Swinging from the 70s: Review of Steely Dan and Eagles in Concert
Sept 20, 2023 — UBS Arena, Long Island, NY
Steely Dan isn’t a nostalgia act. Well, seeing the hordes of Boomers that filled the USB Arena to see them along with the Eagles, bands whose most vital era was over forty years, it’s clear that this evening is about nostalgia and reeling in those years. In that light, Donald Fagen’s contemporary version of the Dan is a nostalgia act, but fights against it.
Most legacy groups play faithfully their hits in nicely consumable order, creating a live greatest hits album. Steely Dan bucked that trend. They started their set with an obscure jazz number. This song was probably chosen to not only show off the serious chops of bands (full of killer virtuosos) but also to declare that this is living and evolving musical project. The drummer’s gotta get some! He did.
[New concert review — Darker Waves Festival in Huntington Beach, CA]
They set out to defy expectations (what else is new?). Besides the opener, Stanley Wilson’s big band crusher “Phantom Raiders,” they ended with another jazz instrumental, the smoky “A Man Ain’t Supposed to Cry.” The big hits were there, “Reelin’,” “Rikki,” “Hey Nineteen,” etc. Notably absent was “Do It Again,” which I’d consider one of their top-three songs. And they fit in a few deeper cuts in the twelve song set. The “Aja” title track was a cool surprise. “Kid Charlemange” was fantastic. And a few more that were new to me. Steely still wants to school ya.
And the feeling was that Fagen isn’t interested in blatantly recreating the tunes live. No verbatim soundalikes to the records were presented. Each song was tweaked here and there. Arrangements were altered. Solos were often very different. Particularly on “Dirty Work,” the trumpeter got the spotlight and played a solo that did not resemble a single blurt of the sax solo on the record. Also, the fabulous back singers, the Donettes, share the lead vocals on that one. The songs have not remained the same. This is not a nostalgia showcase. It’s a band that needs to groove.
And the man in charge, Donald Fagen was his enigmatic self. Honestly, his singing voice is not what it was. He couldn’t hit some notes. But the Donettes and the undeniable power of the large (eleven-piece?) band made up for any off-notes from Fagen. And it was a thrill (that I did buy!) to see him come out his vintage Rhodes keyboard a few times to dazzle us with some melodica licks. A melodica is of course that small portable keyboard that you blow into, the one that the Hooters made famous (and until today I thought that instrument was called a “hooter”). For most of the show, Fagen held court at his keyboard which was adorned with a large photo of Duke Ellington and his band. I wasn’t sure if Fagen’s Rhodes keyboard was even plugged in. It didn’t matter. Donald was riding the grooves that he had created in the 70s, and is still surfing and reeling in today.
Next up was those Eagles. Looking forward to this show, I truly thought that this was the kind of bill where the two bands could swap the order each night, that either group could “headline” and were of equal stature. I was way off. The onslaught of recognizable tunes was impressive. I consider myself a very casual listener of that band, having only ever partaken of their famous greatest hits album, and also having heard them ad naseum on the classic rock radio for years. I knew every single song they played. They were a hit song machine in the ’70s. And they must have played every one of them that night.
Don Henley is the only remaining founding member and now the de facto boss of the group. He seemed to carry the weight of the band’s legacy on his shoulders. And he ran a tight ship, doing the most talking of anyone, but keeping banter to a rehearsed minimum. He moved back and forth from playing guitar center stage to behind the drums while singing many of the songs (including his biggest solo hit “Boys of Summer”). Each performance was utterly faithful to the records I’ve heard so many times on the radio.
Joining him was the late Glenn Frey’s son (who was the youngest Eagle by decades) on guitar and vocals on one or two songs, longtime bassist Timothy B. Schmit who sang one number, and backing musicians who filled out the Eagles’ well known sound. There was also this guitar player on far stage right who had the aura of a gentle high school guidance counselor. To my surprise it was country star Vince Gill had joined the band a few years ago to cover the vacuum left by the passing of Glenn Frey. Gill sang several of the ballads perfectly, holding down the old school country sector of their repertoire.
But not everything was so buttoned up. Enter Joe Freakin Walsh! He was a welcome kink in their lovely, yet predictable show. For most of the show he was a just guitar player. When he got the spotlight the energy of the room zapped up. Joe got to do three of his solo hits, like “Life’s Been Good” and “Rocky Mountain Way,” which were great fun. But the most unexpected kick of their set was when he played James Gang’s “Funk #49.” It was so cool to see Joe crank out this absolute smoker (that most of the crowd did not react to). Joe was jammed it out, expanding the short tune and trading solos with the other guitarists on stage. It was the only song that wasn’t an exact replica of the record. And Joe looked like he was having genuine fun onstage. He even disturbed Vince Gill’s comfort zone… noice!
This was “The Long Goodbye Tour,” supposedly Eagles’ last big outing. They finished up with some mega hits, including “Desperado” and “Hotel California” complete with iconic solos played note for note. The fans “danced to remember.” And Eagles said their goodbyes. Can we leave the Hotel now?
