Last Night: Ted Leo @ CBGB

I went to the post-midnight show yester—er- this morning- with Ted Leo at CBGB. The gin and tonics were flat, the beer was warm, and the openers were, well, openers. The Star Spangles weren’t bad, but lacked any sort of dynamics. Every song tried to be a home run. I think they were the ones who ended with Blitzkrieg Bop…sung by the crowd mostly in collared shirts. The Five Maseratis were worse. I thought it was ok, until Angela told me to imagine if I was listening to this on my iPod. I just couldn’t. Afterwards when they handed out demos I remembered this thought and passed.

Ted Leo, luckily, made the late night worth it. He continually impresses me by giving it all when he rocks out. He broke his strap on the second song, and the mic had trouble staying still as he bounced around. After teasing to play the third song sitting on the ground, someone lent Ted his strap, and he got up.

The crowd was small. I’d estimate around 150. They weren’t as hyper as his Irving Plaza show, that show still baffles me, but there were many who into it nonetheless. After attempting to turn the amps back on following his set, he obliged tradition with an encore, and concluded the night with a Springsteen cover.

Great night… would have been better earlier… or with a cold beer.