Concert Review: Guster - November 21, 2015

It was a beautiful Saturday night in late November, and once again, Mrs. Vie and I were going to witness the always fantastic Guster in concert. After seeing them live earlier that summer, I knew they were going to give an incredible performance. This time around we would be enjoying their show from the Wellmont Theatre, an exceptional venue located in Montclair, New Jersey.

We arrived early, and once again, my lovely wife put us as close to the stage as possible. We were up against the barricade and could easily reach over and touch the stage. It was nice to be that close to the action and my wife was ecstatic. I was pretty excited myself.

The opening band had won the opportunity to open for Guster at this show. For their fall tour, Guster held a contest that a local college/high school band near each venue would open the evening. For The Wellmont Theatre that meant The Emily Youth Project would be the opening act. Clearly I knew nothing about the band, the same as most audience members. This was a local, unknown band who were handed a great opportunity. I was interested in seeing how they would make the most of it.

The Emily Youth Project was nothing short of spectacular. Considering that I didn’t know any of their songs or anything about the band, they came out and gave a stupendous performance. They absolutely blew the crowd away! Although they are a young and new band, they commanded the stage like seasoned professionals. Their ability was magnificent and they showed a maturity and stage presence well beyond their years. By the end of their set, the entire crowd was clapping and dancing along with their songs. I was extremely impressed with the band.

After The Emily Youth Project wrapped up, I took a moment to look around the theater before Guster would come out. I noticed that the General Admission area was pretty much sold out and packed, but the balcony seating was sparse. That was disappointing, as I’ve always felt that Guster is a band that should be selling out the venues they perform at. However, knowing Guster after having seen them a few times, I knew that the size of the crowd did not make a difference to them. They were going to come out and give us a magnificent performance no matter what.

We stood through the setting up of the stage, took in all the little nuances that we could, and then the house lights went down and Guster came out to the roar of the crowd. They opened with a terrific rendition of “Ramona” and the night was off and running.

“Satellite,” the new track “Simple Machine,” and “Happier” were next and it was an exquisite pack of songs to begin the concert. Classic staples and newer hits blended together to start the night off right. I was grinning by the end of “Happier” and just knew that we were in for an amazing night.

My favorite track from the new album, “Kid Dreams” was performed as well as “Never Coming Down” and “Lazy Love.” I felt that Guster paid the right amount of attention to their latest album while mixing in plenty of hits and deeper cuts. At one point in the night, the band decided to take an audience vote on which song they wanted to hear. The choices were “Two Points For Honesty” and “Happy Frappy.” The loudest applause and cheers would get the song performed. “Two Points For Honesty” won out by a landslide and the band went on to play an exceptional version of it. Singer/guitarist Ryan Miller admitted after the song that he didn’t like to perform most of the older songs, he preferred to stick with the newer material. He then admitted that he had so much fun playing “Two Points For Honesty” that the band was going to play “Happy Frappy” anyway. This received a huge roar of approval from the crowd. What he didn’t tell the crowd was that they hadn’t played the song live in so long, they were going to sing the verses out of order. They butchered the verses which forced quizzical glances from Ryan and Adam at each other. When Ryan started to sing the same verse again, Adam noted that he sang that verse already and they made a small bit out of it. Guster always finds a way to entertain, even through their mess ups. And the crowd did not care. They got to hear “Happy Frappy.”

It was also Ryan’s birthday. Toward the end of the set, Ryan was presented with a birthday cake and a little birthday party hat that he wore for a while. It was comical seeing him sing songs with a birthday party hat strapped to his head. It was just another reason to love this band.

The encore was set up in a way that only Guster could do. They made up a song on the spot called “Zombie Jews.” They told the audience that the band was going to lie down on the stage ike they were dead and then they would slowly rise like Zombies to play the encore. Then another verse of the fictious song “Zombie Jews” was played and the band lay down on the stage just like they said they would. It was comical and entertaining. Shortly after lying down, the band slowly rose like Zombies and went into the encore.

The encore was a solid pack of hits (including their newest one). The last song of the night was a special Guster joke that they entertain from time to time. Drummer/Bongo specialist, Brian Rosenworcel stepped out from behind the bongos and took the microphone. It was time to sing a cover song. The band launched into Wham’s “Careless Whisper” with Brian screaming his way through the vocals. I laughed through the entire song, enjoying the joke of it. It’s also my kind of esoteric comedy.

Once again, Guster was amazing in concert and I can’t wait to see them again. It was a terrific performance and being so close to the stage for the second Guster concert in a row was a real treat. Compliments to my wife who always seems to bring me out of comfort zone for all the right reasons.

Setlist

Ramona

Satellite

Simple Machine

Happier

Hercules

Careful

Doin’ It By Myself

Captain

Kid Dreams

Homecoming King

Come Downstairs And Say Hello

Do You Love Me

Never Coming Down

Demons

Two Points For Honesty

Happy Frappy

Ruby Falls

Lazy Love

Barrel Of A Gun

This Could All Be Yours

Encore

Long Night

One Man Wrecking Machine

Manifest Destiny

Airport Song

Careless Whisper (Wham cover – Brian on vocals)

Concert Review: Guster - July 17, 2015

On a Friday night at a small club in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, my wife and I were able to witness the best Guster concert we’ve ever seen. Even though we live an hour away, my wife and I have never been to Bethlehem. After spending the afternoon there prior to the concert, we plan to go back---a lot. Between the revitalized downtown area with its many bars and restaurants, and the newly built touring ramps for the steel mills, downtown Bethlehem is an extremely fun place to spend a day.

