[watch] Ted Leo playing "Me and Mia" in a Brighton living room
TED LEO sent me an email in October. "Hey, do you want to organize a house show this fall?" he asked. "HYFR," I replied.
A few emails and phone calls were made over the past month, and last night he arrived to play a set in my friend Mitch's unassuming living room in Brighton. The stop in Boston was part of a week-long run of house shows and non-traditional venue spaces that Leo embarked on after several months of touring with Aimee Mann this fall. Each of these shows was a fundraiser for a different local charity; a total testament to the rad community-oriented ethos he's has carried with him through years of playing big clubs. (Last night, more than $500 was reaised for 826 Boston.)
"These are the most important places in the world," he told the packed 80-person crowd that flooded into the kitchen and hallways, folks standing on couches and benches as he stood on the floor in the corner, expressing gratitude towards the houses and DIY venues that continuously open their doors to him and his fans.
Here's a video of Leo playing "Me and Mia," a song he explained he usually never plays at his solo shows unless the vibe feels completely right. I was pretty psyched he played it.
Bent Shapes opened!