If It's Too Loud...

I came to Ted Leo fandom embarrassingly late. I somehow missed him early on, and even when I knew him by name, it took a while for me to give his music a shot. Despite being a fan, I had never seen him perform with the Pharmacists, so when a show at one of my favorite Boston venues, Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theater, was announced, I knew I wanted to go. When Everyone Asked About You was added as an opener just days before the show, that was just an added bonus. Despite missing Everyone Asked About You's initial brief 90's run and only discovering them a few months back, their music connected with me as if I had first heard it back then and instantly gave me a sense of nostalgia for a band I had never heard of. I was annoyed that they scheduled two New York dates but nothing in New England, because of course a band from Little Rock, Arkansas should prioritize a Boston show. When they first started their set, they were playing a little sloppy and loose. In an endearing way,...