Aimee Mann, American singer-songwriter, explains via an animated and vulnerable Instagram comic that Steely Dan removed her as opener for his upcoming tour.
According to Consequence Sound, she explains:
“I was supposed to open for Steely Dan this summer,” she wrote in a panel depicting Donald Fagan singing “Doctor Wu.” “I just found out that they took me off the bill. No one is entirely sure why,” she continued over a drawing of herself performing, “Save Me,” “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.” She ends with the words “Good luck to all bands,” shown in a thought bubble above Mann’s head.
Steely Dan’s website further confirms Mann will not be joining him on tour. But his reasons contradict that of hers. In a statement to Rolling Stone Donald Fagan of Steely Dan clarifies “There was a communication problem on our end. 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.”
Mann will still be touring her 2021 Queens of the Summer Hotel, reviewed by mxdwn, this April. Tickets are on sale via Ticketmaster.
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This was actually part of a comic I posted on Instagram: https://t.co/GUkcq9TLDZ pic.twitter.com/mxCPEKYT1b
— Aimee Mann (@aimeemann) March 17, 2022