Ted Leo seems to take particular delight in appearing at a different venue each time he comes to Philadelphia. In fact, since the second leg of his Hearts of Oak tour, Ted and his Pharmacists haven’t played the same Philly venue twice in a row. The R5 Productions-rented Starlight Ballroom, which last held a TL / Rx show back in December of 2005, was about due for a return performance.

The group who performed at the Starlight Ballroom on that previous winter night was quite different from the ensemble who played there this December. For one, longtime bassist, Dave Lerner, left the group earlier this year. He is being replaced, for the time being, by Ted’s cousin / tour manager, Jason. Also joining the band at their December 6, 2007, performance was second guitarist James Canty - who has been an off-and-on member of The touring Pharmacists since their inception.

Back in December of 2005, Leo, Lerner, and Wilson (Chris, drummer) were supported by the dual-drum act, Mountain High, as well as former Q and Not U frontman, Ris Paul Ric. This time, things were a lot more feminine - read: feminist. Partyline, fronted by Bratmobile’s Allison Wolfe, opened the show. The band played a dancier, yet every bit as potent, version of the riot-grrl style Wolfe’s previous bands have explored. Meanwhile, recent Morrissey tour castoffs, Kristeen Young, played a piano-vocals-drums set which made the Dresden Dolls seem almost timid by comparison. With the presence of such strong women at the show, you’d think it would have been the perfect night for Leo’s feminist anthem, “Hearts of Oak.” Unfortunately, that song was missing from the set.

This brings us to another significant difference between the last two Ted Leo, Starlight Ballroom events. Whereas, two years ago, the group’s performance reached deep into its catalogue, The Pharmacists’ current live show focuses mainly on newer material. Living With the Living (Touch & Go Records, 2007) was ably represented, with eight of the album’s 16 tracks being played on Thursday night. (Though this is a paltry number in comparison to the band’s last Philly show, at The Filmore - where a whopping TWELVE LWTL tracks were performed.) The bent on newer material is to be expected, though, as Ted & co are still supporting the most recent LP.

Surprising was the amount of material culled from Shake the Sheets (Lookout! Records, 2003), considering the band toured behind that record, obsessively, throughout ‘05 and ‘06. Two tracks from 2003's Hearts of Oak (Lookout! Records) were played early on. “I’m A Ghost” and “Where Have All the Rudeboys Gone?” - which address apoliticism and the death of tu-tone ska, respectively - are highlights of any Pharmacists set. The Tyranny of Distance (Lookout! Records, 2001) wasn’t represented at all, until the show’s conclusion. An inspired version of “Biomusicology” closed the first set, while the band encored with the fan favorite, “Timorous Me.” [By the way, check out TimorousMe.org, the net’s leading TL/Rx fansite...which, coincidentally, is run by Philadelphians.]

After “Timorous Me,” the show was over, due to current curfew laws which mandate that all Starlight Ballroom gigs end by 11 PM. (Editorial note: FUCKING LAME) The one song encore, though obviously not the band’s fault, was a bit of a letdown - especially considering that Mr. Leo and his bandmates usually play their best during encore performances. At the last Starlight Ballroom show, for instance, Ted performed a wonderful, tears-worthy (and very rare), acoustic rendition of Tyranny’s “The Gold Finch and the Red Oak Tree.” Also, the encore part of a Pharmacists set is where the boys sometimes like to bust out the fan favorite, “Treble in Trouble.” No such luck on December 6th.

Regrettably, this review has focused a bit too much on the song selections for the December 6th set. Forgive the bias here, because this author has made it a habit of catching the band’s many Philly shows. I’m a huge fan of the band’s first two albums on Lookout!, and, though their whole catalogue is fantastic, I’m constantly yearning to hear those earlier songs played live. Let’s try and get out of my head for a second, here. The fact remains that, for fans of the band’s two most recent albums - or those seeing them perform for the first time - this was an absolute, knock-you-on-your-ass set.

WXPN / Y-Rock radio staples, “The Unwanted Things” and “The Sons of Cain,” were, as always, played with a ripping intensity. The 90 second mini-epic, “Annunciation Day / Born on Christmas Day” was as boisterous as it was blasphemous. And there’s no wordplay which sparkles enough to justify the live impact of songs like “Little Dawn” or “Me and Mia.” Also, you have to give the band hundreds of bonus points for never too closely imitating the sounds of their studio recordings. Why pay to see what you can just hear at home?

Another thing which makes Ted Leo’s live performances so special? He listens to everything. And we’re not talking about his impressive record collection, either. Prior to the evening’s final tune, Mike (an R5 Productions team member) stepped on to the stage to give a plug for “Punk Rock Movie Night” at the First Unitarian Church. The December 19th event will, apparently, be a party / benefit for local anarchist book store, The Wooden Shoe. Fans weren’t too willing to hear about it. Ted Leo, himself, was all ears. This character trait is an important aspect of his band’s live show. Ted engages his audience in conversation from the stage, makes jokes with them, and even considers song requests. You’re a paid concert-goer, but, really, you’re just hanging out with a quartet of cool dudes who happen to play amazing music.

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists will be taking a break from their beloved fans, following the end of their current tour leg. According to Ted, the band members need time to relax, unwind, and write a new record. Leo said Thursday’s show’d be his last stop in the city for “a long time,” but those words don’t mean much...not coming from a man whose group plays in Philly an average of 4-5 times a year. For that matter, drummer Chris Wilson still lives in the city. Teddy L and his Prescription Fillers probably won’t be able to keep their collective musical chops off local stages for more than a few months, at best. Bank on it, and be very, very grateful.