Jim Fisk reporting #2: Steely Dan Shuffle Diplomacy Twenty Eleven

The 2011 Steely Dan tour is three months away.

After the addition of a third show at The Wang Theatre in Boston the news and updates during the past two weeks has been the adding and updating of on-sale dates and links over at steelydan.com.

But it still says More tour info and updates to come!

Looking at the list of 46 dates from July 2 to September 30 there's a gap after three New York shows at The Beacon September 13, 14, 16 and 17 to the first at The Wang Theatre on September 27. Maybe a couple more at The Beacon?

Then there are those hoping for a few dates abroad. It doesn't make sense that they would durig the gap in September shows, so if it will happen it will happen in October/November. The next question then of course being where those international dates may take place.

The 2009 tours of the US and Europe was a massive trek. After seven June dates in the States it was off to Europe for 12 dates before heading back home for an additional 51 shows ending in November.

Will there be room for Europe in 2011 or might there be a handful of dates in not-toured-in-since-2007 Japan/Asia/Australia/New Zealand?

Or maybe just keep it US-only like the 48 date June - November 2008 tour. We'll see...

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One of the weirder Steely Dan-related discussion forum threads lately (thegearpage.net) does however include a small story I'd like to share. Forum member KLB writes:

I was at a Dennis Chambers drum clinic in the late 90's. During the Q&Q, someone asked him about playing with Steely Dan. He said that every night when it was time for him to do his drum solo, Fagen would get up from the piano, wearing sunglasses as usual, and walk to the side of the stage, out of sight from the audience, in a somewhat introverted and formal manner. Chambers would notice that once Fagen got to the side, he'd take of his sunglasses, grab a beverage, and smile, laugh and BS with whoever was around him. About the time Chambers was finishing up his solo, Fagen would put back on this sunglasses, walk back to his keyboard and resume the somewhat stiff, formal persona.

Chambers got quite a laugh from the drum clinic audience with that story.

OK. And just before I sign off remember this:

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Jon Herington Band: I'll Fix Your Wagon

Here's a live performance from just four days ago. A song that will be on the band's next album.

jonherington.com

Paul Simon: So Beautiful Or So What

Sounds like Paul Simon's new album is up there with his very best. Released April 12:

A Goldmine of prog rock

Readers of this blog/listeners to Radio Dupree may be interested in knowing that the February issue of the music colletors' magazine Goldmine focus on prog rock.

Among the stuff in the issue they go through the years with Yes, the iconic prog band that’s been through the roundabout of changes in its 40 years, but has always produced strong music (including the album it’s working on in the studio now.)

There's also Flash, the 1970s British prog-rock band that was a short-lived Yes spinoff band.
The original incarnation disbanded in 1973, but founding members Ray Bennett and Colin Carter have formed a new Flash, and is back in business.

Read more here.

And as you've noticed it just happens to be that The Yes Album is our Album of the Month on Radio Dupree.

Exhibition: Unpublished Syd Barrett pictures

Syd Barrett, the mythical founder of the original Pink Floyd is the subject of an art and photography exhibition in east London.

BBC News

State Cows

Morphing from the Steely Dan tribute band 2nd Arrangement to allround west coast/AOR (think 1970's/1980's) outfit State Cows and a long overdue mention on this blog.

Here's a 10 minute collection of song snippets from an evening in October of 2010:



Here's a link to the band's blog.

And here's a link to some YouTube videos.

Let's not forget this somehow RD-related/created video playlist of State Cows' intimate in-store gig from July 2010.

The first one to figure out the anagram in the group name State Cows will get a free copy of the album! just mail your answer + name & address to radiodupree@yahoo.se

UPDATE March 17:
OK. So we have a winner! The correct answer is "West coast" or "Westcoast".

Steely dan live 2011: 45 dates official!

Saturday steelydan.com published a 45 date list for the 2011 tour. No need for us to repeat them. Just click on steelydan.com to read more and expect more official info on Monday as the page say just that:

more tour info

posted by mon mar 14

It could be what albums will be featured on the album + nights, but we'll have to wait and see. Maybe additional dates?

Steely Dan live 2011: 44 dates?

Looks like Pollstar - "the only trade publication covering the worldwide concert industry" - has jumped the gun, spilled the beans etc with 44 tour dates for Steely Dan's upcoming 2011 tour currently displayed here:

http://www.pollstar.com/resultsArtist.aspx?ID=12151&SortBy=Date

We're not saying it is the correct and complete touring initiary, but...

It all ends with 8 shows at The Beacon Theatre in New York in late September.
With rumours saying the tour would last to November, does that mean that there'll be additional (foreign) dates announced. Or are the rumours wrong? Or Pollstar? Or both?

ADDED: Guitar World has published an almost but not entirely identical touring schedule here.
And let's not forget jambands.com delivering the stuff here.

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Check steelydan.com for links to tickets and official news and dandom.com/bluebook for fan discussions.

