Meghan Bucci is our featured writer of the week and she has been busy covering some of our favorite artists stopping through Philadelphia. Below is her review of the Ted Leo and the Pharmacists show at Union Transfer, make sure you check them out on their current tour at a city near you, tour dates are listed here!
The bill at Union Transfer last Thursday night was one to reminisce about. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists came through Philadelphia at Union Transfer ready to melt the crowds faces off. Touring and promoting his first solo album in nearly a decade, The Hanged Man, was released on September 8th.
Greeting the fans as he entered the stage, Ted Leo became somewhat nostalgic. Grateful to be playing a Union Transfer, “an old spaghetti factory” as he referenced. To then taking a stroll down memory lane, commenting on previous shows played in Philadelphia at venues like the Church and the Trocadero, I gathered that Ted has a soft spot for Philadelphia. After, observing the crowd’s contagious energy and the amount of sweat each individual had collected upon leaving the show, I’d say the feeling was mutual.
All kidding aside, Ted Leo captivated the crowd for a solid two hours of infectious rock channeling his ability to transition from punk-heavy progressions to pop-driven melodies with songs like “Moon of the Phase”, “Can’t Go Back”, and “You’re Like Me.” All of which, are off of the new album, The Hanged Man. The crowd’s response was unanimous, Ted Leo is a creative force in songwriting and a decade later he certainly has not missed a beat.
The atmosphere at Union Transfer was an aura of nostalgia. I was surrounded by fans of all ages, all tapping their feet and rocking their heads in similar fashions. One of the many reasons I love the art of music. Sometimes taken for granted or perhaps just not as readily apparent, music has such a magnificent way of reaching through and impacting such a depth of generations of people who plain old love music. It was at those moments, whether I broke from keeping the beat of the song with my feet, or took my eye out of the camera lens that I smiled, and my inner-monologue so rightfully replied, “This is f*cking awesome.”
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists are on tour through mid-December promoting the new album and hopefully coming to a city near you! Check out the dates below and also note that Ted Leo and the Pharmacists are coming back to the area to play a show in Phoenixville with Aimee Mann! You don’t want to miss it:
OCT 23 Richmond, VA at Strange Matter > BUY TICKETS
OCT 24 Carrboro, NC at The Cat’s Cradle > BUY TICKETS
OCT 25 Atlanta, GA at The Masquerade > BUY TICKETS
OCT 27 Dallas, TX at Club Dada > BUY TICKETS
OCT 28 Austin, TX at The Mohawk > BUY TICKETS
OCT 30 Santa Fe, NM at Meow Wolf > BUY TICKETS
OCT 31 Phoenix, AZ at Valley Bar > BUY TICKETS
NOV 01 San Diego, CA at The Casbah > BUY TICKETS
NOV 03 Los Angeles, CA at The Teragram Ballroom > BUY TICKETS
NOV 04 San Francisco, CA at Bimbo’s 365 Club > BUY TICKETS
NOV 06 Portland, OR at Revolution Hall > BUY TICKETS
NOV 07 Vancouver, BC at The Cobalt > BUY TICKETS
NOV 08 Seattle, WA at The Crocodile > BUY TICKETS
NOV 11 Minneapolis, MN at Triple Rock Social Club > BUY TICKETS
NOV 12 Chicago, IL at Thalia Hall > BUY TICKETS
NOV 13 Columbus, OH at Skully’s Music Diner > BUY TICKETS
NOV 14 Baltimore, MD at Ottobar > BUT TICKETS
DEC 02 Providence, RI at The Columbus Theater > BUY TICKETS
DEC 03 Portland, ME at Port City Music Hall > BUY TICKETS
DEC 04 Burlington, VT at Arts Riot > BUY TICKETS
DEC 05 Montreal, QC at La Sala Rosa > BUY TICKETS
DEC 07 Ithaca, NY at The Haunt > BUY TICKETS
DEC 08 Hamden, CT at The Ballroom at Outer Space > BUY TICKETS
DEC 09 Brooklyn, NY at Music Hall of Williamsburg > BUY TICKETS
DEC 14 Phoenixville, PA at the Colonial Theatre *w/Aimee Mann* > BUY TICKETS
DEC 15 Pittsburgh, PA at the Carnegie Lecture Hall of Oakland *a/Aimee Mann* > BUY TICKETS
DEC 16 Harrisburg, PA at the Whittaker Center *w/Aimee Mann* > BUY TICKETS
Fans of Ted Leo were lucky to see one of our favorite bands open the show, Amanda X. Hailing from Philadelphia, Amanda X is a well oiled all-female punk trio whose instrumental jams and graceful lyrics come together to provide spectators with head-bobbing riffs. The group is comprised of Cat Park (vocals, guitar), Kat Bean (vocals, bass) and Melissa Brain (drums). Promoting the release of their first album, Giant, that was released in August 2017, proceeds from the record benefit Women Against Abuse, which is also totally rad in my opinion. Here’s a link if you’re interested in (1) buying some awesome music and (2) supporting a very real and necessary cause.
After listening to the album a few times through, songs that stand out as personal favorites are “Exquisite” and “Dear Marie” which were both played as part of their set at Union Transfer. Crunchy, catchy, and above all relatable, the lyrical composition and melodies are a force to be reckoned with in the ever evolving and what seems like constantly growing Philadelphia music scene. Just plain old rad.
Amanda X is playing in Philly again on October 4th at Everybody Hits! Get your tickets here!
xx Meghan
