Author Topic: Steely Dan On-Tour In '06!!! (Read 381 times)

kmh364 · « **on:** May 03, 2006, 07:34:23 AM »

Yup, it's official: Don and Walt are back out on the road this year. Tix for East Coast venues like PNC Bank in NJ, and Jones Beach, NY are going on sale this Sat (5/6). Be there or be square!

http://www.steelydan.com/touring.html

kmh364 · « **Reply #1 on:** May 03, 2006, 07:41:42 AM »

For those of you that don't suffer from the 40-yr-old Virgin Syndrome (LOL!), Michael McDonald is also touring with the Dan. While I'm not a fan of his solo stuff, his background work on Dan LP's (as well as on the '90's NYC Rock N' Soul Revue)is sublime!

bigredbass · « **Reply #2 on:** May 03, 2006, 06:33:17 PM »

They're here in Nashville July 10th at Starwood, the local sit-on-the-grass outdoor barn, which is why I won't be going. My gosh if they'd only played the Ryman instead: Wonderful sounding room with lots of history. Oh well . . . he said you must be joking, where did you get those shoes?!?

J o e y

kmh364 · « **Reply #3 on:** May 04, 2006, 05:58:11 AM »

Joey:

Sorry about that. I don't know who does these bookings. I'm sure the Dan could fill better venues, yet they never seem to get booked in 'em.

I was also disappointed to learn that I Love All Access (ILAA) is not handling this tour and offering the VIP packages (with the pre-shiow party, meet-n-greet, goody bags, and up-front tix), despite them handling DF's solo tour two months ago.

The Dan are back to the PNC which is a semi-enclosed outdoor ampitheatre (with a grass area for blankets as well). It's a great place, but not if the weather's lousy and/or you gotta sit on the grassy knoll. It was cold and rainy there on the '02 EMG tour and I got stuck with an extra ticket. The scalper's wanted to give me less than half of the face value, so I kept it and sat in both seats. I'd already spent the money, and the extra leg/shoulder room was worth it, LOL!

Tix go on sale this weekend, so I'm sure the legal scalpers (i.e., Tix Agencies/Brokers)will have a field-day chicken-picking and hoarding all the good tix, and I'll be sitting in the back yet again, LOL! That is, unless I'm willing to cough-up a lung to sit up front, LOL!

Cheers,

Kevin

P.S., Did you ever get that Kawi DP? My brother got a new '06 in red. I rode it last month. Nice bike! He now put a stage one kit in it with a loud pipe and intake, but I haven't ridden it with the mods.

keith_h · « **Reply #4 on:** May 04, 2006, 06:21:38 AM »

Joey,
Similar situation here. They are appearing in Charlotte at an outdoor ampitheatre in late August. Not the type of place I want to be at that time of year. There are other venues they could use that would have better sound and be more comfortable.

Keith

kmh364 · « **Reply #5 on:** May 04, 2006, 10:14:31 AM »

Tell me about it! August 23 is hot and humid in the extreme here. Still, it's the Dan and I don't know how many more oportunities we'll get to see them now they're on the other side of 60.

bigredbass · « **Reply #6 on:** May 04, 2006, 07:14:23 PM »

Kev

No, not yet. Tell him to watch that Stage 1 kit, evidently KLRs don't take kindly to such doings: www.bigcee.com/klr650faq

I've worn this site out trying to educate myself about the KLR, might come in handy with some tips for your brother. Incidentally, I read an interview with an MSF Instructor regarding what he liked his students to ride (NOT Nighthawk 250s!!) at the class, and he allowed he liked dualsports the best if the student was tall enough. Whaddya think?

J o e y

bsee · « **Reply #7 on:** May 04, 2006, 07:21:50 PM »

Looks like an attempted hijacking. I have an opinion, but I'll hold my tongue for the benefit of the thread...

kmh364 · « **Reply #8 on:** May 05, 2006, 05:17:54 AM »

Nah, I started the thread and engineered the hijacking, LOL!

I'll refer my brother to the site. He paid like a grand for the kit with the pipe and labor (incl. carb rejetting). He likes it so far, so we'll see.It supposedly made the thing faster and more responsive, but at the expense of LOTS of noise.

