It’s February 14th and the packed dance floor at Richard’s on Richard is flooded with bright red and hot pink helium balloons. But this Vancouver crowd isn’t celebrating Valentine’s Day; they’re celebrating the return of post-punk musical heroes Ted Leo and The Pharmacists, in town for just one night in support of their latest CD, Shake The Sheets.

Ted took the stage and opened with an acapella ode du jour, singing an impromptu cover of Billy Bragg’s “Valentine’s day is over”, drawing instant cheers and laughter. Any bitterness previously felt by the (perhaps less fortunate) singles in the room disintegrated, the focus was now squarely on the music. Within minutes Leo’s was frantically moving like a madman, dripping sweat, and carrying the entire set on his shoulders for a performance stretching almost two hours.

Perhaps the best adjectives to describe the East Coast indie boy’s performance were “fiery” and “passionate”. Leo’s incredibly giving; it’s obvious that he loves his audience to pieces, loves being on stage, loves to share his art with the masses. This was evident as he tore through “Me and Mia” a blazing song rich with power-pop sensibility. The crowd exploded in applause as the final chords rang out, instantly Ted’s face lit up with the biggest and most honest smile I’ve ever seen in rock and roll. His stage presence was remarkable – with only two-piece support from The Pharmacists - Leo managed to fill the space like an orchestra using only his voice, razor riffs, and boundless energy… so much so, that at times it seemed as if he was on the verge of spontaneous combustion. His enthusiasm was infectious and most importantly remained genuine (even after more than 15 years on the road and hundreds of gigs played worldwide).

I sat watching his most ardent fans from the venue’s balcony, I found my head bopping and my feet furiously moving, the entire show was consistently flawless. Leo hit high notes perfectly, without a trace of hesitation. His choruses and harmonic lines were brilliantly constructed and so melodic that they dripped with Morissey-esque quality. Most of the songs in the set list were constructed against an ever-swelling crescendo line; just when a song seemed to reach its end, the trio teasingly stopped only to start again, faster and louder, again and again without a seconds rest, leaving the audience breathless in a delirious daze.

Leo is different, unattached to the music marketing world, and seems free from the industry’s current burdens, allowing him to embrace the notion of artistic liberty. After all, this is a guy who once told Gawker Media “The RIAA can go fuck itself for all I care -- my interaction with that world is almost nil”. As a result, Leo appears to be a musician with ethics and beliefs as the cornerstone of the critical and popular recognition he’s rightly deserved (which is encouraging and refreshing to witness). This unique perspective translates directly to his compositions and stage shows. Leo’s ability to write and deliver politically challenging lyrics, always questioning and encouraging critical thinking, although he didn’t turn the stage into a soap box opting to not drop lyrics like, “Now that Georgie’s reign has begun/ I won’t be loyal to my sorrowful country”, Ted still delivered rich political sentiment with songs like “Ballad of the sin eater” and “Shake the sheets”.

As this Valentines evening began to close, the audience cheered and called for an encore. Leo gladly accepted and took the opportunity to perform solo covering the Rolling Stones “Factory Girl”. Shortly after, Ted invited the crowd to hop onstage and join him as make-shift percussionists using “glasses and straws, hands, whatever suits!”. A particularly intoxicated and devoted fan on stage took the mic and finished the song by himself. Leo became instantly amused, flashed a smile of approval, and jumped off stage into the pit, surrounded by his fans collectively clapping their hands as encouragement for the new front man. This is the wonderful paradox that is Ted Leo, he’s the nemesis of the rock star cliché, yet somehow though his humble nature and passionate approach to music he ends up being more rock ’n’ roll than any of his ‘punk renaissance’ contemporaries.

Elsewhere

By Jessica Reed
Photos : Tanya Volk and Rob Anand
Published : March, 2005.