Aimee Mann on Wednesday took to Instagram to inform her fans that she was dropped from Steely Dan‘s upcoming tour. Though no official reason was given, the musician posited that “it seems they thought their audience wouldn’t like a female singer-songwriter?”
In a comic posted to social media, Mann wrote
I was supposed to open for Steely Dan this summer. I just found out that they took me off the bill. No one is entirely sure why, but it seems they thought their audience wouldn’t like a female singer-songwriter? As it happens, Steely Dan is the one band that I 100% love, with no reservations, so it really sucks. But you know what? People are allowed to not like you, for whatever reason.
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Since then, Steely Dan co-founder Donald Fagen has responded, calling the allegation “ridiculous”. In a statement to Rolling Stone, Fagen—who now leads Steely Dan since co-founder Walter Becker‘s death in 2017—said “Well, first of all, the idea that I would make any decision based on the gender of a performer is ridiculous. That’s something that would never even occur to me.”
“There was a communication problem on our end,” he continued. “I was misinformed as to how firm the commitment was to any particular opening act. And, although I have the greatest respect for Aimee as a writer and performer, I thought it might not be the best matchup in terms of musical style.”
Related: Snarky Puppy Announces 2022 Tour, Dates Supporting Steely Dan
Fagen also pointed out that female singer-songwriters Phoebe Snow and Rickie Lee Jones previously opened for Steely Dan. He still apologized, however, to Mann, “But I can’t pass the buck. I’ll take the blame for the screwup. I apologize for any distress this has caused Aimee and her fans.”
A representative for Mann told Rolling Stone, “Her illustration says it all.” Prior to Fagen’s statement, Mann wrote on Twitter, “All is forgiven if Donald just tells me what ‘Brooklyn‘ is about.”
All is forgiven if Donald just tells me what Brooklyn is about. https://t.co/5zUTzIhIjt
— Aimee Mann (@aimeemann) March 17, 2022
Steely Dan recently expanded its Earth After Hours tour with new stops in Franklin, TN; Durham, NC; Atlantic City, NJ; Bridgeport, CT; and three shows at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY. For tickets and a full list of tour dates visit the band’s website.
The post Donald Fagen Responds To Aimee Mann’s Claim About Being Dropped From Steely Dan Tour appeared first on L4LM.
