I Kinda of Hate-Like We Are Scientists

We Are Scientists
January 12, 2006
Bowery Ballroom

These guys. One (or two) good songs, dance beats, lead singer Keith Murray sounds like the dude from Midnight Oil, bassist has a mustache (funny!). Major label money. Live in Brooklyn. So many reasons to hate We Are Scientists, so I’m angry at them and myself for their sliding by on pure charm. I can’t help it, I really wanted to hate these guys (and I kind of do hate them). But the lead singer’s mom was in the balcony waving and blowing kisses to her son. They made a video that looks exactly like a Stella short. They had a guy from The Lonely Island directing their other videos. They named their album after a Salinger short story. Their charm is in these details, their goofy sense of humor and their complete unaware-ness at how dangerously close they are to being complete pricks. The kickers were, of course, that at the afterparty they told Michael Showalter they were big fans, and instead of talking with the babes and bros that so wanted to hit on them, the lead singer mostly talked to his mom and pops. I went up and said, “Hey good show,” and Keith Murray said the most genuine “Thanks” I’ve ever heard from a guy that good looking. I’m sold.

Edit: I also just made this out of this for no reason.

(Double!) Edit (March 6): I guess people think I’m being sarcastic above–when I’m not. Since most of you are in high school, let me spell it out. I like We Are Scientists. And I think any guy that good looking who spends more time talking to his mom than to groupies is probably superhuman. But superhuman or not, that photoshop picture is funny. Come on.