2008 Woodie Awards
Ted Leo and The Pharmacists delights audience at Lupo's
Erin Shea
Issue date: 12/5/07 Section: Entertainment
- Page 1 of 1
12/05/07 - Ted Leo and the Pharmacists is one of those bands to whom the term "bad show" doesn't apply. Unfortunately, the country at large doesn't seem to know that yet.
Word does, however, seem to be slowly traveling, as the new fans to old fans ratio would suggest.
Most members of the crowd at Ted Leo's Nov. 30 show seemed to be at least somewhat acquainted with the band, with several people naming "Me and Mia" off of 2004's Shake the Sheets as the first song they'd heard from the band.
Tanya, 20, went so far as to call the song "everyone's first song [they heard by Ted Leo and the Pharmacists]" and while that is a bit of an overstatement, "Me and Mia" was by far the crowd favorite.
It was, of course, phenomenal, but my favorite was "Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone?" for purely sentimental reasons - as that was my first introduction to the band.
It was quite a rush hearing the song live for the first time, and I am pleased to say that it was one of the best songs in the set, although I may be a little biased.
I have to say too that, although I was a little nervous about how he would stack up, new bassist Marty Violence did a fantastic job filling former bassist Dave Lerner's shoes, which is quite a feat.
Ted Leo, ever the magnetic frontman, hit an awkward spot after bringing up the remake of "Father Ted," an Irish sitcom that most of the audience seemed unaware of. He quickly remedied this though, when he suggested that "we'll get over the awkwardness together."
And get over it we did, as Leo carried on, playing the reggae-influenced song "The Unwanted Things" to an enthusiastic crowd, showing off with what sounded to my musically untalented self like a pretty intense guitar solo.
The highlight of the show, however, was the encore, where Leo played "Dirty Old Town" off of his 2003 solo project Tell Balgeary, Balgury is Dead. Although not my favorite, it definitely comes in second on the list, and I have to admit it was the best song of the night.
Backed with only a guitar, Leo's acrobatic vocals really shone, and his lyrics stood out clearly.
Openers The Gang and Kristeen Young were also impressive in their own right.
While The Gang was much more energetic and its music was much more compatible with Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Kristeen Young's vocals were far superior, lending a classic feel to the pounding, keyboard-dominated music.
Neither, however, could overshadow the main act. But then again, it's hard to overshadow a band that is as consistently on as Ted Leo and the Pharmacists. Perhaps one day they'll bring their B-game, but it hasn't happened yet.
Word does, however, seem to be slowly traveling, as the new fans to old fans ratio would suggest.
Most members of the crowd at Ted Leo's Nov. 30 show seemed to be at least somewhat acquainted with the band, with several people naming "Me and Mia" off of 2004's Shake the Sheets as the first song they'd heard from the band.
Tanya, 20, went so far as to call the song "everyone's first song [they heard by Ted Leo and the Pharmacists]" and while that is a bit of an overstatement, "Me and Mia" was by far the crowd favorite.
It was, of course, phenomenal, but my favorite was "Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone?" for purely sentimental reasons - as that was my first introduction to the band.
It was quite a rush hearing the song live for the first time, and I am pleased to say that it was one of the best songs in the set, although I may be a little biased.
I have to say too that, although I was a little nervous about how he would stack up, new bassist Marty Violence did a fantastic job filling former bassist Dave Lerner's shoes, which is quite a feat.
Ted Leo, ever the magnetic frontman, hit an awkward spot after bringing up the remake of "Father Ted," an Irish sitcom that most of the audience seemed unaware of. He quickly remedied this though, when he suggested that "we'll get over the awkwardness together."
And get over it we did, as Leo carried on, playing the reggae-influenced song "The Unwanted Things" to an enthusiastic crowd, showing off with what sounded to my musically untalented self like a pretty intense guitar solo.
The highlight of the show, however, was the encore, where Leo played "Dirty Old Town" off of his 2003 solo project Tell Balgeary, Balgury is Dead. Although not my favorite, it definitely comes in second on the list, and I have to admit it was the best song of the night.
Backed with only a guitar, Leo's acrobatic vocals really shone, and his lyrics stood out clearly.
Openers The Gang and Kristeen Young were also impressive in their own right.
While The Gang was much more energetic and its music was much more compatible with Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Kristeen Young's vocals were far superior, lending a classic feel to the pounding, keyboard-dominated music.
Neither, however, could overshadow the main act. But then again, it's hard to overshadow a band that is as consistently on as Ted Leo and the Pharmacists. Perhaps one day they'll bring their B-game, but it hasn't happened yet.