I saw Ted Leo a couple weeks ago. I went with one of Daniel’s co-workers, she’s into going to shows and she doesn’t drink so she’s a fun show buddy for me. She’d never heard Ted Leo. He’s kind of hard to describe if you’ve never heard him. Sort of unique, although when you get familiar with him you can definitely hear Billy Bragg and Joe Jackson’s influence on him.
This was my fourth time seeing him. We got there kind of late, and they were still letting people into the venue. Somehow the venue was totally messed up in how they were letting people into the club and it took literally hours for them to get everyone in (if doors opened on time). When we were finally at the door, about to get in, the drummer for the band walked up, and security almost didn’t let him in. Ted was there trying to get some of his friends in on the guest list and security kept insisting they get in line like everyone else. Finally someone at the head of the line let Ted’s friends cut in front of them. It was ridiculous.
But I managed to snag a stage spot. I didn’t bring my digital camera because I wasn’t sure if the venue would allow it, and it’s heavy and if I didn’t get a stage spot, I didn’t want to have to carry it all night. I should have brought it. I did bring a little film camera but the pictures came out all bad. Here’s a couple.
I managed to snag a setlist after the show. Here it is:
He did a bunch of new stuff, which has a lot of stops and starts in it. And some of my favorite songs from Shake the Sheets—although not the title track, which is probably my very favorite. He did “Me and Mia,” though, another favorite. One thing I like about Ted is he writes stuff that is very supportive of women’s issues. “Me and Mia” is about eating disorders—”Mia” is slang for bulemia, “Ann” means anorexia.
As I was walking through a life one morning
The sun was out, the air was warm, but
Oh, I was cold
And though I must have looked half a person,
To tell the tale in my own version,
It was only then that I felt whole
Do you believe in something beautiful?
Then get up and be it
Fighting for the smallest goal: to get a little self-control
I know how hard you try, I see it in your eyes
But call your friends, ’cause we’ve forgotten
What it’s like to eat what’s rotten
And what’s eating you alive might help you to survive
We went on as we were on a mission, latest in a Grand Tradition
And oh, what did we find?
It was Ego who was flying the banner,
Me and Mia, Ann and Ana
Oh, we’d been unkind
Do you believe in something beautiful?
Then get up and be it
Fighting for the smallest goal: to get a little self-control
I see it in your eyes, I see it in your spine
But call your friends, ’cause we’ve forgotten
What it’s like to eat what’s rotten
And what’s eating you alive, might help you to survive
And even the nights, they could get better
And even the days ain’t all that bad
And after a week of fighting, as more and more it seems the right thing..
Do you believe in something beautiful?
Then get up and be it
Fighting for the smallest goal: to gain a little self-control
Won’t anybody here just let you disappear?
Not doctors, nor your mom and dad,
But me and Mia, Ann and Ana
Know how hard you try.
Don’t you see it in my eyes?
Sick to death of my dependence, fighting food to find transcendence
Fighting to survive, more dead but more alive
Cigarettes and speed for livin’, sleeping pills to feel forgiven
All that you contrive, and all that you’re deprived
All the bourgeois social angels telling you you’ve got to change
Don’t have any idea, they’ll never see so clear
But don’t forget what it really means to hunger strike
When you don’t really need to
Some are dying for a cause, but that don’t make it yours
And even the nights, they could get better