The Show Biz Kids Do It Again

The much-anticipated 2006 Steelyard “Sugartooth” McDan Tour rolled into Phoenix, Arizona yesterday (July 18) as a part of its 32-date U.S. tour. The concert bill featured co-headlining duties shared by Mr. Michael McDonald (keyboard and vocals) who first got his big break with Steely Dan in the 1970s and the reclusive duo collectively known as Steely Dan, Mr. Donald Fagen (keyboards and vocals) and Mr. Walter Becker (guitar). Mr. Fagen and Mr. Becker were backed by an incredibly solid band, dubbed as the “Crack-10 Piece Band” featuring: Jon Herington - Guitar, Freddy Washington - Bass, Keith Carlock - Drums, Jeff Young - Keyboards and Backing Vocals, Walt Weiskopf – Sax, Michael Leonhart – Trumpet, Jim Pugh - Trombone, Roger Rosenberg - Baritone Sax, Carolyn Leonhart-Escoffery - Backing Vocals and Cindy Mizelle - Backing Vocals. This lineup was also featured as “The Donald Fagen Band” on Mr. Fagen’s most recent solo tour.

Mr. McDonald took the stage at 7:45 and selected “It Keeps You Runnin’” a Doobie Brothers favorite as his opener, extending it into a lengthy jam (as he did with “Sweet Freedom” the second number featured in his set). Mr. McDonald, dressed in a black short sleeve shirt (with his trademark white hair and white goatee), was indeed very impressive. It seems as though Mr. McDonald’s voice hadn’t aged a bit, an amazing feat for a man with a career spanning over three decades and who, as it would appear, seems to have cheated the deteriorating effects of time (he is in his mid 50s and still sounds in his prime). Mr. McDonald was very polite and fan friendly, encouraging the crowd to “sing along if you know the words” to his most well known tunes (e.g. “Sweet Freedom,” “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” and “What a Fool Believes”) and thanked the barely (and sadly) half filled venue for, “coming out in the heat to see the show.” A little more than half way through the set Mr. McDonald brought out the local Phoenix Gospel Choir to add more depth to the already stellar back up vocalists. Perhaps the most heartfelt number featured in his set was “That’s the Way God Planned It,” whom Mr. McDonald dedicated to the legendary Billy Preston (a resident of Scottsdale, AZ), who recently passed away of kidney failure last month. Mr. McDonald closed with his usual “Takin’ to the Streets,” taking time to noodle around on his piano beforehand as a teaser introduction to the tune.

Despite the oppressive heat (show time temperature exceeded 100 degrees) Mr. Fagen and Mr. Becker were in top-notch form (I’d previously seen Steely Dan perform four times between 1996-2003 mostly in Chicago, IL but also in Cuyahoga Falls, OH and caught Mr. Fagen in Las Vegas, NV on his most recent tour -thanks by the way DF for the autograph - and this performance was by far their best). The “Crack 10-Piece Band” took the stage at 9:18. The band began with an instrumental jazz number and flawlessly transitioned into the show opener "Bodhisattva." Shortly thereafter, Mr. Fagen and Mr. Becker (who were met with a standing ovation) strolled on stage. After a few nods of acknowledgement, Mr. Fagen (who wasn’t wearing his trademark black sports coat), sat down enthusiastically at his piano, while Mr. Becker strapped on his guitar. Mr. Fagen (more so than Mr. Becker) seemed in particularly good spirits and during what he noted as a “technological crisis” (e.g. a dust storm blew Mr. Fagen’s sheet music everywhere and eventually onto his lap), managed to see the humor in the situation. In between songs he remarked, “is this what you call a ‘dust storm?’” he inquired, continuing, “[laughing and turning to Mr. Becker] how then does this affect me?” [A technician was then summoned onstage to steady the sheet music so that it would no longer blow around].



Every 1970s era (including the 1980 album Gaucho) Steely Dan album was represented in the set with the exception of Pretzel Logic. Interestingly enough, no 'new' tunes were performed (e.g. Two Against Nature (2000) and Everything Must Go (2003), and a quarter of the tunes performed were plucked from Mr. Fagen and Mr. Becker’s most popular and successful album, Aja (1977). Mr. Keith Carlock, who Mr. Becker during the band introductions remarked, “just might well be the best drummer of the new millennium” was incredible, especially on the drum standout number, “Aja” (performed on the album by the legendary Steve Gadd, one of the most recorded studio drummers of all time). Mr. Carlock reproduced the “Aja” drum outro with exact precision and flawless accuracy, and surely did not disappoint!