/Click Shuffle Dimplomacy Twenty Eleven for all our posts regarding the tour./

Steely Dan live 2011: Atlanta

Yet one more date not on steelydan.com, but "promising":

Aug 7 Atlanta, GA - Chastain Park Amphitheatre

Read more here. Especially the ticket FAQ.

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Check steelydan.com for links to tickets and official news and dandom.com/bluebook for fan discussions.

/Click Shuffle Dimplomacy Twenty Eleven for all our posts regarding the tour./

Steely Dan live 2011: midweek roundup

As of today there are 13 confirmed shows listed on steelydan.com.

Jul 12 Tulsa, OK - Brady Theater
Jul 13 Thackerville, OK - Winstar Casino *
Jul 20 Toledo, OH - Toledo Zoo

Jul 23 Canandaigua, NY Constellation Brands *
Jul 26 Lenox, MA - Tanglewood *
Jul 29 Mashantucket, CT - MGM Grand at Foxwoods

Aug 02 Columbia, MD - Merriweather Post Pavilion *
Aug 04 Durham, NC - Durham PAC
Aug 10 Bethlehem, PA - Musikfest

Aug 12 Highland Park, IL - Ravinia Festival
Aug 13 Highland Park, IL- Ravinia Festival
Aug 19 Nashville, TN The Woods At Fontanel

Aug 24 St Louis MO - Fox Theatre *

Tickets to those marked with * are on general sale now, but please check steelydan.com for the lastest additions/changes.

Add to this two unconfirmed dates:
A date at the Starlight Theatre in Kansas City and the July 19 date in Cincinnati, that was up on Ticketmaster for a short while before it disappeared again only to return on excite.com's inflated-ticket-prices site.

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Check steelydan.com for links to tickets and official news and dandom.com/bluebook for fan discussions.

/Click Shuffle Dimplomacy Twenty Eleven for all our posts regarding the tour./

Steely Dan live 2011: Mashantucket

Let's keep this short and sweet:

Not official. i.e. not on steelydan.com
Mentioned on MassLive.dom's upcoming concert news March 8.

July 29 Mashantucket, CT - MGM Grand at Foxwoods. Tickets on sale April 8.

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Check steelydan.com for links to tickets and official news and dandom.com/bluebook for fan discussions.

/Click Shuffle Dimplomacy Twenty Eleven for all our posts regarding the tour./

Steely Dan live 2011: Toledo and Bethlehem

steelydan.com added one date today:

July 20 Toledo, OH - Toledo Zoo with tickets pre-sale March 8 and on sale March 11.

Meanwhile The Morning Call in Pennsylvania printed the following info:

Grammy Award winning Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Steely Dan is coming to Musikfest 2011.Steely Dan will hit the festival's Sands Steel Stage Wednesday, Aug. 10 at 7 p.m.
Acclaimed jazz artist Sam Yahel is on board as the tour's main support act.

And a quick look at the musikfest.com site says the same.


Finally, from the land of unconfirmed, the July 19 gig at the PNC Pavillion, Cincinnati, OH that popped up a couple of weeks ago on Ticketmaster just to dissappear again, is back. This time it's excite tickets featuring the show offering tickets at ... hefty prices; $62 - 582! Yes, you read that right.


Checking the PNC Pavillion homepage it has nothing about a Steely Dan show, but if and when it is officially announced on steelydan.com I am sure you can get tickets at a more reasonable price than what excite tickets expect you to pay. Stay cool, stay calm...

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Check steelydan.com for links to tickets and official news and dandom.com/bluebook for fan discussions.

/Click Shuffle Dimplomacy Twenty Eleven for all our posts regarding the tour./

Wa(l)ter Becker

While the news about Steely Dan's 2011 tour is trickling out into the open walterbecker.com has been updated with links to the very same live tour plus a photo of a man experiencing the beautiful view of a lake and mountains.

Coupled with the "headline" ... until his hat floats we wonder if it's a sign that Walter Becker's next album will spotlight his interest in surf music? Then again it's probably just a photo of a man having some time off and enjoying life.

But where is the photo taken? It's named louisa2010. And since we've been to the stunningly beautiful Lake Louise in Canada we desperately tried to match the mountain silhouettes with our holiday snapshots before realising that there might be a difference between Louise and Louisa.
We found Louisa in Kentucky, Virginia, Iowa and ... Tasmania!
Wherever the photo was taken it is a fine vista indeed!

And nice to see walterbecker.com updated.

For a full size view of the photo go to http://walterbecker.com/news.html and click the ... until his hat flows-link.

Link to Radio Dupree September 2010 blog post about Walter Becker's new project.

Steely Dan live 2011: Nashville + weekly roundup

The latest date for the 2011 tour is The Woods At Fontanel, Nashville, TN on August 19. The pre-sale date for tickets is March 9 and on-sale date is March 12.

