the human heart were far more satisfying than the mechanical workings of a perfect timepiece.
Comments (6)
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I have been a big SD fan for decades, and have always thought Walter was just the other half "writer" and part time bass player. Had no idea that he is in fact a great guitar player with a gorgeous tone. After watching the Aja DVD,I have even more respect for these guys (Fagen and Becker) as they are just brilliant. They are so smart, that their style of music does not even age with time, and still sounds great today.
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I just wanted to comment on the Universal City Show I saw 8/24. It featured Royal Scam and was typically, an excellent preformance. But, out of the gate, Carlton was awful. His work on Scam/Kid/and Don't Take Me Alive was off the cut, mellow, noodling. Somebody has to light a fire under his ass. His playing live pales in comparison to his studio work. He did get better as the night wore on though. He tore up for Haitian Divorce for some reason. He succeeded in one thing though: he lit a fire under John Herrington's ass. Herrington, a notriously technique for technique's sake guitarist, played many more finger twisting, original phrases, with, well technical presicion then did Carlton. It is Herrington's best tour ever. But why they can't treat some of the big Scam Guitar parts like Beethoven and play them they way they are on record vexes me. Carlton's treatment of these parts borders on musical negligence. There are ought to be a law against. Be that as it may, the preformance of Royal Scam reminded you of how quintessential Dan the album was. Its a dark, violent album full of rich muscianship and the standard Dan wise ass, cynical, perpsective. And they played it all the way through, in the same order on the record, without saying hello. Not to be rude, but to put on a show. It was so cool. Everything You Did's groove changed from a rock groove to a modified Purdie Shuffle (as on Home at Last and Babylon). Again, Scam was weakened by Carlton's lackluster noodling. In fact all lead playing was far off the mark compared to the record. Regardless, it was still a joy to hear this great record played straight through, without a word spoken. And the rest of the night's set list had an excellent mix of the commerical and the sublime. They've learned how to please everbody. Wonderful show as allways. But one thing is for sure. Do not see this show anywhere but in the middle. You will lose volume, mid range, and the highs if you're to far from the middle. Don't miss this tour! Don't miss ANY Dan tour!
Arriving in Durham I found the public handi-capped parking free and the staff more than expected. The staff had provided a larger chair than the standard seat and I was able to extend my leg out. The opening set was good and actually could have lasted longer as many of us enjoyed the Hammond B 3 riffs. Steely Dan were great and I enjoyed the show but when it was over I left saying where was Dirty Work,Deacon Blues, FM and Etc. during the encore. I paid 180.00 for two tickets and surely would have enjoyed more. Don,t get me wrong with the exception of Walter Becker rambling on about black clothing and taping his legs and some for hunting trip(they say the mind slips early) it was a great show -Dear Donald just play more I wanted to close my eyes and drift away to the late 60s and 70s just awhile longer.Compared to todays world it was a better time college, girls and good times. Butch.
Accurate review. Most of the crowd was in their 50's. We sat for most of it. Did anyone else find the acoustics tinny and muddled? I think that's what Donald Fagen was refering to with his comment on HiFi sound.
Nice review. How was the crowd? Anyone under 30? Did the majority sit or stand for most of the show? I couldn't imagine seeing Kid Char w/o everyone up and dancing.
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