Last night at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn, Ted Leo & the Pharmacists celebrated the release of their Matador debut, The Brutalist Bricks, with a record release party that can only be described as epic, complete with vegan pizzas, bee-shaped pinatas, and blood.
The night was two-fold: First the band played through the new record in its entirety, and after a break headed back to the stage for live-band karaoke (24 songs!) sung by fans and members of the Matador/Beggars family. Among the artists covered were Misfits, AC/DC, Tears For Fears, Black Flag, B-52s, Kelly Clarkson and Fugazi. And a Ted Leo & the Pharmacists show wouldn’t be complete without tracks like “Timorous Me,” “Me and Mia,” “Where Have All The Rude Boys Gone?” and “Counting Down the Hours,” so fans covered those too. And even though some of his own songs were butchered, Leo just kept smiling and gave an encouraging “Yes!” at the end. What a guy.
Highlights:
- The new album, obviously. My favorite songs on it are “The Mighty Sparrow,” “Bottled In Cork” and “Even Heroes Have To Die.”
- Show opener Michael with the Misfits’ “Angelfuck.” Started the night out right and didn’t even need his lyrics sheet.
- Gabe (who I’m told is from Beggars) singing Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone.” Turns out this is a damn good punk song and he killed it.
- Fugazi’s “Merchandise,” with birthday boy Brendan Canty on drums (think he did OK?). Update: This was sung by Fluxblog’s Matthew Perpetua.
- Matador’s Gerard Colsoy taking on The Jam’s “In The City”
- The total shit show that was “The Ballad of the Sin Eater” from Leo’s 2003 record Hearts of Oak. Ted let some kid named Rob play his guitar, two guys were singing (Update: The guy in the black hoodie is Nick Minichino), and Ted danced in a corner while hitting maracas and a tambourine against his head (possibly wondering ‘How did this happen?!’). That long-haired dude on the left also pulled a Ted Leo and hit himself in the forehead with the microphone. Blood!
- Phil, who recorded The Brutalist Bricks, singing “Me and Mia”
- Max Silvestri, the night’s host, and Liz, who handled the karaoke sign-up, singing B-52s’s “Private Idaho.” Amazing.
- I don’t remember her name, and I think she sang Tears For Fears’s “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” but I might have the order mixed up in my notes, in which case I apologize she sang Outfield’s “Your Love.”
You have successfully made me feel straight-up sick that I missed this.
great commentary! i wish i could’ve been there, too!
Haha, I was there. Glorious.
A guy named Elann sang Tears For Fears (and killed). Whoever the couple was that did “We’re Desperate” were also awesome. James Canty actually pulled the guy with long hair up onto the stage halfway through the “shit show” so I think they knew him. I don’t what I can say about the other guy and his uh, tight jaw. It was one of those shows that makes you remember why you like music.
Last girl photographed sang “Your Love”. Good recap!
that is my wife in photo #2. thanks for posting
@ Cooley and Tears for Fears Guy, thanks for the clarification — honestly, by the end of it, everything that happened at the beginning was sort of a blur!
great combination: vegan pizza and Ted Leo! The release party looks like a good time!
What about AC/DC Guy? Him and Tears for Fears Guy were my faves.
(also, thanks for the shout out and awkward picture!)
AC/DC guy was great too! Really, the whole thing was just a lot of fun.
hahahaha. this is so legit. I was there, but I missed the karaoke. It looks totally boss
Merchandise was my second choice before picking Rise Above and Brendan Canty has seriously made me regret that decision. If only I’d have known.
Goood times. Word to cooley on it being one of those shows that makes you remember why you like music.