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December 6, 2007

Who Needs Boxers When You've Got Ted Leo

A brief but revealing report filed by NY Mag this morning relays that a superfan at last night's Leo show at Music Hall Of Williamsburg took audience participation to the next level ... with the onstage introduction of his dangling participle.

It all started as the Pharmacists launched into “Colleen,” and a fan threw a shawl up onstage. (“Is this a smock?“ Leo asked. “Should I do watercolors?”) And then things got significantly more naked. Leo noticed a guy in the crowd with no shirt on. Fair enough. But when the singer mentioned the words “New” and “Jersey,” and the dude lit for the stage, where he was cordially offered a tambourine. Pounding away, he missed an offer to harmonize with Leo — and instead, like a rapper making it rain, tossed the money from his wallet into the crowd. And then took off his pants. It was only when he started beating his head with a microphone that security came to remove him — and he removed his boxers. Which also got tossed in the crowd. “That turned dark,” Leo observed dryly.
Ted knows all about things going over the top, but not quite in the "hey look, there's a dick on my stage" sense. And since it hasn't been that long since our very own experience with an onstage streaker, we started thinking this might be a fun time for you guys to relive the horror/joy of similar experiences in rock show nudity. While you sit in remembrance of things past, take the jump for a NSFW photo from our last one...

Mute Math at Bonnaroo 2007, when the naked guy got up there

Ahh, the streaker from Mute Math's show at Bonnanude. Brings back the memories. Fans of Mute Math and/or small penises should click here. Fans of Ted Leo and/or Graham Parker, click play for a cover of "Passion Is No Ordinary Word" from last night.

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20 Comments

i saw the mean reds like 5 years ago at the Key Club in LA (i don't know if anybody remembers them, they had a few big tours with bands like the Circle Jerks, Blood Brothers, and DFA 1979).

anyways, some girl went up and pulled the singer's pants down and sucking him off. it lasted for a good 40 seconds until a bouncer tackled the girl. was pretty intense.

Posted by: bearface at 12/06/07 3:07 PM | Reply
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I saw a screaching weasel concert a few years back where some crazy shit went down. They have a song called "I wanna be naked". Traditionally, members of the audience as well as the lead singer strip and continue without much of a commotion, but on this video some moron in the crowd came on stage and attempted to jerk off.

Mortified, the camera guy tried not to focus on him. To this day, I don't know what happened.

Ted Leo has nothing to worry about when a guy only gets naked. Naked and erect is a whole other type of bad.

Posted by: kidgotham at 12/06/07 3:59 PM | Reply
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welp, hope the philly kids behave themselves tonight.

see you guys at the ballroom if you're going

Posted by: TJ at 12/06/07 4:38 PM | Reply
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Any idea if ex-pharmacist Dave Lerner showed up? He works at the record store a couple of doors down...

Posted by: Sean at 12/06/07 4:46 PM | Reply
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he only got naked right as he was being escorted out the door. i don't think most people even saw, but i got an eye-full of ass. my friend and i returned some of his money to him in the subway.

and i did see dave lurking around the balcony, big-haired as ever.

Posted by: mad at 12/06/07 5:36 PM | Reply
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And there I thought this was going to be about The National.

Posted by: paul at 12/06/07 9:52 PM | Reply
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i was there, and this was pretty hilarious. does anyone that was there know what that girl said to ted that made him lose it and go "that's so fucking creepy, i don't know how to respond to that". good show.

Posted by: brent at 12/07/07 12:25 AM | Reply
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brent, someone has to get ted leo on the phone for that, seriously.

Posted by: obla at 12/07/07 1:03 AM | Reply
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i was standing right next to those girls. she yelled at ted, "i can see your nipple!" i guess he was sweating through his shirt. but yeah, those girls were insanely creepy. they were like, stradling each other and one of them was making out with this really old dude who looked like he could be her dad. and what was up with that fat drunk anarchist guy? crazy show.

Posted by: Liam at 12/07/07 1:11 AM | Reply
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"A *brief* but revealing..."

Very clever! I hope that was intentional.

Also, please put some like NSFW in bold if you're going to put something like that after the jump. Or make it painfully obvious somehow. Some of us are, in fact, at work and that could be very awkward.

Posted by: Adrian at 12/07/07 1:25 AM | Reply
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"is this a smock? should i do watercolors?"

i love ted leo

Posted by: kevin at 12/07/07 2:28 AM | Reply
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@Adrian--
Sorry for lack of NSFW, I figured you guys would know what to expect but that's no excuse! Fixed. And yes, everything that's clever is intentional, of course :)

Posted by: amrit at 12/07/07 9:16 AM | Reply
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I dont know if you guys have ever been to a show in williamsburg, but the crowds are really lame. They dont move, they dont smile, and its hard to have a good time. Its like they are all super self conscious of looking anything other than bored. Id just like to think I did my little part in freeing these poor prisoners of too cool for school hipsterdom.

Posted by: James at 12/07/07 9:34 AM | Reply
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There used to be a smelly hippy kinda guy that went to all the shows in New Orleans about 10-12 years ago. He'd strip down at EVERY show and dive off the stage or balcony. He helped scare Propaghandi off the stage (I don't think they like that town anyway)and at a Fugazi show jumped off the balcony of Tipitina's. No one caught him. Ian Mackaye gave him his $5 back and made him leave. Sometimes I like NY crowds better.

Posted by: t at 12/07/07 10:07 AM | Reply
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"I dont know if you guys have ever been to a show in williamsburg, but the crowds are really lame. They dont move, they dont smile, and its hard to have a good time. "


Actually, I was at Tuesday night's show, and just about everyone was moving. With the exception of a couple of highly intoxicated girls that kept sumbling all over the place, the crowd was awesome. Although the venue was also not exactly filled to capacity, which kind of surprised me. But I guess that's more room to move/breathe for the people who did show up, so whatever.

Posted by: birthday girl at 12/07/07 12:44 PM | Reply
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I have posted an audio recording of the complete concert on my site.
http://www.nyctaper.com/?p=92

I have otherwise ignored the ridiculous naked guy who almost ruined an amazing show, but I'll talk about it a little here. I saw the guy drinking at the bar before the show, he and his friends were "pounding Buds"--and acting like complete jerkoffs. I also saw him later on at the subway (first car on the Manhattan-bound L) looking almost proud at his idiocy. Adding to the annoyance is the fact that the hyper security at Music Hall (don't dare stand in the wrong place on the balcony or have a light shined in your eyes!) let this actually go on for an entire song.

Posted by: nyctaper at 12/07/07 1:13 PM | Reply
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-_-

Posted by: James at 12/07/07 2:10 PM | Reply
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i'm pretty sure this show was all ages. there were a lot of really young kids there, i think it had something to do with the venue change from webster hall. i was there tues. night too and it was much better (the vibe, not ted - he was awesome as always)

Posted by: stef at 12/08/07 11:28 PM | Reply
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i've seen ted leo and the pharmacists twice here in vancouver and both times they've seemed to attract the exact same crowd people are talking about here. questionable minors, creepy girls that make out with everyone and each other, drunk asshat frat boys.
its unfortunate because ted leo puts on one hell of a show. amazing.

Posted by: massromantic at 12/09/07 10:32 PM | Reply
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Heres a clip of "Naked Guy" at the ted leo show:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-95_2rzSfo

Posted by: sothere at 12/10/07 12:52 PM | Reply
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