On Saturday, Dec. 29, two local power trios, both with equal parts talent, creativity and inanity, will join forces for an end-of-the-year rockathon at The Stone Church in Newmarket. Museum of Science and Dreadnaught have risen to the top of the Seacoast music food chain, devouring their rivals like plankton. Fortunately, they are friendly and have no rivals, so everyone can swim together happily.

It was a big year for both bands. Dreadnaught released a comprehensive, double-disc greatest hits album, called “High Heat & Chin Music,” and MOS completed its latest full-length studio disc, “CTRL+ALT+DLT.” The Stone Church gig will enable fans to catch both acts in their 2007 prime.

In advance of the upcoming show, The Wire caught up with two members of Museum of Science—drummer Dr. Bunsen Honeyjones (a.k.a. Jamie Perkins) and guitarist M.C. Foodcourt (a.k.a. Jon McCormack). The two mad scientists of rhythm each responded to the same set of questions, but their answers were starkly different.  

Read along as Foodcourt and Honeyjones offer varying accounts of their curious rapport with Dreadnaught, the inspiration behind the song “My High School Band Opened for Foghat” and their New Year’s Eve agendas.

What has MOS been up to lately?
Foodcourt: Just hangin’ out being awesome … you know, drinking champagne and kickin’ ass.
Honeyjones: Not much, but we would like to emphatically and without qualification deny that ANY of us is Jamie Lynn Spears’ baby’s daddy.

What were some of the band’s highlights for 2007?
Foodcourt: Releasing our latest album, “CTRL+ALT+DLT.” The release was one of the craziest shows I’ve ever played, our friend Datajockey was there mixing live video on the big screen while we played, and we had a mack-daddy light show too, so it was like having an epileptic seizure … only really fun. Just finishing that album was huge, there’s so much going on there, it was really intense for a while, like having a baby. Then I think there was some post partum depression for a while, but then we switched to formula and felt much better.
Honeyjones: Well, you might be surprised to learn that MC Foodcourt took some time off this year and discovered many new household uses for the chemical element boron. Another highlight was (keyboardist) LeBaron getting his MA in corporate law. I just kind of sat around and tortured insects with a magnifying glass and tweezers. Oh, and we released our new CD, “CTRL+ALT+DLT.” That was pretty cool, too.

Have you ever played with Dreadnaught before?
Foodcourt: Oh yes, and it’s always magical
Honeyjones: Yes. And we’re still confused.

MOS and Dreadnaught are similar in their creative energy, humor and musical passion, but you have quite different styles. Do you think the two bands will fit well back-to-back?
Foodcourt: Definitely, we’re different but there’s a common thread of ridiculosity between us. We fully intend to create some kind of improvised jam during the show, incorporating all members of both bands. Either a free form jazz thing or a prog-rock cover version of “Invisible Touch” by Genesis … whichever strikes our collective fancy.
Honeyjones: It worked pretty well last time, as I recall. The only problem was that I kept tripping over all the band geeks who were trying to figure out what time signature Dreadnaught was playing in. I mean, come on fellas … at least clear a line to the bathroom, you know? 

If the three members of MOS were in a cage fight against the three members of Dreadnaught, who would win?
Foodcourt: Well, I know for a fact that Bob Lord fights dirty and keeps a prison shiv hidden in his sock, but we trained with legendary amateur wrestlers Ox Baker and Mercedes Martinez (see MySpace pix), and I think we would ultimately prevail.
Honeyjones: I’m pretty sure we could take Dreadnaught, especially with me injecting steroids now. I’d go apeshit on them. Bob Lord is out of his freakin’ mind, though, so I really shouldn’t underestimate that. And Walton creeps me out, too. He’s like a serial killer. On second thought, maybe they would actually kick our asses.

It seems like some of the songs on your latest album would be difficult to recreate in a live setting. Do the songs sound much different when played live?
Foodcourt: The songs that we play live from “CTRL+ALT+DLT,” I think, sound pretty close to what was recorded. The songs that are just too dense or difficult to translate to the stage we simply don’t do live. It would be fun to do all of them, but some of them are just “studio-only” projects by nature. Once we have the budget, the plan is to have robots that lip-synch to our CD while we eat Indian food in the dressing room, so, at that point, it won’t matter anyway.
Honeyjones: We’re actually able to keep the songs fairly loyal. There are only minor adjustments to the arrangements. If anything, the songs are a little beefier live. Like Fabio.

Do you use a lot of technological trinkets and gadgets onstage?
Foodcourt: Not really, aside from our laptop (Vincent), we’re surprisingly analog. Really, most of what comes out of the computer is pre-recorded loops of us playing old school analog instruments. It allows us to layer loops of ourselves on top of more loops of ourselves while we play our instruments, thereby creating a digital house of cards from a deck of analog jokers. Got that?
Honeyjones: Have you seen Foodcourt’s guitar? Unfortunately, the metal detector got a little busted up during an over-enthusiastic solo, so, for now, it’s out of commission.

How did you get your band names?
Foodcourt: MC Foodcourt is actually my real name.*
*Not True.
Honeyjones: That, my friend, is a tale that should be told by a wiser man than myself.

Whose high school band opened up for Foghat?
Foodcourt: That would be Dr. Bunsen Honeyjones. It’s actually a true story right down to the multiple show stopping, mid song, protracted kick drum checks. Apparently they weren’t happy with the sound guy that fateful night in little Newport, N.H.
Honeyjones: That song is pure fabrication and lies. Even the cowbell on it is a lie.

On your MySpace account, you say MOS “blends math rock with house beats.” Can you elaborate on that style?
Foodcourt: Pi times Chrystal Method plus Funkadelic divided by Frank Zappa to the 10th power equals Museum of Science.
Honeyjones: Well, we’re kind of this weird lo-fi funk rock band that got stuck DJing at a comedy club.

What are your New Year’s Eve plans?
Foodcourt: I’ll be working: I’ve been hired by Camarojuana guitarist Spider Von Manhayden to act as guitar technician, Jagermeister server and wig fluffer for their show at Paddy’s American Grille on New Year’s Eve.
Honeyjones: Hopefully not shoveling. I mean, what’s with all this freakin’ snow? Who the hell ordered this?

What can we expect from MOS in 2008?
Foodcourt: We’re knitting you all a sweater made from hugs and baking you a cake made from powdered sugar and puppy whiskers. Hope you’re hungry!
Honeyjones: Oh, so it’s always about you and your expectations, is it? 

On a scale of 1 to 10, 6 being the highest, how much will the Stone Church show rock? (I stole that question from Steven Wright.)
Foodcourt: 666
Honeyjones: I’m gonna hafta say … umm … a 6? Give or take a couple points for variation in wind speed and air velocity.

The show at The Stone Church begins at 9 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 29. Tickets are $5 in advance, $7 day of show. To purchase tickets, visit www.thestonechurch.com or call 603-659-6321. For more on Museum of Science, go to www.mostheband.com. For information on Dreadnaught, go to www.dreadnaughtrock.com.