Ted Leo & the Pharmacists prescribe some killer rock

Who knew that a giant acorn could get a crowd of couple hundred to dance their asses off? It was this kind of insanity that Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, aided by a zealous nut-bearing fan, brought to Neumo's on February 13. Flanked by two of the hairiest men I've seen in ages (the drummer and bassist that make up the Pharmacists), the golden-throated Leo rocked a solidly packed club with his blend of pop genius and punk mentality in an energetic set highlighted by plenty of cheeky dialogue and self-apologetic charm.



Also on the bill were fledgling power pop act The Sea Navy, local dance kings/queens United State of Electronica (U.S.E.) and Portland-based band The Joggers.  Out of all the opening acts, the utterly lovable U.S.E. stole the show with their Daft Punk-inspired beats and undeniably danceable songs; "Emerald City" desperately needs to be made Seattle's official anthem. I also applaud U.S.E.'s keyboardist for being completely unashamed to dance like an '80's fitness instructor.



Praise aside, the length of each opening band's set should have been cut down to give Ted Leo and the Pharmacists more room to flex its musical muscles; despite being the headlining act, the band played a scant hour-long set constricted by an all-ages curfew of midnight. But even time constraints and playing on borrowed gear (courtesy of The Joggers) didn't stop the trio from blowing away the audience with Leo's explosive vocals (accompanied by manic facial gesticulations) and dexterous guitar work.

Mid-set, a fan tossed Leo a huge lump that was supposedly an overgrown acorn. Intrigued, he motioned for the fan to join him onstage and describe the strange offering. An audience member quickly jumped onstage, admitting he wasn't really the person who'd brought the acorn, and told Leo to "get these motherf*ers dancing" before stage diving into the crowd. Moshing, thrashing and erratic movements that could possibly classify as dancing ensued as Leo finished his official set list with the manically paced "Ballad of the Sin Eaters".

Seattle can only hope that Ted Leo and the Pharmacists will bring its dose of pop-tastic indie rock back sooner than later.