We Are Scientists. August 8th, 2008 at the Abbey Pub in Chicago, IL. Photos by Erick Dela Rosa.
As an artist myself, please remind me to never, ever play the Abbey Pub. The sound quality was incredibly trashy, sounding like it was run by a middle schooler interested in sound engineering, all topped off with an egregious mix. It was to no fault of We Are Scientists, but things did not sound as good or as clean as they have in the past. The bass was too high in the mix, and its flatulence-like body of sound far overpowered the guitar -- was also beat out by the synth parts, which should have been heard as a light adornment instead of a full-on spotlight.
But enough about the Abbey's poor sound quality last Friday, let's talk about We Are Scientists' performance. A bit has changed since I last saw them live a few years ago, but I still anticipated a stellar live show. The combined stage presence of guitarist Keith Murray and bassist Chris Cain is a mighty force, filled to the brim with wit and humor. Their stage banter in between songs is immensely enjoyable, and it's a key part of what makes them so much fun live. This was one thing that certainly did not change since I saw them last. What did, however, was the lineup. Former drummer Michael Tapper left, and Adam Aaronson (drums) and Max Hart (keyboard, guitar) joined. My thoughts on the new musicians are mixed. Admittedly, my opinion of them is tainted due to their former band. Just look up the High Speed Scene on iTunes, see their song titles and album cover, maybe listen to a few snippets of weak power-pop filled with awful lyricism ("Fuck the biz, it's for the kids" or "They gave us a lifetime supply of defeat, we used it all up in one beat" or "So funky so fresh so fly, we live, like junior executives"), and you'll understand my bias. But this was We Are Scientists, not the High Speed Scene, and I really enjoyed former-frontman Hart live. He had a great on-stage persona, and really added to the presence of the band. I didn't really dig some of the keyboard-chimes and lame orchestra hits, but those could be found on Brain Thrust Mastery, so I expected them. I was, unfortunately, rather offended by We Are Scientists' new drummer. Some drummers play with musicianship, with style, with taste. Former skinman Tapper exemplified these attributes, but replacement Aaronson did not quite reach the mark. He slammed on the drums, always. He was playing incredibly loud the entire night, and there was a seeming lack of finesse and musicality. Luckily, according to this article, he's not a permanent replacement.
While I may be focusing on the negatives here, I should point out that this was still a good show. Once I got past my beefs with the sound quality, I had a great time. The band plays with energy and excitement, and they were enthralling throughout the night. When rocking through songs old and new, when wittily chatting with each other, they entertained. While I missed former drummer Tapper, We Are Scientists still stand as a powerful live band. Just like their albums, they always provide a good time.
We Are Scientists - This Scene Is Dead (from With Love And Squalor)
We Are Scientists - Let's See It (from Brain Thrust Mastery)
As an artist myself, please remind me to never, ever play the Abbey Pub. The sound quality was incredibly trashy, sounding like it was run by a middle schooler interested in sound engineering, all topped off with an egregious mix. It was to no fault of We Are Scientists, but things did not sound as good or as clean as they have in the past. The bass was too high in the mix, and its flatulence-like body of sound far overpowered the guitar -- was also beat out by the synth parts, which should have been heard as a light adornment instead of a full-on spotlight.But enough about the Abbey's poor sound quality last Friday, let's talk about We Are Scientists' performance. A bit has changed since I last saw them live a few years ago, but I still anticipated a stellar live show. The combined stage presence of guitarist Keith Murray and bassist Chris Cain is a mighty force, filled to the brim with wit and humor. Their stage banter in between songs is immensely enjoyable, and it's a key part of what makes them so much fun live. This was one thing that certainly did not change since I saw them last. What did, however, was the lineup. Former drummer Michael Tapper left, and Adam Aaronson (drums) and Max Hart (keyboard, guitar) joined. My thoughts on the new musicians are mixed. Admittedly, my opinion of them is tainted due to their former band. Just look up the High Speed Scene on iTunes, see their song titles and album cover, maybe listen to a few snippets of weak power-pop filled with awful lyricism ("Fuck the biz, it's for the kids" or "They gave us a lifetime supply of defeat, we used it all up in one beat" or "So funky so fresh so fly, we live, like junior executives"), and you'll understand my bias. But this was We Are Scientists, not the High Speed Scene, and I really enjoyed former-frontman Hart live. He had a great on-stage persona, and really added to the presence of the band. I didn't really dig some of the keyboard-chimes and lame orchestra hits, but those could be found on Brain Thrust Mastery, so I expected them. I was, unfortunately, rather offended by We Are Scientists' new drummer. Some drummers play with musicianship, with style, with taste. Former skinman Tapper exemplified these attributes, but replacement Aaronson did not quite reach the mark. He slammed on the drums, always. He was playing incredibly loud the entire night, and there was a seeming lack of finesse and musicality. Luckily, according to this article, he's not a permanent replacement.
While I may be focusing on the negatives here, I should point out that this was still a good show. Once I got past my beefs with the sound quality, I had a great time. The band plays with energy and excitement, and they were enthralling throughout the night. When rocking through songs old and new, when wittily chatting with each other, they entertained. While I missed former drummer Tapper, We Are Scientists still stand as a powerful live band. Just like their albums, they always provide a good time.
We Are Scientists - This Scene Is Dead (from With Love And Squalor)
We Are Scientists - Let's See It (from Brain Thrust Mastery)
Labels: Show Reviews
Anyone else notice that "Let's See It" sounds similar to Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet's "Having An Average Weekend" (which was the theme to the show 'Kids In The Hall')? Mewonders if it was homage to KITH.