This past Wednesday, as Cambridge was engulfed in an early-Autumn-in-New-England drizzle, the Sinclair played host to a well curated touring bill that featured We Are Scientists, Surfer Blood, and opening act Eternal Summers.

Starting the night off were Virginia-based indie rockers Eternal Summers. I immediately found myself thinking that this is what Rainer Maria might have sounded like had they come up during the new wave era. Nicole Yun (vocals, guitar) seems to walk a fine line between a modern indie-pop guitar technique, while employing the chorus-effected tone championed by… seemingly every band of the 1980’s. In the context of their songs, however, it works to great effect. Bassist Jonathan Woods provided a solid, pulsing low end, often the sole carrier of chord progressions as Yun occasionally strayed into full-on noise territory. Their songs ranged in style from a driving, Joy Division inspired new wave minimalism to a fuzzed out guitar and dreamlike vocal that were reminiscent of some of the more wandering Kim Gordon led tracks off of Sonic Youth’s Daydream Nation.

While the songs were effective, and the performance enjoyable, there were more than a few symptoms of “the first night of tour” present. Broken strings, somewhat drastic volume discrepancies between effect pedals, and a runaway instrument cable that was recovered JUST in time for the final chorus of their closing song. Overall, Eternal Summers displayed strong songwriting and a wholehearted earnestness, but a heightened level of anxiousness was somewhat apparent amidst the minor technical setbacks.

The next act of the night was Surfer Blood. The first thing I’ll say about Surfer Blood is that, according to Wikipedia, their original band name was Jabroni Sandwich. Which is both hilarious and terrible. Anyway… From the opening chords of Floating Vibes, the crowd was bopping around to the feel good indie riffs of this Floridian quartet. Surfer Blood seem to have a penchant for writing impossibly catchy songs. Whether it was the Vampire Weekend-esque Take It Easy or the Pixies-a-la-Ray-Davies vibe of Say Yes To Me, all in attendance seemed to agree. John Paul Pitts (vocals, guitar) and Thomas Fekete (guitar, backing vocals) expertly utilize the simplicity of harmonized, single note guitar lines that provide their songs with a lyrical and instantly memorable quality. While the subject of their songs did venture into more emotional territory, they kept up a consistent pace and never lost energy. 

Following their track Miranda, Surfer Blood recreated the transition into Voyage Reprise (as it appears on their 2011 record Tarot Classics), which saw Pitts venturing off the stage and into the crowd. At one point, after a quick interaction, Pitts gave an eager fan the chance to jump on stage and don his guitar, accompanying the rest of the band. The crowd let out a cheer that was equal parts excitement and relief as it turned out this guy seemed to actually know his way around the song.

After sending his momentary bandmate off with a hug, Pitts announced to the crowd that the band had just wrapped up a new record the previous week, and dove into a brand new song.  The newer material featured a more relaxed and somewhat less ambitious vocal, but I’d be interested to see how it evolves in a live setting away from the rehearsed discipline that comes with having just recorded. The band closed out their set with an expansive and ever building version of Anchorage from their 2010 effort Astro Coast. Pitts and Fekete traded off guitar and keys duties through the builds, with discordant piano and swirling guitar-noise dancing around each other while the rhythm section carried them through to the end. Overall, a truly impressive set from Surfer Blood.

Last up was the Brooklyn-based trio We Are Scientists. As if answering the call set forth by the energy level of the previous band, vocalist/guitarist Keith Murray began the set with his telecaster held against his amp amidst a wall of feedback, before rocketing into Dumb Luck which was featured on both their newest album TV en Français (2014) as well as 2013’s Business Casual EP.

While We Are Scientists’ songs are clearly a product of current musical climates, there’s something about their dynamic as a trio that brings to mind Boy and October era U2. Driving bass and drums with a single guitar dictating both the intensity and power of each section. As performers, it’s hard not to be taken by the stage presence of Murray and Cain (bass/backing vocals). Whether it’s the utterly singable vocal hooks of I Don’t Bite, or the danceable, almost Bloc Party-esque riffs of Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt, they are constantly on the move and giving it everything they have.

We Are Scientists are also one of those rare bands that are equally as entertaining between songs as they are during them. Bassist Chris Cain spent the night asking a series of increasingly bizarre questions of the audience— all on behalf of their “legal team” — which pulled anyone unfamiliar with the band’s off-beat sense of humor along for the ride.

While their stage banter may be on the lighthearted side of things, the same can’t necessarily be said for their material. As soon as each song began, gone were the smirks and jokes, and in came a genuine sense of belief in what they were doing. Murray swayed his way around the mic and attacked each vocal phrase with a passionate and direct enthusiasm. His use of more traditional rock guitar leads worked well under the blanket of vocal harmonies that melodically defined the landscape of each song.

All three bands are currently touring together for a string of dates in the US and Canada, which then finds We Are Scientists heading off for a series of European shows. If you’re looking to catch a show featuring three exceptionally talented bands, I highly recommend checking out this tour.

Remaining Tour Dates:

Oct 06 – Legendary Horseshoe Tavern – Toronto, Canada
w/Surfer Blood, Eternal Summers

Oct 07 – Call The Office – London, Canada
w/Surfer Blood, Eternal Summers

Oct 08 – Lincoln Hall – Chicago, IL
w/Surfer Blood, Eternal Summers

Oct 09 – Turf Club – Minneapolis, MN
w/Surfer Blood, Eternal Summers

Oct 10 – The Sett – Madison, WI
w/Surfer Blood, Eternal Summers

Oct 12 – Times Square – New York, NY

Oct 22 – Brooklyn Bowl London – London, United Kingdom

Oct 23 – La Flêche d’Or – Paris, France

Oct 24 – UBU – Rennes, France

Oct 25 – La Péniche – Lille, France

Oct 26 – DOORNROOSJE – Nijmegen, Netherlands

Oct 28 – Tivoli De Helling – Utrecht, Netherlands

Oct 29 – Vera – Groningen, Netherlands

Oct 30 – Zoom – Frankfurt, Germany