Mohawk Place in Buffalo, NY is one of those clubs that brings back great memories of showing up at back alley music halls to see some sort of rising act play a raucous set. Backlit stages, concrete floors, people packed in like cattle, and amps turned up to ear-splitting levels made for the perfect atmosphere for Ted Leo and the Pharmacists to tear through a mix of songs new and old and cut through the thunderstorms brewing outside to create his own storm of energy and noise.

The set started off with an up-tempo take on “The Mighty Sparrow” and set up the energy exuded from the stage all night. “Mourning in America” exploded off the stage with the crowd fist-pumping and pounding along with the frantic yet smooth vocals that only Ted Leo can deliver. Throughout the set, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists weaved old classics like “Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone” and “Me and Mia” together seamlessly with tracks off “The Brutalist Bricks.” The band was note perfect all night and Ted himself tore through chords like a man possessed.

The real highlight was “Bottled in Cork,” which was performed with an affluence of energy that can only be brought out in a crowded venue with enough heat and humidity to make the air drinkable. The environment brought out a passion from the band that is simply not there in the recorded version. The crowd was with the band for every note of the entire show, and “Bottled in Cork” sealed the deal with absolute perfection. The best part of the night was the encore, which started off with Ted Leo standing in front of a plug-in electric fan while parodying Carly Simon’s “Clouds in my Coffee.”

The encore started with “Timourous Me” and rolled into a cover of Chumbawamba’s “Rappaport’s Testament: I Never Gave Up” which pulsed and whipped the crowd into a frenzy. For a finale, the Pharmacists covered Richard Thompson’s “Beat the Retreat,” performed with heartfelt trembling vocals and steady guitar. All night long, Ted Leo had the all ages crowd in that humid music hall bending with every note coming from the stage; a masterful performance from one of the best live acts in the country. Period.