The perfect prescription

Many years ago I read a fulsome review of Chisel's Set You Free in a semi-glossy music magazine. I think it was pre-rubbish AP, and since the album came out in 1997 it stands to reason this would be about a decade ago. Soon after Chisel broke up, but there was soon new that singer and guitarist Ted Leo was soldiering on. His first solo Cd got mixed reviews, but his next, Tyranny of Distance got raves all around. Even better, the man himself came to town, playing a pair of sets at Bumpers. Since then I've seen him at Babylon and just recently at Barrymore's. Ted was his usual witty self, both musically and in-between tunes.

Ted, really concentrating.



French Toast fellow James Canty adds some six-string muscle.



The ever-smiley Chris Wilson.



On previous gigs Ted's been accompanied by bassist, he of the wild mop and dazed expression. He left the band just a few months before this gig, leaving Marty "Violence" Key of The Young Pioneers to pick up the set list with only two practices.



You can't see it, but there's a shot in Ted's hand, the first of several courtesy of a a possibly overfaithful fan. "You know what you are - you're a drinks bully. Not that there's anything wrong with that," he quipped as he accepted shot No. 2 (or was it No. 3?). And if you are the "Drinks Bully", apparently Ted wants you to e-mail him.



More Ted!



Brendan sings along.



And now, some pharmaceutical action!











Lots of feedback action!





Splendid as ever.

• Show reminder: Sightings and Panopticon Eylids perform at End Hits. Swervedriver man Adam Franklin and Tallships play Zaphod Beeblebrox. The County Boys play Irene's.

Toast of the town

Jerry Busher and James Canty have enough Washington D.C. cred to float the boats of 1,000 Dischord fans, with one or the other having served with Fugazi, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Nation of Ulysses, The Make-Up and various other acts. Instead, their band, French Toast, is often described as angular and has been compared to Spoon. I though they sounded like they'd be good on a bill with Ted Leo.

Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!



James on bass.



The old switcheroo.



They recently added Ben Gilligan to the lineup. Here Ben takes a spin on a somewhat modified Telecaster.



Canty also enjoys jumping into the audience



There was a lot of instrument switching going around; only Busher confined himself to bass and drums.







Toast rocks as Shawn Scallen shoots. "Shawn booked my first band's tour in Canada," confided Busher "I think your parents were at that show - tell them we said hi!"



Fun way to spend a Sunday.

International delights

There was a decent-sized crowd at Zaphod's to catch the debut performance of Embassies of Denmark (which features Van Johnson and Sleeping Pilot folks), Bangkok and Dischord supergroup French Toast, and all three bands put on a great show. I've also discovered one of the great advantages of having a digital camera with autofocus: If you've been staring at a computer screen under insufficient light all day (as I have), and are so bleary-eyed you can't see straight it will do all the work for you. Thus, the fact that any of these pictures are in focus is entirely down to technology.

Pat from Sleeping Pilot/Armies of St. Joan and Van Johnson's Bill.



Bangkok, which breaks the first rules of bands named after cities by not sucking (pictured: Luca Furgiuele and Mark Milloy).



The Toast of Dischord: James Canty, Jerry Busher and Ben Gilligan (not necessarily in that order).



More later, when my eyeballs recover.