Blinded By Science

(Video by Dave Locane)

Photos/Story By

SCOTT FROST

(On the Beat)

PHILADELPHIA - If there's one band that's excelled in the in-between songs it's We Are Scientists. The New York rockers kept the atmosphere jovial at Philly's Johnny Brendas on July 15. And the inside sweat shop - with the air conditioning hardly cooling down the band's on-stage antics - played along. "We made a lot of mistakes in Philadelphia," said bass player Chris Cain, "and never paid for one of them." Not sure what Cain was talking about, but We Are Scientists have the reputation of using comedy to explain themselves while also being the life of the party. Rumor has it singer Keith Murray showed up to a SXSW gig so intoxicated he was barely able to perform. And that had to be a shame, because every time On The Beat's in attendance - be it at a mega fest like Coachella or inside a tiny club like Asbury Park's Wonder Bar - the trio always delivers. It was also good for them that Philadelphia was ready for a good old shake down. In fact the packed house passed on the struggle of extreme humidity to jiggle along from first to last song. The guys played nearly every song off the new record, "Barbara" - including the single "Rules Don't Stop" - but the most shaking came during the "oh ... oh ... ohs" in the almost five-years-old track, "Nobody Move Nobody Gets Hurt" and the closer, "After Hours." Probably one of the best live sets I've seen this year. It just rocked my socks off.