Review: Dukes of September

Photos by Susan Pfannmuller/Special to The Star

Above: Michael McDonald, former Doobie and now a Duke of September.

Artistic license clashed with audience expectations Saturday at Starlight Theatre.

The three stars of the Dukes of September Rhythm Revue -- Donald Fagen, Michael McDonald and Boz Scaggs -- delivered impeccable renditions of 22 songs. Yet they weren't necessarily the selections the audience of approximately 3,500 wanted to hear. It was a music obsessive's paradise and a casual classic rock fan's nightmare.

A reading of "The Shape I'm In" exemplified the conundrum. McDonald's vigorous lead vocals on the nugget by the Band were delightful. The vast majority of the audience, however, would have preferred that McDonald had sung hits like "Yah Mo B There," "What a Fool Believes" or "Minute by Minute" instead. Most didn't anticipate hearing obscurities like Willy DeVille's "Cadillac Walk" when they spent $40 to $130 per ticket. And they probably didn't expect that "Reelin' In the Years" would be the sole song by Fagen's Steely Dan on the setlist.

Donald Fagen

At least every song was performed in the sleek style associated with Steely Dan. The 12-piece aggregation played with grace and precision. Among the band's notable members were accomplished jazz saxophonist Walt Weiskopf and the tasteful guitarist Jon Herington.

Their shimmering efforts were captured in a perfect sound mix. Still, the band's immense technical talent didn't always work to their advantage. A reading of a blues associated with Muddy Waters, for instance, was more appropriate for a penthouse suite than a gritty roadhouse. The members of the band were simply incapable of playing without refined elegance. That doesn't mean, however, that they lacked soul.

Boz Scaggs' wonderful rendition of "Love T.K.O." overflowed with anguish. A memorable reading of "Takin' It To the Streets" began with a delicate piano solo and ended in gospel fervor. A creative overhaul of Buddy Miles' "Them Changes" was refreshing. The audience responded as if Aretha Franklin was on stage as Carolyn Leonhart delivered "Rock Steady." 

Not every cover worked as well. While delightful, McDonald's duet with Catherine Russell on "Don't Mess Up a Good Thing" was entirely derivative. The Grateful Dead's "Shakedown Street," The O'Jay's "Love Train" and The Beach Boys' "Help Me, Rhonda" were as pleasant as they were pointless.

Boz Scaggs

When heavy rain briefly halted the concert 40 minutes into the show, McDonald's "I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)" was the only big original hit the audience had heard. Most sat motionless as each unlikely song was rendered. Polite applause was gradually replaced by disgruntled murmuring and shouted requests between songs.

Well into the second half of the concert, a collective sigh of relief greeted the opening strains of "What a Fool Believes," the soothing funk smash McDonald sang with the Doobie Brothers. It was followed by an energetic rendition of Fagen's "I.G.Y." and Scaggs' timeless hit "Lowdown." The latter song was received like manna from heaven from the hit-starved audience. Most fans rose to dance for the first time.

Had the band not seemed intent on delivering a well-intentioned music lesson, the entire concert could have been a rapturous dance party. While Fagen, McDonald and Scaggs seemed to be having the times of their lives, most of the audience only partially participated in their celebration.

SETLIST: Sookie Sookie; Heighty Hi; Don't Mess Up A Good Thing; Shakedown Street; You Never Can Tell; I've Got News For You; Green Flower Street; Miss Sun; I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near); Rock Steady Rag; Mama Rag; The Shape I'm In; Love T.K.O.; I Love The Life I Live, I Live the Life I Love; Cadillac Walk; What A Fool Believes; I.G.Y.; Lowdown; Takin' It To The Streets; Reelin' In The Years; Love Train; Help Me, Rhonda; Them Changes; Sookie Sookie.

| Bill Brownlee, Special to The Star

Comments

[bewlay]

Hmm, big crowd?

[BigSteve]

Cadillac Walk was covered (very well) by Willy DeVille's band Mink DeVille, but it's actually a Moon Martin song.

