Ted Leo and the Pharmacists: Black Cat, Washington D.C. 12/3/09

photo by Simon Pollock, June 2009, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists for the Flywheel @ Easthampton High School, Easthampton, MA

Last week, Quinn let us in on "Even Heroes Have to Die", the newest music from Indie/Punk kings Ted Leo and the Pharmacists. I'm happy to report that on the stage of the Black Cat in D.C. last Thursday, it was on par with some of the more notable sounds from the band's library. Distinctly different from the recording, the band skipped the acoustic guitar and stuck with a the drive of Ted's electric, which, especially live, afforded the song a greater volume and ferocity than what we've heard so far on the recording.

While not entirely at request, many of the songs bold fans screamed for repeatedly were played. One fan, who appeared only to be able to scream "Timorous Me" for so many intervals, was rewarded with Ted's easy-going and slightly-biting sarcasm:

"Listen, do you honestly think we're not going to play that tonight? Gimme a chance..."

The Pharmacists and Ted himself have an incredible onstage ability. They are at once at home in each of their tunes, even though it seems like most shows a few drumsticks are broken and tossed into a pile along with a few guitar strings. There is an element of a bygone age of punk in their performance, much of which may have been experienced by the band members a couple of decades ago. Still, each song is well-rehearsed, well-played, and every musical move is simultaneously methodical yet frantic. Even more impressive is Ted's vocal endurance; still belting at the mic after nearly 2 hours and nearly 20 songs.

The band covered a lot ground from their upcoming album The Brutalist Bricks, which, as Quinn (and the Band, duh) noted will be out via Matador next spring. These new tracks were in close company with staples from Tyranny of Distance, Shake the Sheets, and the latest release Living with the Living.

The Black Cat was proud to have the band back, and early arrivals were treated to a set from Title Tracks, the newest act from John Davis (aka Georgie James, Q and Not U), who are preparing to release an album early next year.