Ted Leo and the Pharmacists Live in Philadelphia, PA 12/2/09

Ted Leo and his reunited Pharmacists launched into a quick blast of teenage kicks at the First Unitarian Church with their very first number of the night, and the crowd surged into a slew of friendly bopping, right on cue. His seemingly endless array of 3 minute punk pop songs never fail to combine bouncy tell- all lyrics with a get to the point attitude.

This was the first night of “a little bit of a tour” said Ted. It seems he and his band never did mind those first night jitters for they rocked so fantastically taut, well rehearsed and well versed with a span of rollicking “next ones” that covered every era of his catalog.

Ted puts everything he has into his setlist with a charismatic and jumpy punk ethos pleasingly forced upon fans in older songs like “Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone” with much sweat and substance. The newer numbers like “Bottled in Cork” and “Where Was My Brain” from his upcoming Matador release The Brutalist Bricks were seamlessly delivered in quick blows between the favorites and drenched in Mr. Leo’s poetic rushes.

The evening concluded just as it began: a fixed frenzy of songs that aired out swift charges of spunk and vitality.

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