[Danny]

They had curtains all across about where the mixing board is, but most seats in front of that were full. I know I was going no matter what because apparenly KC cannot buy a Steely Dan show.

I thought the crowd liked it but sure a few more hits would have been better. Shoot I would have liked Dan or Fagen material (especially from Fagen's excellent 'Morph The Cat').

I think they wanted to go longer but a storm was approaching during the encore and the Starlight people ran across the stage to tell Fagen to stop...so they started 'Them Changes'

[disgrunting]

damn rushnerds, why do they always have to ruin it for everybody?

[Bubba Brown]

Forgive me, but I actually HAD a chance to attend this show - but I decided to PASS altogether. I sat through MICHAEL McDONALD as opener once, he was semi-tolerable + I simply can NOT stand BOZ SCAGGS. Cool name - DUKES OF SEPTEMBER.

[Priest]

very understandable my son,

Say 6 "Hail AC/DCs" and and 4 "Slash fknrockandfknrolls" and you are forgiven, carry on.

ps
September is the best month of year. period.

[Ex-Texan]

I thought the show was terrific. Had read about Fagen's vision for the show (pay homage to their fave R&B/soul tracks of the 60's & 70's), so shame on those who did not research what to expect. The people around me were totally into it. Fagen's a genius, McDonald a gifted vocalist and Boz is the total package. Kudos to them!

[pellboy]

Didn't attend but agreed, Ex-Texan...the format of this show was well-explained in all press releases leading up to this tour right down to specifics like The Band tribute.

[Rollie Williams]

Any "casual classic rock fan" that did not enjoy this show should complain to 101 the fox or 949 kcmo for "wasting" their time with free tickets to one of the best shows of the summer. Calling Fagens rendition of Shake Down Street pointless comes off as uninformed. The song could have fit easily into the Steely canon and while I would have enjoyed some more of the Dans material hey we got IGY and Green Flower Street!

[Jeremy Frazier]

Agree with pellboy and Ex-Texan. When I first heard about the show, I was super-excited. When I found out that it was going to be something more similar to NY Rock & Soul Revue (which I love, btw) I decided that I didn't want to make the drive up to see the show. I'm glad that they covered a few of their hit songs, but I would've really preferred more of their own material (especially at the ticket prices they were asking for.)

[MadMike]

Just like years ago when everybody bitched at Clapton for his Nothing but the Blues tour. Myself I could have lived without McDonald but Scaggs and Fagen were awesome. THey did some great music.

[kmoon]

glad I missed this one.

[Misty]

I used to miss my ex,
but then I started practicing,
and I became a better shot,
now I never miss.

[Greg]

As a "casual classic rock fan" I really would have appreciated more familiar hits. The problem in the Fox Theatre was that the sound quality was so poor you could not have appreciated the "music lesson" The tickets up front were really pricey and on this one I would say not worth it.

[Heidy]

I was there, it was a great concert. But got to say some people just didn't move, how can you not move with the sound of those great artists? So they didn't do the great hits, I didn't know all the songs, I'm from Holland, but I went wild!

[acai cleanse colon]

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[Charley]

I saw the Dukes at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in San Francisco. It's a free festival,a venture capitalist peels off a million dollar bill and throws the best 3 day party. The Dukes were the band (out of 60) that I looked forward to seeing the most because of Donald. I love Boz and Mike's music as well. The performance was one of the best I've ever seen and I've seen tons of bands. After listening to the New York Soul Review, I knew not to expect the greatest hits show. The surprises were exquisite. Hearing Donald sing Shakedown Street in the Dead's yard: shiver me timbers. Pulling out the Stops to play Thhunderclap Newmans Something in the Air: knock me out with a Brownie. Rock Steady was a treat as were all the songs. A Hall Of Fame Band. Bronze statues need to be made of the Dukes, including the background singers, the horn and rhythm sections, in order to tell future generations that this is a band that must be heard. Please tell me there will be a CD and DVD of the tour.

[Karen]

I wish they'd have come to Canada.
No matter what these Icons played, it would have been music to my ears.