Scientists deliver combustible show
It's difficult to avoid the obvious pun: The greatest strength of the Brooklyn-based post-punks We Are Scientists is the band's onstage chemistry. The group mixed tight playing, quirky charm, and a lively performance by frontman Keith Murray for an explosive show Sunday at the Paradise.
The Scientists eased into their hourlong set with the methodical ``Lousy Reputation" before segueing into the better-known single ``Nobody Move Nobody Get Hurt." They kept the momentum going, skipping the encore and taking time between songs only for some tuning and picking up after vocalist-guitarist Murray, who rampaged around the stage.
For a performer with a generic voice and guitar style, Murray throws himself completely into his band's spastic tunes. He kicked over mike stands, leaped off the bass drum, smashed a microphone into cymbals, and roughly tousled his bandmates' hair. What he lacked in musical originality, he more than made up for with a captivating performance. The trio may as well have been a foursome, as a busy stagehand darted around following Murray.
Despite his antics, the focus wasn't entirely on the frontman. Bassist Chris Cain and drummer Michael Tapper form an unbelievably tight rhythm section. The band tore through material from its major-label debut, ``With Love and Squalor," with expert precision.
As unpredictable as Murray's performance was, Cain and Tapper forged ahead undaunted, even when the singer was mauling them. Shoulders shimmied throughout the crowd as the band rocketed through such tracks as ``Worth the Wait" (which Cain introduced as , ``A real booty-shaker"), the radio-friendly ``It's a Hit," and the punk ditty ``Inaction."
The band proved it can give an incredible performance of slightly above-average indie fare. Now it needs to experiment with the material to get it on a par with the presentation.
The Double dragged through its earlier set, as singer David Greenhill bleated out lyrics in a Dylan-esque moan.
The opening act, synth-poppers Au Revoir Simone, coupled bubbly dance tunes with Fembot delivery. The monotone vocals did, however, lend themselves well to a cover of the Ronettes' ``Be My Baby" performed with the Scientists that ended the evening and brought down the house .
