The comically inclined We Are Scientists have been praised not only for their energetic performances but their ability to tickle their audience’s collective funny bones. Off the strength of their highly praised new album, Barbara, We Are Scientists hopes to gain as much popularity in America as they have in the UK. The Mass Media was lucky enough to have a conversation with the cool as a cucumber Chris Cain, bassist for We Are Scientists, before his upcoming show at the Middle East on Tuesday. Mass Media: Why is the tour named The American Barbarian tour?Chris Cain: Um… well if you look closely you will see a common etymology between the words Barbara and barbarian.MM: I did notice that, actually.(Laughter)CC: So there’s that and the America thing is largely a reference to the territory where the tour is taking place.MM: Ah fair enough. It’s all very scientific of you. Is there anything specifically you’re looking forward to on the tour? A specific city or any process you guys go through?CC: I’m looking forward to a lot of the cities. In fact, it would be much easier for me to name the cities I’m not looking forward to. That’s probably bad business.(Laughter)MM: Yeah, that sounds like a terrible idea. I won’t make you do that.CC: More than anything I’m just really looking forward to touring the US. It’s a very different experience here for us than it is overseas.MM: How so?CC: We’re very streamlined here. We take our own van and trailer and we take a sound guy and a tech and that’s it. We kind of tour-manage the thing ourselves, which we wouldn’t really be able to do overseas just because the scale is a little bigger. It’s a lot of fun to have it at that manageable scale were you still have everything in control, in your own hands, I suppose. MM: How do you work out the driving schedule?CC: Oh there’s never any lack of available drivers, I mean all five of us are capable of driving. Keith (lead guitarist/singer) and I both really like putting in a few hours behind the wheel. Generally speaking it’s not really a problem. The only time it’s a problem, if there’s a really long drive, like Salt Lake to Seattle. And maybe the band has decided they’re going to fly to Seattle. So the other two guys have to drive the entire thing themselves, that kind of sucks…. Not that we’d ever do that.MM: No, no you’d never. What do you do in your free time while on tour?CC: We really love going to the cinema, getting salty popcorn and an icy coke. That’s probably our number one road hobby. Days off, without fail, we go to the movies—no matter where we are in the world.MM: Who gets to decide which movie? What if there’s no consensus?CC: That’s never happened. The thing is the main reason we want to go to the movies is to see the moving pictures up on the screen. Plot doesn’t really matter. It’s a combination of the moving pictures the surround sound, whether it be THX or Dolby, and the icy cola and popcorn. That’s the experience sitting in the cave and watching the images flicker.MM: And you get the AC when it’s hot…CC: The AC when it’s hot or when it’s freezing outside, it doesn’t really matter. I think part of it, when we’re abroad, is that movies really do feel like a way to spend two hours in American culture. Not to say we walk around pining for America but you still do—in the back of your head—miss home. It’s always thrilling to watch The Incredible Hulk take back Phoenix . . . where you once played a show.MM: I’ll be at the Boston show, so make sure you guys really go hard for Boston.CC: That is not even a question; it’s a guarantee. We always start the tour going really hard and limp across the finish line. Check out the first stop of the We Are Scientists American Barbarian tour at The Middle East in Cambridge on July 13th. The Middle East is located a short block away from the Central Square stop on the red line. The show is 18 and tickets are $15 at the door. If you’ve never been to The Middle East it is a Boston must!