Steely Dan

Steely Dan did their best to make right with fans in 2009 by touring Aja, an album that had never gotten a proper live vetting since the band had stopped performing by the time they recorded it in 1977. At the tour's stop at the San Jose Civic, it was clear that every effort had been made to re-create the dense sonic wizardry that defined that album. It took up to 14 people on stage at a time, of course, but they got it right. Those who felt that show was a little too specific in focus should dig their new Shuffle Diplomacy Twenty Eleven Tour, which features setlists chosen by fans online, across their entire catalog. I know, that means they'll probably still be playing all of Aja, but ain't nothing wrong with that. - Steve Palopoli sanjose.com