“I’ve Got the News” was featured early in the set, and disappointingly did not feature Mr. McDonald on backup vocals. Mr. Fagen went back to the usual “Aretha Franklin” lyric on “Hey Nineteen” (he often sang “Otis Redding” in place of Aretha Franklin”). The song also featured a Walt Weiskopf and Roger Rosenberg “argument” (e.g. Mr. Fagen, who prefaced the feature by telling the crowd (not seriously of course) that the two had “gotten into a real serious argument before the show” and brought the two to front stage to “settle the dispute,” acting himself as the moderator remarking “hmmm uh is that what you are saying,” “oh, ok that must be it,” etc., in between their individual performances, shortly thereafter noting that the two could settle it over “a shot of…what was it again, that…” [with Carolyn Leonhart-Escoffery & Cindy Mizelle chiming in], “Cuervo Gold.”



“Green Earrings” was also a standout with Mr. Becker and Mr. Jon Herington trading solo licks and “Dirty Work” (as it has been for the past few years) was performed solely by the backup vocalists Carolyn Leonhart-Escoffery & Cindy Mizelle. After “Dirty Work” Mr. Fagen noted that he wanted to “hear some funk” prompting the band to immediate action. While performing an instrumental funk number Mr. Becker introduced each band member prefacing the band introductions with, “you want to know what the Steelyard “Sugartooth” McDan and the Fab-Originees.com is all about, this is what it is all about [he then introduced each band member including Mr. McDonald who in ‘throwback form’ was brought back out on stage during this time].” The instrumental funk segued right into “Show Biz Kids” on which Mr. McDonald shared lead vocal duties with Mr. Fagen (the two also shared lead vocals on “Do It Again” but not disappointingly enough on any of the other songs, he only played keyboards with a little backing vocal support). Despite this drawback, the performance and the sound were both absolutely amazing. The musicianship exhibited by all was right on mark (or ‘in the pocket’ as they say) for the whole duration of the show with absolutely no deviations which should come as no surprise as these musicians are among the best in the world.

Steelyard “Sugartooth” McDan Tour
Phoenix, Arizona July 18, 2006

Michael McDonald
Onstage 7:45

It Keeps You Runnin’
Sweet Freedom>Band Introductions
I Keep Forgettin’
Stop, Look and Listen
That’s the Way God Planned It
Ain’t No Love to be Found
I Heard it Through the Grapevine
Second That Emotion
You Belong to Me
Minute by Minute
What a Fool Believes
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
And Nothing Like the Real Thing
Takin’ it to the Streets
Offstage 8:53

Steely Dan
Onstage 9:18

Instrumental Introduction
Bodhisattva
Time Out of Mind
Aja
I’ve Got The News
Hey Nineteen
Josie
Green Earrings
Black Friday
Dirty Work [w/ Carolyn Leonhart-Escoffery & Cindy Mizelle]
Funk Instrumental>Band Introduction>Showbiz Kids*+
Do it Again*+
Peg*
Don’t Take Me Alive*
Kid Charlemagne*

ENCORE:
My Old School*
FM*

*+w/ Michael McDonald Sharing Vocal Lead
*w/ Michael McDonald

Steelyard “Sugartooth” McDan Tour 2006
Date City Venue

Jul 07 Milwaukee, WI Summerfest
Jul 08 Chicago, IL First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
Jul 10 Nashville, TN Starwood Amphitheatre
Jul 12 Dallas, TX Nokia Theater at Grand Prairie
Jul 14 Houston, TX Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Jul 15 San Antonio, TX Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
Jul 18 Phoenix, AZ Cricket Pavilion
Jul 19 Irvine, CA Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
Jul 21 San Jacinto, CA Soboba Casino (Steely Dan only)
Jul 22 Las Vegas, NV Aladdin Theatre
Jul 24 San Diego, CA Embarcadero Marina Park (Steely Dan only)
Jul 25 San Francisco, CA Shoreline Amphitheatre
Jul 27 Portland, OR Clark County Amphitheatre
Jul 28 Seattle, WA White River Amphitheatre
Jul 31 Denver, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Aug 7 Atlanta, GA Chastain Park Amphitheatre
Aug 9 Hollywood, FL Seminole Hard Rock Hotel
Aug 10 Tampa, FL Ford Amphitheatre
Aug 12 Charlotte, NC Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
Aug 13 Bristow, VA Nissan Pavilion at Stone Ridge
Aug 15 Virginia Beach, VA Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
Aug 17 Wantagh, NY Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
Aug 19 Camden, NJ Tweeter Waterfront
Aug 20 Scranton, PA Toyota Pavilion
Aug 23 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center
Aug 24 Hartford, CT New England Dodge Music Center
Aug 26 Atlantic City, NJ Trump Taj Mahal
Aug 27 Boston, MA Tweeter Center
Aug 29 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Music Center
Aug 30 Pittsburgh, PA Post Gazette Pavilion
Sep 01 Cuyahoga Falls, OH Blossom Music Center
Sep 02 Detroit, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre