Pittsburgh – We Are Scientists Pittsburgh – We Are Scientists (Free Download / Buy)

On the last night of 2010, 250 people filled Mercury Lounge for a sold out night with We Are Scientists. The night featured acts considered part of the We Are Scientists family, all having toured several times together.

First to perform was the all female group Bad Girlfriend.  The band has a late 50s garage rock sound with a few punk elements that end up giving some grit to their naive sounding melodies and vocals. Repetitive lyrics, chords, and rhythms were found throughout the majority of their set, which conjured up mild headbopping by attentive listeners. Several audience members commented on their fashionable gold, shimmery coordinated attire, physical attractiveness, yet, not much was said about their music; obviously indicating that Bad Girlfriend left more of a visual than musical impression on the crowd. Nevertheless, they were warmly welcomed by those who arrived early.

Comedian Sarah Walker followed Bad Girlfriend after joining them for their set on synth and tambourine.  Also dressed in the shimmery Bad Girlfriend uniform, Walker gave a 15 minute stand up routine that consisted of recalling her experiences of being on tour in Europe with We Are Scientists and alluded that they’re gay (they’re not), her need to lose weight (she doesn’t), and an Asian joke she was ready to tell (when an Asian guy shouted, “Don’t go there!”, she didn’t).  She became distracted by a drunk couple who used the stage as a bed and used them as material. These components made Walker’s routine tolerable. Those who were already drunk laughed the loudest and the hardest, while those on their way to drunkenness gave brief chuckles to signal they were listening.

Rewards aka Aaron Pfenning (of Chairlift) arrived, calm and collected, onstage with a gold shimmering unzipped ball gown that he wore for only a few minutes.  It was missed by many and confused those who were actually observant. While on guitar and vocals, Rewards was supported by a keyboardist (also on drum machine), bassist, and beatboxer.  His deep crooning and falsetto at all the right times, combined with his use of the guitar as a sound effect rather than melody maker, created a calm and soothing 80’s sounding vibe throughout his set. The use of a beatboxer initially seemed out of place, but his percussive rhythms and varying techniques became one with the drum machine and made many sway and nod in approval. Reward’s interaction with the crowd was a bit awkward, mainly consisting of unfinished sentences, yet somehow, it made his entire set even more intriguing and enjoyable.

We Are Scientists came on stage quite concerned about the time, for fear of missing the start of the new year. Though a typical We Are Scientists show is known for its random comical banter between Keith Murray (guitar & vocals) and Chris Cain (bass & vocals), this show was just a dance rock party with constant jumping, swiveling shoulders, and many failed attempts at body surfing. Keith and company omitted their slow, mid-tempo songs and played all their upbeat hits instead. There was a pause in their set to countdown the new year, during which they invited Rewards, Sarah Walker, and Bad Girlfriend on to the stage. Chris also did take some time to step on his imaginary soapbox to explain why it’s important to be an “accurate band” and why their band officially played the last song of 2010 ever (which involved a purchase of $3 atomic clock app for his iPhone). A key component to both the rise in room temperature and body odor can be attributed to drummer Danny Lee Allen’s fierce and unrelenting beats behind the set, which was appreciated by everyone in the lounge.

The musical progression of the night basically ended up being an indie rock music timeline: the late 50s with Bad Girlfriend, the 80s with Rewards, and modern day dance rock with We Are Scientists. The headlining trio ended 2010 and started 2011 with a musical bang that left all in attendance doused in sweat and various forms of alcohol, and a night to remember (if they were actually able to remember it).