Ted Leo and The Pharmacists Rock The Met

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists rocked the Met Café Friday night with opening acts Bear Hands of Brooklyn and Providence's modern day garage sounding The Atlantic Thrills.

The Met, which is in Pawtucket now, not Providence, has opened the doors for beloved indie acts to play without the stadium cost or the drive to Boston. Ted Leo, a Narragansett resident, has been a well-known musician in the indie scene since the late eighties. 

Formerly on Lookout Records and now on famous indie label Matador Records, Leo is now on a roster with legendary bands such as Pavement, Guided by Voices and Sonic Youth.  Matador Records just celebrated its 21st birthday, in Las Vegas, where Ted Leo and the Pharmacists performed.

"It was unbelievable, but we all crossed paths before," Leo said about the three day show. "It was more communal if anything else."

I asked Leo, if he had a time machine, what band would he like to play with? His response was The Creation.

Leo is a veteran in the music scene. Since the late 1980s, Leo played in punk and indie bands, such as Citizen Arrest and Chisel.  He formed the Pharmacists in 1999, and he has been producing political and outspoken albums since.

The Pharmacists are composed of Marty Key on bass, Chris Wilson on drums and James Canty on guitar. One may know Canty from his days with the Make Up and French Toast.  

The Brutalist Bricks is the sixth album from the band. Track eleven off the album, "Tuberculoids Arrive In Hop," was recorded and mixed in Wakefield. The Brutalist Bricks placed at the 114th spot on Billboard's 200.

The new album is a powerhouse and the best album since 2004's Shake the Sheets. Critics thought he ran dry in his last album, but The Brutalist Bricks proved that the pharmacists were definitely not expired.

Their single, "Bottled in Cork," is featured on Funny Or Die. The video is a satire of Green Day's play on Broadway.  Ted Leo and the Pharmacists could be on Broadway because they put on a great show.

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists took the stage at 11, and played for 90 minutes. He opened with one of his more upbeat songs, only to play right into "Heart Problems" off Shake the Sheets.

Leo played "Bottled in Cork," and dedicated it to his family.  His set was energetic and he played songs from each album.  The crowd's favorite, "Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone," rocked the new home for the Met. 

Ted played two solo songs for an encore, only to have his band come back and join in halfway though the third and final song. 

After the show, he wore a Narragansett Tribe t-shirt and talked to fans and friends. Their next show will be in Harrisburg, PA.

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