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“Dancing in the Dark” – Drew O’Doherty and Ted Leo
(Words/music: Bruce Springsteen, originally available from Bradley’s Almanac, performed August 6, 2006)

Today is Ted Leo’s birthday, and my present is to repost a song I originally found on Bradley’s Almanac a few years ago.  Head over there to read Brad’s account of the circumstances behind the show – specifically how “Dancing in the Dark” served as a “handoff” between O’Doherty’s opening set and Leo’s main set.  Bradley’s Almanac is a must read, and I got to briefly meet Brad at XX Merge this summer and can confirm first hand that he’s as nice and cool as his blog suggests.  Do yourself a favor and go subscribe to it.

Ted Leo also has the misfortune of sharing his birthday with the terrorist attacks in the United States eight years ago.  In many ways, this “Dancing in the Dark” performance shares a lot of the qualities of the moments we looked for (and continue to need) in the weeks and months following.  Earlier today, as they have for the past few years, McSweeney’s posted John Hodgman’s introduction from a literary reading a few weeks after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.  In it, Hodgman (a friend of Leo’s, appropriately) shared his struggle to find the role of storytelling in an increasingly absurd world, ultimately suggesting that in a time of crisis, stories help us feel like we aren’t alone.  For me, concerts provide the same comforting communal effort, and few create and utilize the temporary community that a live performance assembles the way Ted Leo uses it.  His sets frequently mix his own stories (through his songs) with songs that he loves.  “Dancing in the Dark,” a song about the desperate, unending quest for inspiration, frequently appears in these sets, often inspiring the audience to join in (at least for the “can’t start a fire” lines).  I’ve written about the way Leo’s shows provide this spark for me, and I can’t help but feel like most of the crowd leaves the same way.  Even if these moments can’t fix what’s broken inside us, they help to remind us that we’re all fractured in some ways and can help each other put the pieces back together.  While 9/11 is a day to consider the ways we’ve started to heal, it’s also a day worth celebrating those who have helped us with that healing, even if it’s just by singing songs.

Happy birthday, Ted.  Thanks for everything.

More on Drew O’Doherty: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm

More on Ted Leo: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm