Monday night Steely Dan performed at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids breaking out many of the songs that put them on the map.

A great show that showcased the talent of the touring members of the band.     “Reeling In The Years”, “Bodhisattva”,  “Kid Charlemagne”, “Hey Nineteen  and the majority of the "Aja" album, highlighted this Monday night performance that lasted around 2 hours.

The down side for me, if you could say there is one, is you could feel  the absence of Walter Becker.    Donald Fagen mentioned him a few times and you could feel  the emotion in the arena.    This is the third show for the band since he passed away last month.

The band paid tribute to him when they performed his solo track, “Book Of Liars” with slides of Walter projected behind the stage.

He was the one who would usually introduced the band members and I missed that.  They made it work with the various members introducing the other players while jamming to a song by Joe Tex.

Photo by Mrs. Fly
Photo by Mrs. Fly
loading...

This is the third time I  have seen the band and from what I can remember the lineup of musicians on stage was very similar to the last time I saw the group perform in 2009. A very tight band that if you get the chance you should see them live.

Whether it be with this band or if he continues to tour with his recent group, “The Knightflyers”,  I hope Donald Fagen keeps going as long as he can.   One of the all time greats.

Bonus Video: Rocker Morning Show: Duff McKagan Interview

 

 

More From 107.7 WRKR-FM