We Are Scientists at Brooklyn Made (photo by Kevin McGann)
This past Friday, 1/20/23, long running New York City based band We Are Scientists were back in action to celebrate their eighth and latest album, Lobes (read our review), to a packed house at Brooklyn Made. And with a line that went down Bushwick’s Troutman Street before the show, it was obvious that people were stoked to see and hear what their favorite scientists had been cooking up.
As soon as guitarist/vocalist Keith Murray, bassist Chris Cain, and drummer Keith Carne took to the stage, they kicked the party off with new jam “Lucky Just to Be Here” from Lobes. From there they mixed it up with tracks from their 2005 debut With Love and Squalor (“This Scene Is Dead,” “Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt,” “Inaction”), 2008’s Brain Thrust Mastery (“After Hours”), 2010’s Barbara (“Rule’s Don’t Stop”), 2016’s Heltzer Seltzer (“Buckle,” “Too Late”), and 2018’s Megaplex (“Your Light Has Changed”).
No We Are Scientists show would be complete though without the between song banter these guys are known for. And always over a drink while also interacting with the audience, making it feel like as much a house party as a concert. You get the feeling listening to them that truly feel “lucky just to be here.” But they didn’t let it go too long as even they remembered at one point their manager was there and going to kick their asses if they didn’t announce and promote the new album that had been released earlier that day. But safe to say we all knew why we were there and the reaction to Lobes that night shows that the album speaks for itself.
Other new songs from the album included “Operator Error,” “Human Resources,” and “Settled Accounts,” as well as “Less From You” that kicked off the encore which included “Dinosaurs” from Brain Thrust Mastery, and “Too Late” from Helter Seltzer.
Opening the night was another New York gem, Public Practice. Fronted by Sam York, the quartet brings back the rock disco swagger of late 70’s Blondie when Debbie Harry declared “once I had a love and it was a gas”. It was a lively set that found York, guitarist Vince McClelland, bassist Drew Citron, and drummer Scott Rosenthal reuniting after some time apart but sounding like they never missed a beat. And while they certainly have a danceable beat, there’s some intricate guitar and bass play between McClelland and Citron that propels them beyond simply revisiting the past. Retro and modern at the same time, Public Practice creates an exciting new style all their own.
We Are Scientists are embarking on an extensive tour to promote Lobes so look for available dates and join the party if you can.
Scroll down for setlist, fan shot video, pics of the show (photos by Kevin McGann)
Setlist: Lucky Just To Be Here, This Scene Is Dead, Contact High, Nobody Move Nobody Get Hurt, Operator Error, Rules Don’t Stop, Settled Accounts, You’ve Lost Your Shit, Inaction, I Cut My Own Hair, Turn It Up, Textbook, Human Resource, Buckle, Your Light Has Changed, The Great Escape, After Hours Encore: Less From You, Dinosaurs, Too Late
PUBLIC PRACTICE
WE ARE SCIENTISTS
