If there’s a formula for performance, We Are Scientists seem to have figured it out.
First, they had Dublin-based opener Paws play some heavier rock to open the night. As Brighton Music Hall began to fill up, everyone became less focused on the Bruins game on television by the bar and more into what was going on on stage. Most of the time, it’s hard for openers to please an audience that is really there to see someone else, but Paws managed to get the audience’s full attention for their entire set — one young woman even had the Irish hunks sign her denim jacket after the show.
Immediately after, We Are Scientists took the stage.
“So, any updates on the Bruins?” bassist Chris Cain asked the crowd in between songs. This was his running bit throughout the night since fans had yelled “The Bruins!” when he asked what was going on in Boston at the beginning of the show. The night was full of playful banter from Cain and lead singer Keith Murray, coupled with anecdotes about Cain’s eight-year-old son and the Red Sox. The audience was laughing all night, incredibly charmed by the musicians.
We Are Scientists have been around for over 10 years, and they seem to have perfected their live show along the way. Their set list combined dance-worthy numbers with fan favorites — the first notes of each song were met with cheers from the crowd as they recognized the band’s early tunes. Most of the people I talked to there were young 20-somethings who had really liked the band’s second LP With Love and Squalor in high school, so when they played songs like “Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt” and “The Great Escape,” fans were screaming out the lyrics right along with Murray. We Are Scientists even took requests from the crowd, most notably “Impatience” from their third album, Brain Thrust Mastery.
We Are Scientists have mastered the art of performing. There were no fancy light shows, no elaborate transitions between songs — just three guys playing music and enjoying themselves, mixing in the perfect amount of rapport with the crowd. Because of that, the audience left feeling like they’d really experienced something special and shared a personal connection with the band. And let’s face it: That’s all you can really ask for when going to see a band like We Are Scientists.