Ted Leo no more

This past Thursday, I drove up to the Grog Shop to check out Ted Leo / Pharmacists for the 7th time (over the course of the past 3 years between Cleveland & Akron). But I was quite shocked to find out when I got there that the show was sold out. Ted Leo? Sold out? On a weeknight in Cleveland? It was too much to comprehend. I've been to a couple of his shows where there were maybe 50 people. Last time I saw him, right after the new record came out, it was a good sized crowd at the same venue, but nowhere near sell out level. And who buys tickets in advance anyways to go to a club show? I'm sorry, but I have serious issues with paying $6 or $8 in Ticketbastard charges for a $10 ticket. Of course I spotted a group of mall-worshipping jarheads with their polo shirts and dirty white hats in line (complete with flip-flops...who wears flip flops to a show??) and wondered how they can be Ted Leo fans? I don't know, I'm just bitter. I talked with a number of other real fans who suffered the same fate as us that evening. It's good for Ted, raking in some well-deserved cash for all his hard work. But I fear the message in his music is getting lost on the apparent legions of new "fans".