Sleepy Start Steely Dan Opens Gorge Concert - Second On U.S. Tour - With Low-Intensity Performance

Steely Dan Saturday, June 3, at The Gorge

A fter a lackluster first set, ‘70s jazz-rock duo Steely Dan woke up during the second half of their show Saturday at The Gorge.

But Walter Becker and Donald Fagen left the largely boomer audience wanting, leaving some of their biggest hits unplayed.

“We’ll see you again next year,” Fagen said before walking offstage in front of the modest crowd.

Let’s hope he makes good on that promise. Fans will have to wait until then to hear “Reelin’ in the Years,” “Hey Nineteen” and “Rikki Don’t Lose that Number.”

Becker on guitar and Fagen on keyboards and vocals kicked off the show - the second of their U.S. tour - with a sleepy version of “Boston Rag” and a toe-tapping “Bodhisattva.”

The two brought with them eight instrumentalists and three backup singers. While the two tenor saxes, trumpet and trombone were deftly played, they lent a sameness to many of the songs.

Tunes from “Two Against Nature,” Steely Dan’s first studio album in 20 years, blended seamlessly with older material.

“Janie Runaway” (a natural follow-up to “Hey Nineteen”) and “Cousin Dupree” (one of the evening’s best) proved that classic Steely Dan cynicism has aged like fine wine over the years.

But much of the show’s first hour of jazz noodling and somnambulistic vocals would have served better as background music at a champagne brunch than a concert deserving full attention.

After a particularly low-intensity version of the hit “Do It Again,” Fagen quipped, “In a few more minutes it’s going to get really good.”

Thankfully, he was right.

After a 20-minute break, the band came back strong with “The Royal Scam,” featuring Fagen’s comforting, nasal voice mingling with the muted, staccato trumpet of Michael Leonhart.

The set brought an expansive rendition of “Deacon Blues,” and a backup singer fronted “Dirty Work.”

But it also included Becker singing the cheesy “Monkey in Your Soul.”

Just because the Rolling Stones let Keith Richards sing a couple of songs every album doesn’t make it OK. Stick with the riffs, Becker. With their kids on their shoulders and lighters waving in the air, audience members settled in for an extended encore. But Steely Dan played just two songs, “My Old School” and “FM.”

Unlike many reunion groups that trot out the old favorites to make a quick buck, it’s admirable that Steely Dan produced a fine album 30 years after their first.

But they don’t call them old favorites for nothing.