Last night, NZBC cub reporter Joe spotted the news on the ticker at Foodtown, of all places, and the Steely Dan website confirms there will be at least two Kiwi dates: 22 September at Auckland’s Vector Arena (tickets on sale 23 April); and 24 September at Christchurch’s Westpac Arena (also on sale on the 23rd of this month). Tickets will cost between $93 and $130 with small price variations between venues. The band will be Donald Fagen (keyboards and vocals); Walter Becker (guitar); Keith Carlock (drums); Jon Herington (guitar); Carolyn Leonhart-Escoffery (backing vocals); Michael Leonhart (trumpet); Cindy Mizelle (backing vocals); Jim Pugh (trombone); Roger Rosenberg (baritone sax); Freddie Washington (bass); Walt Weiskopf (sax); and Jeff Young (keyboards and backing vocals). The band I saw in Hamburg on the Art Crimes tour in 1996 featured a couple of the same musicians and it was one of the best live shows I’ve seen anywhere. More details at the promoter’s site, here.

PS: I hope, before arriving in NZ, the band is issued with essential local knowledge like this.