WE ARE SCIENTISTS CELEBRATE 20 YEARS OF WITH LOVE AND SQUALOR, SELLING OUT THE ICONIC TROUBADOUR
For all those early 2000s indie fiends, the news is true: We Are Scientists' debut album With Love and Squalor is nearly old enough to legally purchase alcohol. Celebrating the 20th anniversary of their 2005 record, Keith Murray and Chris Cain sold out the world-famous Troubadour with a career-spanning set alongside a full performance of their debut.
Before the indie darlings took the stage, Brooklyn-based artist Sean McVerry opened with a surprisingly funny and heartfelt set filled with hooky synth, plucky guitar, and wide-ranging vocals. In promotion of his most recent record, Steve McVerry charmed the crowd with catchy songs and witty banter reminiscent of the evening's headliners. Highlight tracks include the upbeat and delightful "Disposable Income" and the more stripped-back and moving "Maria." Drummer Keith Carne pulled double duty for McVerry and We Are Scientists while Keith Murray also made a brief appearance on guitar for McVerry's set. McVerry was the ideal opener; he played memorable tracks sonically in line with the headliner and offered enough humor to entertain. I look forward to seeing him live again.
After McVerry, We Are Scientists took the stage, opening with the first track on With Love and Squalor, the classic “Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt.” Immediately, the crowd responded with unbridled enthusiasm fueled by both a high-energy performance and admitted nostalgia. As if someone had dropped a needle on the record and pumped it through the Troubadour's speakers, WAS tore through each song on the album with equal parts reverence and joy. “This Scene Is Dead,” “Inaction,” and “It’s a Hit” managed to sound better than ever – Murray’s plucky guitar and Cain’s thumping bass meshed in that singular way that can only be described as effortless. There’s no question that those songs have grown bigger and more special as the years have waned on. My personal favorite, “Can’t Lose,” resonated more deeply live with the inclusion of Keith Carne’s work on drums. (Michael Tapper was the original drummer on the debut record, though Carne stepped in as the unofficial third member of the band more than a decade ago.
We Are Scientists’ fans will be pleased to know that the band’s usual banter and antics were in full force, in addition to the music performance. Murray and Cain riffed on extended bits about the Night Stalker haunting the Troubadour in the 70s, barfing into a bottle via a straw, and the missed opportunity of teasing the Incredible Hulk on With Love and Squalor’s final track, “setting up the We Are Scientists’ universe like Avengers Endgame.” The chemistry and ease with which Murray and Cain perform and joke always make for an intimate and entertaining live music experience, and this performance was no exception.
After performing the entirety of their debut, the band pulled out another dozen tracks spanning their career including classics “Rules Don’t Stop,” “Buckle,” and “Lethal Enforcer.” More recent tracks “I Cut My Own Hair” and 2026’s “The Big One” were delightful inclusions in the set, arguing for their placement as new We Are Scientist classics. Closing out the evening with the now iconic indie staple “After Hours,” the band transformed the Troubadour into the venue of its yesteryear roots – the sold-out crowd scream-sang along to every lyric and raised their drinks to a beautiful night of celebration and nostalgia. If there was any doubt, the performance confirmed that both With Love and Squalor and We Are Scientists still totally rips after more than two decades.
