CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Tuesday night's Steely Dan concert was easily the most anticipated show of the summer. Not long after tickets for the show went on sale, they were quickly snapped up. People knew a bargain when they saw one.
A band like Steely Dan doesn't pass this way very often -- at least, they haven't since the late 1980s. Most of the time, to see a full show of an artist of Steely Dan's particular caliber, the least you have to do is drive to Cleveland.
A sold-out crowd came to see Steely Dan and pretty much everybody got their money's worth. The Sam Yahel Organ Trio opened up the evening with an eclectic set of funk, blues and rock.
They were an odd, slightly awkward but fun little band that managed to warm up the crowd without making eye contact. Opening for an iconic rock band couldn't be easy, but the trio got a good response from the crowd who had no idea they were going to be there.
Everyone came to see Steely Dan. They came to be wowed and Steely Dan (Donald Fagen and Walter Becker) did their best to oblige. They brought a top-shelf band (The Miles High Big Band) with a solid horn section, a furious guitar player named Jon Herington and a particularly exciting drummer, Keith Carlock. The band was supported by a trio of strong vocalists (The Embassy Brats), who helped to cover some of the rust spots that tend to develop with age.
They played a generous selection from their rock 'n' roll hall of fame catalog of hits, including "Hey Nineteen," "Black Friday," and "Reelin' in the Years," but stopped short of doing a greatest hits show. Steely Dan blended in some (but not all) of their latter day material.
Fagen and Becker were fairly personable hosts for the evening, though neither was given to lots of banter with the audience. There wasn't a lot of time. They did have a lot of musical ground to cover.
A few people grumbled that they didn't hear "Do it again" or "Rikki Don't Lose That Number," their two biggest radio hits, but Steely Dan hasn't quite succumbed to the lure of becoming just an oldies act. New albums may take years to appear, but they're probably still working on material and still exploring what they already have.
The Clay Center should be commended on another fine show.
Reach Bill Lynch at ly...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-5195.
