SET ONE:
1. Cubano Chant, (Ray Bryant Tune, before Donald and Walter take the stage)
2. Aja (Aja)
3. Time Out Of Mind (Gaucho)
4. Godwhacker (Everything Must Go)
5. Caves of Altamira (Royal Scam)
6. Black Cow (Aja)
7. Babylon Sisters (Gaucho)
8. Daddy Don't Live In That New York City No More (Katy Lied) (sung by Walter, featuring Band intros)
9. Peg (Aja)
10. Home at Last (Aja) (Empire State Building Images)
SET TWO:
11. The Steely Dan Show (band and backup singers without D +W, debuted on 2000 European tour)
12. Janie Runaway (2vN)
13. Hey Nineteen (Gaucho)
14. Haitian Divorce (Royal Scam) (sung by Walter)
15. Lunch with Gina (Everything Must Go)
16 Parker's Band (Pretzel Logic) (Sung by the girls)
17. Josie (Aja)
18. Kid Charlamagne (Royal Scam)
19. Don't Take Me Alive (Royal Scam)
ENCORE: Dean Parks on Guitar!!!!!
20. My Old School (Countdown to Ecstasy)
21. FM (FM Soundtrack)
After the Roseland Concert, just 2 weeks earlier, I had no real hope that this very anticipated concert could be even half as good. LA crowds just sit in their seats, LA is so laid back...you know the cliches. Well, Wednesday evening arrived and so did my 2 guys. Off we went, driving West on Sunset, to the Hollywood Freeway (or the 101 as it is also called). Only a few short exits and we were at tonight's venue, Universal. I had not been up to the complex that contains the Ampitheatre in several years, but there were few changes. We walked the length of City Walk and got to the meeting point for the pre Dan Show, the Saddle Ranch Chop House. There was a sign saying welcome Steely Dan Fans, but I looked around the place and didn't see anyone. Just when I was ready to give up and enter the venue, my husband spotted Steveedan and the 4 of us talked for about 15 minutes. At that point, South of Hollywood arrived with his guest, and off we went on the line to get into the venue. We caught up with Dan (W1P) and his wife and said a quick hello, then into the mob, for bag checks (saved my water and camera this time) and then over to the theatre itself. Met up with our guest for this evening, a work friend of mine, who is the man that got me past just a casual interest in the Dan. It was wonderful getting to share an evening with him, listening to Dan music. We all loved the seats and it was my best sight line view yet. We were in the 1st row of the third section, on Donald's side. Being we were on the aisle, the late comers got in our way a bit, but not too bad at all.
8:15 came and a few minutes later, the band appeared and off we went, Cubano Chanting. This time something must have clicked with this song, cause I really got into it and even remember some of it, weeks later. It was hot, the crowd enjoyed and then, on came Donald and Walter and life just got better. They went into Aja and at the conclusion the crowd went wild up in the front section and even gave them a standing ovation. I was shocked. This crowd wanted to be here and I relaxed and enjoyed the show. Donald was hot and as far as I could tell he did not miss any lines. His only vocal problem seemed to come during Godwacker, it sounded like he could have used a drink of his soda, at the top of the song. But things got better fast and I heard no other weakness in vocals after that. He has an economy of wording the songs, leaving out a word here and there, especially the first word of a line. I almost think he is saving himself. The other thing he was doing both this evening and at Roseland was drawing out ends of words, especially in Aja. He would put a beat in there before ending it. You almost wanted to hit him over the head sometimes.
Since I finally had decent sight lines, I watched them playing much closer, then at the other 2 concerts. Carlock was hot again and it was a pure pleasure to watch him do his magic. I got a better look at Jon and Walter trading guitar parts. I actually got to see Jon do that little riff in Godwacker this time. Someone mentioned that he did the whole thing and that was correct. I believe that on the album, he and Hugh go back and forth, since it switches between the right and left channel. Walter seeming to do whatever needed to be done, some lead guitar work and then other rhythm guitar parts. Trying to keep things sounding good. The horn work was excellent, especially on Godwacker and Lunch With Gina. Someone asked me what did the outro to Lunch with Gina and yes, it is the horns. Nice job, they did.
The only thing I wanted to add was that Dean Parks made my night!!!!! I missed when he came up on stage, so when they ended My Old School, I noticed an extra body standing there playing and wondered who he was. Donald then gave him the intro, Very cool. Then Dean did a killer solo in FM, that so reminded me of how you hear him play on that Making Aja video and I was charmed. What a guy. You could see that Walter was so happy to have him on stage.
This is the first time I saw them perform Daddy Don't Live and I found it interesting to note that Michael Leonhart moves over to the Professor Baker position and plays the keyboard, while Ted does the piano. Donald is doing his thing on the Fender Rhodes (or whatever it is), so you have 3 performers playing keys at once. Very cool stuff. Michael then moves back to trumpet, during the band intros, so as to take his bow on his main instrument. Tom Barney got introduced TWICE!!!!! What a hoot! It was like Walter wanted him to do it again. And guess what, it was better the 2nd time around. Damn, I wish I could see him playing . Girls were in black, which fit the formal occasion of Universal.
The consenus from both my guys was that there was no comparison between the Paso Robles show and last night. Universal wins, hands down. My work friend is very into audio and he said it was the best sounding SD concert he had ever attended and he has seen them several times over the years. So he gave it high marks. For me, Roseland had the energy and the dancing, so this night was mellow and laid back, very LA, but nice.
Glad I was there.
