Donald Fagen and his band of top-notch musicians delivered a set full of hits and fan favorites on June 30.
Steely Dan brought their unique blend of jazz-rock to the tri-state area last week. Led by the unfathomably hip Donald Fagen, the band performed a two-hour set that included hits and fan favorites at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, N.J. on June 30.
Guitarist Dave Stryker and his trio opened the night, performing jazz renditions of popular tracks that included Curtis Mayfield’s “Pusherman,” which receives regular airplay on local jazz radio station WBGO. Often leaving space to improvise, it was clear these cats could play.
Steely Dan, minus Fagen, took to the stage at dusk, performing a number before he entered to thunderous applause. Fagen, a New Jersey native, was referred to as the “pride of Passaic” by guitarist Jon Herington during an introduction later in the night. Fagen’s spirits were as high as the audiences, and the energy in the amphitheater was upbeat.
The set included a mix of radio friendly hits like “Black Friday” and “My Old School,” alongside more complex compositions like “Aja” and “Home at Last.” Notable was the absence of longtime collaborator and co-founder Walter Becker who died in 2017. Nonetheless, the band did justice to the group’s repertoire, remaining true to the songs but with each musician also contributing their own improvisational voice to the iconic tunes.
The set concluded with a rendition of “Peg,” before Fagen and the band returned to the stage.
“I’d like to thank my partner, Walter Becker, for writing all these songs with me,” Fagen told the nearly sold-out audience at PNC before launching into “Reelin’ In The Years,” a track off Steely Dan’s 1972 debut, “Can’t Buy A Thrill.”
Fagen was then played offstage, never to be seen again… until the next performance of course.
Steely Dan are on the road and will be back in New York from August 10-13. Tickets are available on Ticketmaster.
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