The strangest part of discovering Ted Leo is realizing that he never cried out to be found. Nothing about his music or work ethic has really ever suggested anything overly self-promotional. He just puts his nose to the grindstone and doesn't worry about image. So it's usually up to his followers to pick up the slack, throwing his name into the same hat with Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello and Thin Lizzy.
Regardless of comparisons, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists can pride themselves on being a band with an aggressive touring schedule, spanning somewhere between six to eight months a year. Friday night at the Black Cat, the exhaustion of being on the road was catching up with Leo. Recovering from a nasty cold that had prevented him from taking the stage in Houston, he worked through repeated coughing, generous swigs of tea and feverish sweating for the sold out audience in his "home away from home," Washington, D.C.
So when Leo spits out an offhand riff from Ringo Starr's single "It Don't Come Easy," it's more of an admission than a show of spontaneity - because nothing ever really does come easy with his vocal gymnastics and energetic guitar playing. Regardless, with his chain-smoking drummer and sweater-clad bassist in tow, Leo is able to work through the rough patches with admirable energy.
After two solid, albeit less than compelling, opening acts, Leo opened his set with the energetic "Dial Up." Leo continued in this vein throughout the evening, focusing more on older material, with highlights including performances of "Hearts of Oak" and "Biomusicology."
His rapport with the audience wasn't diminished by his illness; Leo playfully combated requests for "Dancing in the Dark" and accepted a fistful of Halls cough drops in good humor: "I got a thing against doing commercials, but if Halls called up today I'd say, 'Yeah, good product.'"
Who knows; maybe the Halls gave Leo the strength he needed to shine during "Timorous Me" and "Walking To Do" in a brief encore that the audience clamored for.
While illness prevented Friday night's performance from illustrating all of Leo's musical assets, the effort he displayed could leave even the staunchest fans with a sense of pride. He took a voice that had collapsed a week ago and built it into something worthy of his reputation.
