It's an odd sensation to go see a familiar act, who you consider to pretty well known, open up for a band you've never heard of. Such was the case on Saturday night at Rams Head Live, when Ted Leo and the Pharmacists took second billing to State Radio, a jam band that, based on the show's attendance, is very popular with the kids these days. With both bands intersecting on the points of overt reggae influences and stridently left-leaning politics, the bill made a certain kind of sense. And since I missed Leo's headlining gig at the Ottobar last month, it seemed like a good opportunity to make up for that.
Ted Leo and his band are still in the process of demoing their next record, so their set at Rams Head was mainly taken as an opportunity to workshop new songs. While there were occasional big power-pop hooks like the chorus to "Where Was My Brain?" it generally seemed that the band's headed in the direction of short, abrasive postpunk tunes like "Mourning In America," released on last year's Rapid Response EP, and "The Stick." Fortunately, the band got to stretch out for a generous 55-minute opening set, and still found time to play older favorites like "Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone?" and, per audience request, "Timorous Me." And the Pharmacists went out on a high note with one of the most inspired performances of "Stove by a Whale" ever, Leo and guitarist James Canty bouncing up and down on opposite ends of the stage and laying down the song's big, swinging riff until the tune petered out into a dubby outro.
Sticking around to see some of State Radio's set proved to be mildly enjoyable, but not terribly compelling. A few minutes before the band began playing, there was some kind of confusing foolishness involving a game of rock, paper, scissors, of which the outcome was apparently that the band would perform shirtless that night. And while the band's fans seemed to enjoy it, the half-nude State Radio's groovy good time jams just weren't quite a match for Ted Leo's taut, writerly punk pop, no matter who had top billing.
