Steely Dan Tour Reviews 2019 at the Met

And they wandered in
From the urban center of St. John
Without a
Dime

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Sitting in a dead-end street across from the Boston Common, The Orpheum Theater – it says here – is one of "the oldest theaters in the U.s.. It was built in 1852 and was originally known as the Boston Music Hall, the original habitation of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Some good stuff was recorded there and released, even years later – office of Police Alive!; An Allman Brothers album with them in front of the theater on the cover; a legendary 1994 Pearl Jam show. U2 were broadcast from there.

I like the Orpheum. It'south a 2700-seat theatre and it reminds me greatly of the venues in NYC where I first got into concert-going lo those many years ago – Felt Forum, University of Music, Fillmore E. Dorsum then we were all young and long-haired. Now, well, now we but reminisce and bore everybody. ("Hey man, I seen Hendrix 850 times, dude.")

Anyway, when I found out the Dan were doing a residency at the Orpheum a few months back, my outset thought was – how can I not become? I've been on a self-imposed moratorium on concert-going for several months, merely because I was burning out on information technology.

The band were going to perform v nights over the course of a week, each night highlighting a different album "+ hits," the final night being an all-hits night. I procrastinated on getting tickets and then scrambled to see if anyone wanted to become to whatsoever of the nights. I probably go to 60% of my shows solo then if no one wanted to go, no biggie. People I asked were interested just didn't desire to spend the money, weren't otherwise available, or detest the seats at that place. (They are kinda tight)

The albums were – Aja, Fagen'southward solo Nightfly, Gaucho, The Regal Scam and the "hits" night. (Notice the lean towards the jazzy Dan and abroad from the "stone" Dan.) My kickoff pick was hits as nosotros saw the ring a few years back with that theme and information technology was smashing. But that was the last night and it was not only largely sold out, but the (I guess) demand pricing jacked orchestra seats upward to 700 bucks.

Given cost and availability, I went with The Majestic Scam. From the time information technology came out till now I have never thought that Scam was a corking album. I think information technology's a very proficient album with iv of their all-time songs – "Child Charlemagne," "The Caves of Altamira," "Don't Take Me Alive" and the title tune. Just I figured that with a 13-piece ensemble, they'd boot the other ones up with solos and such and they did. (Annotation to Donald Fagen – women don't have to simply be fill-in singers. They are likewise fully capable of playing instruments.)

At that point, I suddenly realized that a guy I work with told me Royal Scam was his favorite album of all time. By everyone. I checked in with him, he hemmed and hawed simply like all practiced music nuts, could not resist and picked up a ticket. (Stay tuned for a funny story on this at the end.)

Steely Dan came on after a cracking 3-piece organ-driven jazz group called the Pat Bianchi trio. I requite the Dan credit for respecting their audience enough to know we'd sit and heed to them. You should as well, here.

Unfortunately, doing the great "Child Charlemagne," we had the usual "dude-in-front-of-me-sits-in-the-wrong-seat-then-stands-at that place-while-the-usher-yells-something-at-him" kerfuffle, causing me to miss one-half that song. The problem, I recollect, with bands doing entire albums is they come out not yet on fire and have to play essentially an encore vocal firsr. Information technology felt to me like the ensemble didn't warm up until "Don't Take Me Alive."

"The Fez" was strange. Fagen sauntered off stage and the fill-in singers sang the tune in – French? Not sure. "Haitian Divorce" was the highlight of the next three and so a great "Royal Scam." A guy in front of me jumped out of his seat every time that thump! came downwards in the song. A crowd favorite.

No break and the band rolled in to a bunch of goodies (alas no "Pretzel Logic.)

• "Time Out of Mind." Nice groove.
• "Aja." Heh-heh, yeah. Fuck. With the whole sax and drum solo thing. Killer.
• "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" – Crowd singalong
• "Black Friday" Oddly, didn't seem to be every bit recognized. Are yous kidding me? A great vocal.
• "Dingy Work" – Fagen mentioned it was originally sung by David Palmer. So he left the stage and backup singers traded verses.
• "Bodhisattva"-  They should play this at my funeral just to fuck with everybody'southward heads. My biggest problem all night was how buried in the mix the solos were.
• "My Sometime School" – Near the days at Bard College. Such a crowd favorite that their tech guys lights the audience when it comes to the 'whoa, no' parts. Same as they practise for "Yeah there's gas in the automobile." We are willing sheep, and then, comply.

Encore – "Reelin' in the Years," a vocal I should exist deathly sick of only I am not. And guys, next time bring dorsum the Boston Rag.

A not bad prove and if I had to do it over over again I recall that Aja is a stronger album all the way through. But I quibble.

Social notes – the couple next to me ('50's?) flew in from Dublin just for these shows! They stayed all week and went to the Aja and Scam nights. I sat next to the woman and she slung musical shit with the best of them. I should take given her my site URL. She could tell you what tune it was in a second, some of the background stuff, etc. She fifty-fifty watches those YouTube videos that explain their songs. Sigh. In the next life she volition be Mrs. Music Enthusiast.

Retrieve that guy I told you got a ticket? That guy I work with? Well, recall I had seats in row MM Orchestra. My guy had managed to score Row C. How the hell did you lot purchase one ii days later and get a better seat, asks I? Simply lucky, he smugly answers.

So we're in the vestibule and he's pounding downwardly his 5th (at to the lowest degree) beer of the dark to my 1 1/ii. I tell him I'm going in to come across the jazz band. "Good luck with your loser seats," he taunts with a grin. Grrrr!

But my seat turned out to be dead eye, 8 or 9 rows dorsum. Fantastic. I texted him and told him. The remainder of the conversation went similar this:

Him – "Are you in the mezzanine?"
Me – "Orchestra."
Him – "I'm 20 rows back!
Me – "Ha. I gauge they kickoff with double letters and work back to unmarried. Good luck with your loser seats."
Him – "LOL"

`

"I'd like to give thanks my partner who couldn't be here tonight." – Donald Fagen

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Source: https://musicenthusiast.net/2019/10/31/concert-review-the-royal-scam-steely-dan-at-the-orpheum-boston/

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