By Donnie Moorhouse
Springfield Republican
UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Steely Dan played the first of two area shows on Thursday night, entertaining thousands at the Mohegan Sun Arena with a 90-minute set.
The band was also scheduled to play the Chevrolet Theater in Wallingford on Friday.
The jazz-rock icons are currently out on the “Heavy Rollers Tour.”
Walter Becker and Donald Fagen fronted what Fagen hailed as the “Steely Dan Orchestra” over the course of a 16-song affair. The “orchestra” consisted of bass, drums, guitars and keyboards along with a four-piece horn section and two backing vocalists.
After the band worked up a bouncy jazz jam, Becker and Fagen hit the stage to the strains of “Time Out of Mind.”
“Hi kids,” Fagan shouted to the multi-generational crowd (many saw fit to bring their teenagers along), as he worked up “Bad Sneakers.”
The band was tight and the entire ensemble locked into a groove early on. But through “Two Against Nature,” the jazzed rhythms and popping horns began to dull and drone a bit and each successive song sounded remarkably like the last. Lay credit or blame with Fagen’s distinctive vocals, with very even-keeled elements that dated the music.
Some might argue that if you’re calling for the fourth trumpet solo in as many songs, then you might be running out of ideas. Nevertheless, Becker and Fagen did keep the boys busy, liberally granting solos to the horns and letting drummer Keith Carlock get in his licks as well.
Fagen woke the concussed crowd with “Hey Nineteen,” but was overwhelmed by the backing vocalists who were turned way up in the sound mix, enough to compete with the four horns.
“Remember the 20th Century?” Fagen asked the crowd, stopping down the song. “And taking your girl to the beach? Having some Mexican tequila with the worm on the bottom?” Becker finally took a turn at the microphone, offering “Haitian Divorce,” before turning the lead vocals back to Fagen for “Peg” which featured an inspired guitar solo from Jon Herington.
The backing singers took the lead role on “Dirty Work,” and Becker and Fagen used “Josie” to introduce the band. The group ended the set with “Kid Charlemagne,” but returned for an encore that included “Black Cow” and “Bodhivista.”
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