At RENJ, we use mostly Suzuki GN-125's, but we do have a few Honda Nighthawk and Rebel 250's. We also have some Yamaha TW's which are 175 or 200cc's and are DP bikes. The Yami's are my fave and my choice for doing the demo's prior to each exercise in the BRC. I'll also use the Nighthawk or the Rebel, but usually eschew the GN's because they are too small for my 6', 220lb frame. The Honda's are heavier and more powerful, but have limited ground clearance (the Rebel is a particularly fine hard-parts-on-pavement dragger, LOL!). FWIW, we had a bunch of Suzuki GZ-250's but they were heavier, more powerful and had way too much front brake for beginners...they almost invariably ended-up on the ground if used, so they were all sold.

kmh364 · « **Reply #9 on:** May 10, 2006, 05:55:33 AM »

FWIW, Buell Blast's are the WORST training bike in existense, IMHO. They are over-represented in total MSF-site crashes. The MSF dictates that the bikes can't be bigger than 498cc, of which the Buell is at the limit. Add substantial girth, innapropriate gearing (for a low-speed training bike) and a touchy front brake and you have a recipe for a disaster. Many of the MSF-sanctioned H-D Rider's Edge providers (all are H-D Dealers) have gone under due to insurance liability and other costs. They can ONLY use the Buell because H-D dictates that it must be an H-D product, and H-D has no other bike in that displacement class. As a result, try finding a Rider's Edge program in your area: the only one in NJ went under sometime back, only to be replaced by a new one this year. Only time will tell if they survive the year.

kmh364 · « **Reply #10 on:** May 10, 2006, 06:43:35 AM »

Got my SD tix for NJ. No VIP packages and it's August. Oh well, mediocre tix and humidity be damned...it's the Dan and I'm a Dan Fan! LOL!

eastcoastepic · « **Reply #11 on:** May 10, 2006, 07:26:57 PM »

Kevin,
I'll try to find you at this show...I ordered Saturday right at 9AM, and got 6th row seats! My luck is not usually that good...I don't know what happened. (Lots of late sleepers, I guess)
I caught the last 2 'Dan shows at PNC...both were great, and the talent onstage was absolutely stellar. See ya' there.......
Chris

kmh364 · « **Reply #12 on:** May 11, 2006, 04:52:15 AM »

Chris,

I was teaching at the MSF School this weekend, so I couldn't ride the computer. Every once in a while I'll get good tix, but it's rare. As is usual at PNC, I'm in either the 200 or 300 section. I'm not too dissappointed as there isn't too many bad seats in that place. Let's hope it isn't cold and rainy like it was during the EMG '03 SD tour. The advantage to the PNC for me is being able to ride in on my bike at any time and parking right up front near the gates without having to pay another $25 for the priveledge, LOL!

811952 · « **Reply #13 on:** May 11, 2006, 07:20:44 AM »

Kevin,

I think the guy who conceptualized the outdoor amphitheater (or armpiteater, not sure which) must have been on acid. Those venues only work in So. Cal., in my opinion. I saw YES at one outside of Indianapolis some years back, and they were all soaked with sweat within seconds of taking the stage. I would love to see the Dan sometime, but I guess I'll have to wait for the 45th reunion tour when they play (air conditioned) shopping malls and tiny (air conditioned) beer joints.

Tell your brother that his $$$ is best spent on suspension upgrades, the doohickey and a Moose skidplate. The KLR is one heck of a fun bike...

John (A18 in Kawasaki Red, the fastest color)

kmh364 · « **Reply #14 on:** May 11, 2006, 07:33:30 AM »

Yeah...of all the great A/C'd venues in the NYC-Metro area they would have to play outdoors in August! LOL!

Personally, having ridden the KLR, I'd have upgraded the brakes first. Increasing (supposedly with the stage I kit) the power can only exacerbate the situation. It's a fun bike (and surprisingly comfy), but I guess $7k doesn't buy you much sophistication. This is definitely a budget bike, at least as far as specification goes. I basically just told my bro to put as little money into it as possible and just ride the d*mn thing 'til the wheels fall off, LOL!

(Message edited by kmh364 on May 11, 2006)