Steely Dan

Steely Dan - "Takin' It to the Seats": Internet Request Night: Chicago Theatre, Illinois Sept 4, 2009 - 2009 - WOH

Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Walter Becker and Donald Fagen have announced that STEELY DAN will bring their 2009 U.S. Tour to The Chicago Theatre for four nights of special setlist engagements. The first three performances will be "Classic Album (Plus)" Nights where three landmark albums will be performed in their entirety along with selected additional favorites each night. August 31 - Aja : September 1 - Gaucho : September 3 - The Royal Scam (with famed session guitarist Larry Carlton) : The fourth night is an Internet Request Night where the setlist will be determined by internet votes from ticket-holders for the show. September 4 - "Takin' It to the Seats" (with famed session guitarist Larry Carlton). Steely Dan are giving their fans an incredible opportunity to hear the band delve deep into their classic catalogue of music, offering their signature collection of selected hits and fan-requested favorites from throughout their three-decade-plus discography. Steely Dan have sold more than 30 million albums worldwide and helped define the soundtrack of the '70s with hits including "F.M.," "Bodhisattva," "Reelin' in the Years," "Rikki Don't Lose That Number," "Deacon Blues," "Peg," "Babylon Sisters," and "Hey Nineteen," culled from their seven platinum albums issued between 1972 and 1980. They reunited in the early '90s and have toured throughout the decade and beyond, releasing multi-Grammy winner Two Against Nature in 2000 and its acclaimed follow-up Everything Must Go in 2003. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. Madison Square Garden Entertainment (MSGE) is proud to host resident performances with Steely Dan at three of its iconic venues this summer including the Beacon Theatre in New York, The Citi Performing Arts Center/Wang Theatre Boston and The Chicago Theatre in Chicago for 11 extraordinary nights of music. These resident shows mark the band's longest runs at both The Beacon and Chicago Theatre, as well as their first appearance ever at the Wang Theatre. The shows will also include original programming to air on MSG Network in July, providing fans an inside look into one of the most revered bands of our time. The exclusive content will include never-before seen footage of the band both on and off the stage, as well as interviews of the band while they are rehearsing for their tour. © tpe Registered User Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Chicago & NYC Posts: 2,916 © 2000 - 2010, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=42586242

Steely Dan had to do some homework for this internet request night. Fans could choose from several Steely Dan tracks. "They're only able to request songs from a menu of maybe 50 tunes" said Becker. Ticket holders voted on what they wanted to heart hrough their Web site. "We had to learn a lot, a whole bunch of stuff we haven't been doing, trying to guess the songs that people might vote for," said Donald Fagen. Walter Becker found the idea fascinating as The Dan had never performed some of the requested songs live. "We stopped touring in the '70s when we recorded some albums, so we never went out to perform the tunes live" said Becker. "Without knowing in advance what would be the most popular, we couldn't possibly prepare every song from every album." The band presumes fans will want to hear favourites like "Hey Nineteen," "Josie" and "Do It Again." That's where things become interesting. "With songs that we feel have dated, we sometimes change the arrangements to keep things fresh," Donald said. "We have a new arrangement of 'Reelin' in the Years' that the audiences seems to like." The fans show their appreciation, and not only with applause. "I've met many parents of Josies and Ajas over the years, and it's very flattering," said Donald

The album posted here is a single mp3 concert @ 192 Kbps. It's also a big file, so think about it. The show is just over two hours long. Sound quality is fair but listenable. It is definitely one of The Dan's best live concerts from the 2000's. There have been many far worse soundboard recordings, but this one is more distinct with less audience noise during the performance. On the night, Donald Fagen's voice was much better than on other concerts from around the same period. Walter Becker doesn't sing, but his playing is excellent and he comes out with some droll "wisecracks" as only he can, which are hilarious. Jon Herington and Larry Carlton's playing is superb. There is some incredible keyboards from Jim Beard. The horns are amazing, and Carolyn Leonhart-Escoffery, Catherine Russell, and Tawatha Agee's brilliant vocals carry some of the songs off in great style, and really help out Donald Fagen on some of the notes. On some tunes Donald leaves the vocals entirely up to the girls. All in all, an amazing concert from "Mr. Stevie Dan" & Co., and absolutely worth hearing. Every song is a classic. The concert is VHR by A.O.O.F.C.

TRACKS

1 Intro/Teenies Blues
2 Black Friday
3 Talking
4 Aja
5 Talking
6 Hey 19
7 Talking
8 Peg
9 Talking
10 Dirty Work
11 Talking
12 Bodhisattva
13 Rikki Don't Lose That Number
14 Home At Last
15 Dr Wu
16 Any Major Dude
17 Do It Again
18 Love Is Like An Itchin' In My Heart/Band Intros
19 Babylon Sisters
20 Talking
21 Parkers Band
22 Black Cow
23 Talking
24 Jim Beard Piano Intro/Josie
25 Talking
26 Don't Take Me Alive
27 Kid Charlemagne
28 Encore Break/Talking
29 Reelin' In The Years (Original Version)
30 Audience
31 Outro - Last Tango In Paris

All songs composed by Walter Becker & Donald Fagen except "Teenies Blues" by Oliver Nelson, "Love is Like an Itching In My Heart" by Holland–Dozier–Holland, and "Last Tango In Paris" by Gato Barbieri

MUSICIANS

Donald Fagen: Vocals, Keyboards
Walter Becker: Electric guitar,Vocals
Jon Herington: Electric guitar
Larry Carlton [Guitar] Special Guest
Freddie Washington: Electric bass (finger)
Jim Beard: Keyboards
Keith Carlock: Drums
Walt Weiskopf, Roger Rosenberg: Saxophone
Jim Pugh: Trombone
Michael Leonhart: Trumpet
Carolyn Leonhart-Escoffery, Catherine Russell, Tawatha Agee : Vocals