Steely Dan's 'Rent Party' Tour 2009 Review
1970s Jazz, Rock Band At New York's Beacon Theater
Aug 8, 2009
Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, once infamous for their reticence to perform live, have pulled it together to tour the U.S. For their New York City series of eight shows, the duo plus backing band decided to try something a bit unique.
Fans in New York (as well as Chicago and Los Angeles) have the option of hearing songs primarily from either “Gaucho,” “The Royal Scam,” or “Aja” (plus a few extras), or attending an Internet request night with songs chosen beforehand by ticket holders.
For the August 4 show at New York City’s Beacon Theatre, the Internet requests included hits from all three albums as well as from “Katy Lied,” “Can’t Buy a Thrill,” “Pretzel Logic” and “Countdown to Ecstasy.”
Fagen, Becker Lose the Jazz-Rock and Stick with the Pop
Fagen and Becker were in good form, if perhaps a little the worse for wear. Fagen, at age 61, understandably has trouble hitting the higher registers these days, and whatever jazz component was ever a feature of the duo’s music is disappointingly meager live.
In all, there were scant solos and, to the naked ear, none of the improvisation typical of a jazz show. Nor did Steely Dan rock out. Instead, the band gamely and quite competently pounded out the hits that their primarily middle-aged listeners had come to hear, with few new arrangements or surprises.
Grammy-winning jazz-rock guitarist Larry Carlton is a special guest at some performances (though not at the August 4 one), and perhaps he brings a bit more spectacle to the scene.
Overall, the show is well worth catching for a bit of classic rock nostalgia from two lyrical innovators.
Set List from the August 4 Internet Request show at Beacon Theatre, NYC
1) Black Friday (Katy Lied)
2) Aja (Aja)
3) Hey 19 (Gaucho)
4) Peg (Aja)
5) Dirty Work (Can’t Buy a Thrill)
6) FM (From soundtrack of movie “FM”)
7) Rikki Don’t Lose that Number (Pretzel Logic)
8) Home at Last (Aja)
9) Dr. Wu (Katy Lied)
10) Any Major Dude Will Tell You (Pretzel Logic)
11) Do It Again (Can’t Buy a Thrill)
Band Introductions
12) Babylon Sisters (Gaucho)
13) Daddy Don’t Live in NYC (Katy Lied)
14) Black Cow (Aja)
15) Josie (Aja)
16) Don’t Take Me Alive (The Royal Scam)
17) Kid Charlemagne (The Royal Scam)
Encores
18) Reeling in the Years (Can’t Buy a Thrill)
19) My Old School (Countdown to Ecstasy)
Remaining Steely Dan Rent Party Tour Dates--Beacon Theatre--NY
Aug 10 – The Royal Scam
Aug 11 – Internet Request
Aug 12 - Gaucho
The band will also play Memphis, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Chicago and Detroit between August 14 and September 5.
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