MEET THE BAND

 The thought of an homage to Steely Dan is a musician’s dream gig. The perfection and grace of the Steely Dan catalog is like combining the best jazz, R&B, funk and rock.  Throw in a healthy dose of ironic lyrics quite often tinged with a detached perspective…suddenly…you’ve got a movie or “Monkey In Your Soul”.  Performing the works of Donald Fagen and Walter Becker…vivid imagery coupled with near-perfect musical ideas... with this band, in a live setting is thrilling. 

Born and raised in Lafayette, Louisiana Tony's Cajun roots run deep, and it was just a matter of time before music would run through his veins. His musical path would eventually lead him to be influenced by

all of Steely Dan’s guitarists and others like Jeff Beck, Eric Johnson, Jimi Hendrix, Robben Ford, and Albert King to name a few. He loves all types of music……Jazz, Blues, Funk, Cajun, Zydeco, R&B, Soul, and Classic Rock. Life is a musical journey.

ER doctor by day and musician at heart, I have been with this band from the beginning.  We have gone from the usual covers to covering many of the complete albums.  I have transcribed and arranged parts for the songs that don’t have existing charts and started doing some Steely Dan keyboard tutorials on YouTube to help keep this wonderful music of Fagen and Becker alive.  Hope to see all you Dan Fans out there!  

Journeyman bassist Dave Hicks has a long history playing with the best of front Range Bands- The Legendary 4-Nikators, The Rave, New Moon, and BluKrewe (featuring Tony Trahan) to name a few. As an Air Force “Brat”, Dave grew up all over the world soaking up various styles along the way. A graduate of Colorado University (B.A. Music), Dave also studied guitar with premiere Denver guitarist Dale Bruning.

Originally from Rochester, NY, Chet enjoys a wide variety of music and has played in jazz, rock, blues, funk and gospel bands. In addition to backing this wide range of bands, his musical experience also includes recording sessions and off-Broadway musicals. He cites drumming legends Steve Gadd, Tony Williams, Lenny White, and Steve Smith as his early influences. 

Steve Langemo is a versatile guitarist, composer, and instructor with a bachelors degree in guitar performance and a masters degree in jazz guitar performance from Bowling Green State University.   Steve currently performs more than one hundred live dates per year with various groups and artists in a range of musical styles, works as a session musician, and owns and operates the Colorado Springs Guitar Studio where he teaches private students.

Born and raised in Texas, Julie began recording children's albums at age 12. She sang with a jazz band through college and later performed with an original folk band at Austin Music Hall. After moving to Colorado, she began teaching music, performing at Planet Bluegrass programs and recording with local artists. She created a children's concert series with The Songbirds and put togetha festival band that led her to this incredible group. She is excited to continue her journey with Citizen Dan!  

Colorado transplant Samantha has been working in animal welfare for the past 10 years as a vet tech and dog trainer. When her dad, keyboard player "Doc" mentioned an opening as a vocalist, she jumped at the opportunity to get back to her musical roots in a group she has admired for years. This is her first gig as a vocalist but she grew up playing piano and is excited to be a part of such amazing talent. 

Ike Spivak is a saxophonist, composer, and educator living in Denver. He's performed at the Monterey and Telluride Jazz Festivals, Orpheus Music and Arts Festival, and the Jazz Education Network conference in New Orleans, among others. His musical influences include funk, jazz, fusion, hip-hop, Latin, rock, and other idioms. In 2019, Ike received an undergraduate degree in jazz and commercial music from the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver. 

It is truly an honor and a pleasure to play with such a talented group of musicians who share the same goal -- getting as close as possible to that signature Steely Dan studio sound in a live venue. A software engineer by trade, music is how I maintain my sanity. Always looking for opportunities to learn and grow as a musician, I have played in a variety of jazz and concert bands, combos, pit orchestras, and cover bands.

I've played music all my life and after putting my horn down for too many years, I found the reason to pick it back up in Citizen Dan.  I am very grateful for the opportunity to play with this incredible group of musicians and even better humans.