This brings the number of shows officially announced to eight:

Jul 12 Tulsa, OK: Brady Theater
Jul 13 Thackerville, OK: Winstar Casino
Jul 23 Canandaigua, NY: Constellation Brands

Jul 26 Lenox, MA: Tanglewood
Aug 02 Columbia, MD: Merriweather Post Pavilion
Aug 04 Durham, NC: Durham PAC

Aug 19 Nashville, TN: The Woods At Fontanel
Aug 24 St Louis MO: Fox Theatre

There's also been two rumoured shows that so far hasn't materialized:
A date at the Starlight Theatre in Kansas City and still missing is the July 19 date in Cincinnati, that was up on Ticketmaster for a short while before it disappeared again.
Remember that if it isn't official it doesn't exist.

We have the names of the people making up the 2011 band. And Sam Yahel is back as the opening act for at least some of the dates, like he was in 2009.

Off the top of our heads this is what we'd like to know:
* Is this a US only tour, or will it expand to include Europe? Asia? Australia?
* Will some of the dates be whole album shows? (In 2009 select shows featured the whole of Aja or The Royal Scam albums).
* Will the setlist lean more or less towards the casual listener or longtime fan and will those old chestnuts like Josie, Hey Nineteen and My Old School be rearranged to 2011 splendour?
* If we have the facts right this is the 10 major tour for Steely Dan since the "reboot" in 1993, so will there be a commemorative stamp? Or "app"?

Check steelydan.com for links to tickets and official news and dandom.com/bluebook for fan discussions.

/Click Shuffle Dimplomacy Twenty Eleven for all our posts regarding the tour./

Steely Dan live 2011: Kansas City?

According to a short post in the Kansas City Star's music blog:

"An announcement is pending on a Kansas City show at Starlight Theatre."

/Click Shuffle Dimplomacy Twenty Eleven for all our posts regarding the tour./

Steely Dan live 2011: Durham, North Carolina

A seventh date added:

August 4 - Durham, NC - Durham PAC - Tickets pre-sale March 8, on-sale March 11.

/Click Shuffle Dimplomacy Twenty Eleven for all our posts regarding the tour./

Radio Dupree Top 20 - March 2011

1. David Bowie - Absolute Beginners - Absolute Beginners (soundtrack)

2. Steely Dan - Josie - Alive In America

3. Frank Zappa & The Mothers - Tears Began To Fall - 1971 single

4. Frank Zappa - Dumb All Over - You Are What You Is

5. Frank Zappa - Uncle Remus - Apostrophe (')

6. Soft Machine - Virtually Part 4 - Fourth

7. Soft Machine - Virtually Part 2 - Fourth

8. The Doors - The Soft Parade - The Soft Parade

9. Queen - In The Lap Of The Gods...Revisited - Sheer Heart Attack

10. Pink Floyd - Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Part One (excerpt) - Wish You Were Here

11. Queen - White Man - A Day At The Races

12. UK - Danger Money - Danger Money

13. Frank Zappa - You Didn't Try To Call Me - You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore - Vol. 1

14. The Doors - Strange Days - Strange Days

15. Soft Machine - Teeth - Fourth

16. Mike Oldfield - Five Miles Out - Five Miles Out

17. Genesis - The Chamber Of 32 Doors - Genesis Archive 1967-75

18. Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band - Love Lies - Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller)

19. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - May This Be Love - Are You Experienced

20. Focus - No Hang Ups - Mother Focus

21. Lulu - Watch That Man - 1974 single B-side

22. Led Zeppelin - Four Sticks - IV

23. Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention - My Guitar - The Ark (Beat The Boots I)

24. The Doors - Five To One - Waiting For The Sun

25. Bruford - Plans For J.D. - Gradually Going Tornado

26. Steely Dan - King Of The World - Countdown To Ecstasy

27. Steely Dan - Kid Charlemagne - Alive In America

28. Stackridge - Purple Spaceships Over Yatton - Do The 'Stanley'

29. Andrew Lloyd Webber - Variations 7 & 8 - Variations

30. Ted Kooshian - Aja - Underdog, And Other Stories

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Chart compiled by listeners voting on
the songs they hear on Radio Dupree

Even with a favourite Bowie song making it to the very top of our chart I think this month's winners are Frank Zappa and Soft Machine.

Zappa for taking places 3, 4, 5 and 13 in the top 20, and Soft Machine for placing three tracks in the top 20. Something rarely achieved by our Album of the Month. Let's see how Yes does this month!

Steely Dan live 2011: St. Louis + Tulsa!

From the press release:

Greatest hits and deep cuts alike will be showcased at Fox Theatre on August 24 at 8 p.m. Acclaimed jazz artist Sam Yahel is on board as the tour's main support act.
...
Tickets go on sale to the public beginning Saturday, March 5 at 10 a.m. Tickets are $75, $55, and $35 with a limited number of Gold Circle seats also available. Purchase tickets at the Fox Box Office, MetroTix outlets or by calling (314) 534-1111. Order tickets online at www.metrotix.com.

UPDATE: And just added to the list at steelydan.com is

July 12 Tulsa, OK - Brady Theater Pre-Sale March 8 * General On-sale March 11

/Click Shuffle Dimplomacy Twenty Eleven for all our posts regarding the tour./