....for science! to play Bluetile Skateshop tonight after 11-month hiatus
Cameron Gardner, Jamie Clark and Patrick Wall don’t exactly seem like tough guys. But “tough” is one of the adjectives the trio, who together play in the instrumental rock group ...for science!, uses to describe their band’s sound.
“I feel like there’s this strange disconnect between our music and our personalities,” Wall said.
The band will play its first show in 11 months at Bluetile Skateshop at 8 p.m. tonight and is excited to be making music together again. The group has been on hiatus as Gardner was on tour with electronic act Washed Out.
In the time since the band’s last show, Clark has played with a local metal band, and Wall has played with indie rockers Those Lavender Whales as well as a few solo gigs. The two musicians have also continued to work full-time. ...for science! played its first show in 2007, but its origins go back further than that.
Gardner, who plays drums, and Wall, the band’s guitarist, have been friends since growing up in northeast Columbia and played in several different groups.
“I have known Cameron since [he] was probably 13 or 14,” Wall said.
Bassist Clark is originally from Pittsburg. He took a job in Columbia in 2005 and met the other band members through Toro y Moi bassist Jordan Blackmon.
The three bonded over mutual love for metal groups like Pelican and Mastodon. The band’s name was inspired by a game of Marvel Scene-It. “...for science!” was the answer to a question and is a line from “The Fantastic Four,” a film Wall admitted he hasn’t even seen.
“It kind of stuck, like most band names do,” Wall said. “The ellipses and the exclamation point at the end have kind of worked out because there’s actually a punk band from New Jersey called For Science ... so far, no one has confused the two bands that I know of.”
The members of ...for science! describe their sound as “loud and heavy,” and while it is an instrumental band, the music is structured and thought out.
“We got written about one time that we were a ‘metal jam band,’ and I kind of took offense to that because it gives the impression that we were doing this haphazardly,” Wall said. “Everything’s very measured. Everything’s very planned and orchestrated very carefully.”
While the band members said they are not afraid to write long songs, Gardner said the group is notorious for playing shorter shows and is conscious not to overstay its welcome. The band does not even have microphones on stage.
“No stage banter, no introductions, no talking between songs,” Clark said.
“Terrible things happen when you put microphones in front of us,” Wall added.
Gardner and Wall come from an indie rock background and ...for science! is a bit of a departure for the pair.
“Very few of the other bands I’ve been in can be remotely classified as tough,” Wall said.
For Clark, it’s the opposite.
“I would’ve never been in a band that anyone called ‘pretty,’” Clark said.
But the music hasn’t influenced the guys’ personalities or behaviors.
“The best part of it is you would think that Jamie would make us tougher and we would make Jamie prettier, but really we just have a snuggle-fest at practice,” Gardner said.
Wall echoed Gardner’s sentiments.
“We are the least tough tough band,” he said. “We eat brunch before we practice.”
...for science! has had a long standing relationship with Bluetile owner Dave Toole.
“I grew up skateboarding, so I’ve known him through that, since day one of Bluetile,” Gardner said.
The band has played shows at the shop before and likes the low-maintenance atmosphere of performing there.
“Dave’s really committed to Columbia and showcasing what he loves in Columbia and about Columbia, which is great,” Wall said. “He’s a good guy. I love him.”
Admission to Friday’s show is free. Bluetile is located at 621 Harden St.