We Are Scientists Kick Off Their 'Show Lobes Tour' At The Horseshoe Tavern In Toronto
By Stevie Connor.
When Brooklyn-based dance rock band We Are Scientists released their 2021 album Huffy, their fans didn’t realize how lucky they were, for waiting in the wings to be released barely fifteen months later was eighth album Lobes. Born in January 2023, Lobes was not so much a follow-up to Huffy as it was its companion – a darker and broodier friend… who liked to dance. Fans couldn’t wait for their chance to dance along. But as they saw the band playing seemingly endless shows elsewhere as the Show Lobes Tour rolled out across the UK and Europe, fans in the US were made to wait. But their patience is being rewarded at last.
“Finally — FINALLY — we get to tour the United States again,” exclaims guitarist/vocalist Keith Murray. “It’s been too long, and we’ve been aching for it.”
Having been prevented from touring the States in a sizeable and thorough fashion due to the pandemic, We Are Scientists (Keith, bassist Chris Cain with drummer Keith Carne) are embarking on a journey through North America, kicking off above the U.S. border in Toronto on Nov. 6th and then crossing back into the States for a five+ week tour that sees them hitting cities including Chicago, Seattle, West Hollywood, Dallas, Nashville and their home turf for a grand homecoming show at NYC’s Bowery Ballroom on Dec. 15th. (tour dates below)
“I’ve gotten so excited for the tour, I’ve been decorating my bedroom as various cities on this upcoming run and pretending to play full shows in, say, Kansas City, in anticipation of the real thing,” continues Keith. “My wife chided me the other day because I insisted on erecting a scale-model papier-mâché Coit Tower, to lend some veracity to my imaginary bedroom San Francisco show. Anyway, it’ll be sweet to finally play these shows in the actual towns, again, rather than in my sad room.”
Supporting their two aforementioned albums Huffy and Lobes, which We Are Scientists see as their Daytime and Night-time records respectively, they’ll be hitting the road playing selections off of these records as well as their other six albums.
TOUR DATES
NOVEMBER
06 TORONTO, ON – Horseshoe Tavern
07 PITTSBURGH, PA – Club Café
09 COLUMBUS, OH – Rumba Café
10 CHICAGO, IL – Empty Bottle
11 MINNEAPOLIS, MN – 7th Street Entry
12 KANSAS CITY, MO – recordBar
14 DENVER, CO – Globe Hall
16 SALT LAKE CITY, UT – Urban Lounge
18 PORTLAND, OR – Show Bar at Revolution Hall
19 VANCOUVER, BC – Wise Hall
20 SEATTLE, WA – Madame Lou’s
22 SAN FRANCISCO, CA – The Independent
24 WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA – The Roxy
25 SANTA ANA, CA – Constellation Room
26 SAN DIEGO, CA – Casbah
27 PHOENIX AZ, Valley Bar
30 DALLAS, TX – Club Dada
DECEMBER
01 SAN ANTONIO, TX – Paper Tiger
03 AUSTIN, TX – Antone’s Nightclub
05 NASHVILLE, TN – Exit/In
06 ATLANTA, GA – Aisle 5
07 CARRBORO, NC – Cat’s Cradle Back Room
08 WASHINGTON DC – Union Stage
14 PHILADELPHIA, PA – Johnny Brenda’s
15 NEW YORK, NY – Bowery Ballroom
American rock band We Are Scientists debuted in the early aughts with the angular post-punk edgeofWith Love and Squalor, later evolving to incorporate polished synths and expanded atmospherics on efforts like 2016's Helter Seltzer, 2018's Megaplex, and 2021's Huffy.
Although modestly popular in America, they were a hit in the U.K., where the group's sound--part post-punk revival and part indie rock with a touch of '80s synth pop--drew parallels to contemporaries like Editors, Franz Ferdinand, Interpol, and the Killers. Formed on the West Coast by three California-based college students, We Are Scientists officially took flight after front man and guitarist Keith Murray, bass playe rChris Cain, and drummer MichaelTapper (who replaced founding drummer/vocalist Scott Lamb) relocated to Brooklyn and began building a small but devoted following. After releasing three EPs and one independent album -- Safety, Fun, and Learning (In That Order) -- the group signed with Virgin Records and released their major-label debut, With Love and Squalor, in early 2006. The effort peaked at ten on the Billboard Heat Seekers chart and eventually was certified gold in the U.K.In 2008.
We Are Scientists -- reduced to a duo comprising Cain and Murray after Tapper parted ways with the group -- put out their second full-length album, Brain Thrust Mastery. Produced by Ariel Rechtshaid, the set included the singles "After Hours" and "Chick Lit." As before, the record found popularity in the U.K., where it debuted at number 11 on the albums chart. The band toured heavily in support, playing a number of European festivals and opening shows in America for Kings of Leon.
As We Are Scientists prepared to record a third album, former Razorlight drummer Andy Burrows joined the line-up,and the revised band unveiled itself with the release of 2010's Barbara. That year, founding members Cain and Murray also appeared in their own series of comedy shorts, Steve Wants His Money, which aired on the Internet and ran in segments on MTV. In late 2012, the band entered the studio in New York with producer Chris Coady (Beach House, Gang Gang Dance, Blonde Redhead) to record sessions for their fourth record. Burrows relocated to the city from England while he worked with Murray and Cain to write and record tracks for the album. Titled TV en Français, it arrived in early 2014 on 100%/Dine Alone Records and featured appearances by Rose Elinor Dougall (Mark Ronson) and Tim Wheeler (Ash).
In 2016, We Are Scientists returned with their fifth studio album, Helter Seltzer, produced by Max Hart(of Katy Perry's band). The effort charted in the Top 50 of the U.K. and Scottish charts. Two years later, they delivered their sixth effort, the polished Megaplex, also produced by Hart. The album featured the singles "Heart Is a Weapon," "Not Another Word," and "Your Light Has Changed."
Following the 2020 launch of their own Dumpster Dive podcast, the group returned with the full-length Huffy in 2021. Although 2021’s Huffy returned to a guitar-driven sound, forthcoming Lobes, the band’s eighth studio album, is their synthiest, electronic beatiest collection yet.
So, really, who even is We Are Scientists? Founding We Are Scientists members Keith Murray (guitar) and Chris Cain (bass) have played with guys like Adam, Michael, Andy, Danny, Chris, Matt, and Gary on drums, but for over five years now have had Keith Carne, who looks like he isn’t going anywhere.The band’s previous singles “After Hours,” “Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt,” “The Great Escape,”“It’s a Hit” and “Chick Lit” all have charted in the US/UK and the band have appeared on US late night talk shows, The Late Show with David Letterman, Conan and Carson Daly and performed at Coachella, Sasquatch, and All Points West festivals. In the UK, the band played the Reading and Leeds main stage and Glastonbury Festivals among other world-wide touring.
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