Ted Leo and the Pharmacists' new album Shake the Sheets (Lookout Records) debuted only two days before last Thursday's show at the Ottobar. You could tell that the tour had just started; fans must have been disappointed by the lack of merchandise and the pauses between every song so that Leo could figure out what to play next.
Two bands opened for him, first Mary Timony and then Engine Down. Timony was very bad. She played with only a drummer, who wasn't able to cover for her absent harmonies and poor melodies. One person leaned over and said, "she's trying to sing like Joey Ramone, and it just isn't working." An apparent indie-rocker with handmade knit purses for sale, Timony lacked skill and vocal ability that exceeded switching the tones in her voice. However, all agreed that the drummer did have a slick tattoo (a Magritte-esque umbrella inside a square).
However, Engine Down followed with a great show. The group, recently signed to Lookout, have embraced an instrumental niche over their old "screamo" style. Though the band may not have been the best match for Ted Leo and the Pharmicists' sound, most people in the audience were impressed by Engine Down's performance. Finally, Leo came on. Everybody who left the show had enjoyed it, but nobody was rushing to comment on what a great concert it was. General sentiment was that it was of Leo's better concerts, but he is no showman, nor does his music lend itself to being played live.
An acoustic version of "Hearts of Oak," was interesting, but the rhythm of a drumset was so badly needed, and the crowd couldn't exactly pick up the slack with their clapping. All the songs were well-played, and Leo's impressive vocal range paired well with interesting riffs. He began with songs that he could "warm up with" and then continued to play the "harder stuff." There seemed to be no difference, seeing as his songs all sound the same, with their pop-punk beats and indie vocals, which was largely illustrated through the bipolar crowd of indie/emo kids and 20-somethings.
The highlight of the show was the encore, when Leo announced that he was going to play "real real real oldies" and then launched into songs dating all the way back to ... 2001. Overall, as a devoted Ted Leo fan, I give the concert a B -- nothing impressive, but fun anyway.
