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...

: : : : :

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:

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