Steely Dan’s masterful mix of jazz and rock was in full force Wednesday night at the Brady Theater, a brand of music they owned in the 1970s and remain near the top today.
Growing up in a band family with parents who grew up with Steely Dan, the mix of intricate piano and guitar, full horn section and intriguing lyrics was something me and the rest of the audience knew.
Donald Fagen on piano and vocals, donning sunglasses and channeling Ray Charles in his movements, brought that sound to life. Walter Becker was played some of those familiar guitar licks, and was absolutely hysterical in a monologue during “Hey Nineteen.”
“It might be in the Farmer’s Almanac or the psychedelic almanac: Tonight is the greatest, super duper peak night of 2013,” Becker said.
He then went on to describe someone’s (hopefully hypothetical) night at the show, from buying scalped tickets from a homeless person in an alley in downtown Tulsa to getting home at the end of the night and dusting off that old bottle of the Cuervo Gold.
“It tastes like an electrical fire in a cat’s stomach,” Becker said.
The list of Steely Dan hits is long, and not fully covered in their set. But several of the die-hard fans in attendance relished in the deeper tracks the band played in the nearly two-hour set Wednesday.
The songs featured numerous solos from a horn section that was in tune with Steely Dan’s style, a drummer who was one of the best touring drummer’s I’ve seen, talented backup singers, bass and piano with another lead guitar, playing as the Bipolar All-Stars. Improvisation came easy for the group, and that jazzy style was still highlighted by Becker and Fagen. Time had taken some toll on Fagen’s voice and Becker’s guitar, but the soul was still there.
Hits included “Aja,” “Green Earrings,” “Peg,” “Reelin’ in the Years,” among many more. Some noticeable absences in the set list were “Deacon Blues,” and “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number.”
A small but appealing aspect of the show was the set design. It was simple, but fantastic lighting. No big fancy screens or confetti cannons. A good reminder that bands don't need fancy graphics and complicated sets if the light is right and the music is great.
The Deep Blue Organ Trio opened for Steely Dan, warming up the audience with a Chicago-style jazz and blues. Their improvisation was incredible, with the organist dropping in lines from the musical “Oklahoma,” to the audience’s approval.
Becker said the band was excited to play in Tulsa again, and the audience was glad they were here, too.
“It’s been a while since we’ve been in Tulsa,” Becker said. “Glad to see nothing has changed and that’s good because nothing was wrong with it.”
Right back at ya, Steely Dan.
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