David Malitz reviewed a March 2007 Ted Leo performance for The Washington Post:

Plenty of the people at the sold-out 9:30 club Thursday night were in diapers back when Ted Leo began playing his hyperactive brand of mod-pop with former band Chisel. His nonstop touring and recording in the intervening 15 years has earned him a devoted fan base and has even resulted in a bit of mainstream success: "Living With the Living," his fifth solo album, just debuted at No. 109 (his first appearance on the Billboard 200).

If there's one person you never have to worry about resting on his laurels, though, it's Leo. The Hardest Working Man in Indie Rock never takes a night off. On Thursday, he led his three-piece backing band through 90 minutes of high-energy, hook-filled tunes featuring great moments from his catalogue.

Leo's appeal is easy to identify. He's a regular guy with a receding hairline and no pretense to coolness. Exuding honesty and sincerity, he's the kind of person who blows his nose on stage (and then apologizes for it) and simply says, "I got nothing" when he can't come up with witty banter. And on this night, he sang every song as if it were a matter of life and death, whether it was about the fate of his ska heroes ("Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone?) or actual matters of life and death ("Army Bound").

Nobody delivers rapid-fire lyrics better than Leo, and his elastic voice allowed him to nail those crucial high notes in songs such as "Biomusicology" and "Me and Mia." And the Pharmacists did what a backing band should do, providing solid support without stealing the spotlight -- although added guitarist James Canty (ex-Make Up) deserves special notice for greatly helping to fill out the sound.

Leo closed with a cover of Chumbawamba's "Rappaport's Testament," getting many in the crowd to chant the song's "Never give up!" refrain with him. There aren't many people who could get more than a thousand concertgoers to sing along to Chumbawamba in 2007; Leo had no problem at all.