The Concert We Waited For: Steely Dan 2019

Published by Stephen Milward in Culture · Monday 19 Jan 2026 · 2 minutes
Tags: Steely, Dan, concert, 2019, unforgettable, night, live, music, jazz, rock, music, event, band, performance, Aja, Manchester

The first Steely Dan album I was aware of was 'Pretzel Logic' in 1974 (i). At the time, I was very much in to the progressive rock scene, with Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Yes, Gentle Giant and similar bands taking up my musical space. Perhaps this came from my early childhood, when Tchaikovsky, Mozart and Bach were my musical home.

So when Steely Dan appeared for me, their music seemed a little strange. I wasn't used to it. The first track, 'Rikki Don't Lose That Number', a song about a breakup had me singing the line 'when you get home' all the time.

Fast forward to 1977. I'm at my college, studying to be a music teacher. The new Steely Dan album 'Aja' (ii) is released. It literally blew me musically away. The songs, the production, the musicianship.. these are all as near perfect as can be. It's cover is a masterpiece in itself.

Other albums appeared in my life - 'Katy Lied' (iii), 'Can't Buy A Thrill' (iv) and many more. All beautiful.

We never thought that we'd see Steely Dan live. Then, a little out the blue, we did see them, in Manchester in 2019. For a couple of hours, we were transported back to days that held such positive memories for us.

The set list was:

Cubano Chant
Bodhisatttva
Hey Nineteen
Black Friday
Aja
Green Earrings
Black Cow
Time Out Of Mind
Rikki Don't Lose That Number
Kid Charlemagne
Dirty Work
Peg
Babylon Sisters
Keep That Same Old Feeling
Josie
My Old School
Reelin' In The Years
A Man Ain't Supposed To Cry

Denise (with green earrings) at the Steely Dan concert, Manchester 2019

It's over six years since that night, but it will stay in our memories forever.

(i) Wikipedia 'Prezel Logic'

(ii) Wikipedia 'Aja'

(iii) Wikipedia 'Katy Lied'

(iv) Wikipedia 'Can't Buy A Thrill'