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Jon Herington

STEELY DAN/ELVIS COSTELLO AND THE IMPOSTERS

(July 22, 2015; HOLLYWOOD CASINO AMPHITHATRE, Saint Louis MO)

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Two long standing musical icons have joined forces for a blockbuster summer tour, with Elvis Costello and the Imposters opening for Steely Dan. The music from both acts was a lot of fun and, considering we were in the midst of a hot, humid Midwest summer, the weather was great.

Elvis Costello (photo credit: MARY MCCARTNEY)
Elvis Costello (photo credit: MARY MCCARTNEY)

Elvis supplied an hour’s worth of hits from his long, impressive catalog with “Pump It Up,” “Watching the Detectives,” “Alison,” “Veronica” and “Every Day I Write the Book,” ending the set with one my favorite Costello tunes, the Nick Lowe penned “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding.” His long time band, the Imposters, featuring two former Attractions – drummer Pete Thomas and keyboardist Steve Nieve – alongside bassist Davey Faragher, kept things in motion. Actually I wish we could have heard a little more from Elvis and his Imposters but, sometimes, that’s just the way it goes.

Steely Dan (Walter Becker, Donald Fagen) (photo credit: DANNY CLINCH)
Steely Dan (Walter Becker, Donald Fagen) (photo credit: DANNY CLINCH)

Watching Steely Dan is like visiting an old friend. The duo of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen have a deep history with infectious, wonderful grooves and, on this tour, feature a great eleven-piece band backing them. Fagen reminded me of Ray Charles, sitting at the piano, with his shades and moving his head around. His partner-in-crime, the usually microphone-shy Becker, actually did a lot of the talking and, of course, played some great guitar. The hero of the show was the other guitar man, Jon Herington, who ripped off great solo after great solo all night. The set opened with “Black Cow,” from my favorite Steely Dan album, AJA, with the group delivering hits like “Peg,” “My Old School,” “Reeling In the Years,” as well as fan favorites like the slinky, funky “Daddy Don’t Live In That New York City No More.” The ladies providing vocal accompaniment and the brass section were terrific and drummer Keith Carlock had the versatility to keep the grooves loose and fluid throughout.