Guster performed at the Musikfest Café which is on the third floor of the ArtsQuest Center building. The building has a movie theater, private rooms for corporate parties, and a modern club room, the Musikfest Café. The room is reminiscent of a dinner theater, only for Guster there was a stage and a general admission area downstairs, and a balcony area where food could be served. Cathy and I were in the General Admission area for the show, and due to her love of the band, we were right up against the barricade. We were so close to the stage, that we could have reached out and touched the band members. That in itself is an amazing experience.

As the night began, we were hopeful to hear one song. “I Hope Tomorrow Is Like Today,” happens to be our wedding song, and our 10 year anniversary was a week after the show. To us, the best anniversary present ever would have been hearing that song performed live by Guster. I was extremely hopeful early on, praying to the music gods that our request be heard.

Kishi Bashi kicked off the night. I had never heard of him prior to this concert, but knowing he was a violinist had me curious. I’ve always been fascinated with string and wind instruments, and I was hoping that Kishi would be an amazing performer. I will say that he was absolutely different. He was certainly a good violinist, but his reliance on looping and effects machines turned me off. I would have preferred to just watch him play his instrument like a master. Alas, Kishi had other plans and most of his songs involved creative effects from a loop machine. To me, that’s not a real performance, and thus, I was rather disappointed in Kishi Bashi.

That disappointment was quickly forgotten as 15 minutes after Kishi left the stage, Guster walked out to a loud roar. There may have only been a few hundred people packing the club that night, but by the sheer volume of roars, you would have thought it was Madison Square Garden. As expected, Guster opened with “Long Night,” the first song from their most recent release Evermotion. “Long Night” is a song I enjoy immensely and I was extremely happy to witness it live.

Watching Ryan Miller play the xylophone for this opening number was a real treat. Miller is quite the ham on stage as well, which is all a big part of his, and the band’s, charm. Guitarist/vocalist Adam Gardner is the perfect straight man to Miller’s antics. Gardner is very polished, well dressed, with perfectly groomed hair. Miller, by contrast, has an unkempt look about him, as if he rolled off the tour bus and hopped right onstage. It’s that contrast by the two men at the front of the stage that helps make Guster so wonderful. When you take the opposite ends of the spectrum and blend them together, sometimes you get perfection.

Solidifying the band in the back was the “Thundergod,” Brian Rosenworcel. When not pounding on the bongos like a madman out of control, Rosenworcel is locked in on a regular drum kit, keeping perfect time and stabilizing the band as a pure backbone. And while he is a very talented drummer, Rosenworcel is at his best when beating the bongos. This was most evident in classic Guster hits like “Barrel Of A Gun” and “Center Of Attention.” 

Guster is not only a band filled with extremely talented musicians, they are also quick witted humorists. After a request by Ryan Miller for aspirin was met with a toss of a bottle onstage, the band broke into song. “Morgan and her pharmaceuticals,” was the hook and Guster was able to bang out a decent song under three minutes. It takes an intense level of talent to create on the spot like that, but it also takes an intense level of chemistry. It was clearly obvious that this band has been performing together for over 25 years.

The concert consisted of a wonderful blend of old and new, but alas, my one yearning wish was not answered. “I Hope Tomorrow Is Like Today” was not performed much to my dismay. However, the performance Guster gave did not disappoint and overall we were extremely happy. The closing encore was a cover of the classic “Come On Eileen,” and featured Kishi Bashi on violin. It was a fun filled way to end the evening and the entire crowd sang along.

The energy and dedication that Guster put into the performance made it one of the best Friday nights of the year for us, and for me, it was the best concert that I had witnessed in a long time. There is something magical about Guster and I’ve always found it a shame that they never hit the mainstream the way other counterparts from their time had. Yet, perhaps that is for the best. It helps the band stay grounded and it helps us see them in intimate settings. And seeing Guster at a club is much more enthralling than seeing them on the big stage. However, the real treat is seeing them perform anywhere. As a live act, Guster delivers incredible performances that more people need to witness for themselves.

Guster Wants You To Take The Pledge

Direct-To-Fan Platform Pledgemusic Announces New Artist-To-Fan Campaign With Boston Alternative Rock Group Guster For Upcoming Album

Pledgemusic is excited to announce a freshly launched pre-order campaign with Boston alternative rock band Guster for their upcoming album. Produced by Richard Swift (The Shins, Foxygen), the new album is the follow up to 2010’s Easy Wonderful. 

With the album fully recorded, Guster wants to offer exclusive merchandise and experiences and create frenetic fan engagements leading up to the album’s early 2015 release. Fans can purchase pre-order exclusives such as signed CDs, handwritten lyrics, and a skydiving adventure with the band. Aming the unique experiences available for pledgers, they can welcome Guster’s Ryan Miller to DJ a house party while wearing a Chewbacca costume or accompany the band to a local Tesla dealership where they will test drive a model S with you and then purchase it for you (for a cool $150k USD). In addition, fans can spend a day with Guster on the idyllic Maine seacoast with paddling, lawn games & archery followed by a sunset BBQ and acoustic set, hosted by the L.L. Bean Outdoor Discovery Schools. For more details visit: http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/guster or go to www.guster.com

New music from Guster is always a good thing! 

Ryo’s Note: Personally, I can’t believe it’s been five years since the last Guster release. Where does all the time go?

The Dave Matthews Band Caravan - Atlantic City, New Jersey

So you didn’t get to make it to Atlantic City for the first ever Dave Matthews Caravan event. Your wife dragged you to a wedding instead that basically put you out of commission for the entire weekend---oh wait, that was me. However, if you, like me, were unable to make it to the Caravan, fear not. Cousin Ryo has scoured the internet for some great coverage and I’m kind enough to share my findings. I still wish I could have seen this live. Anyone want to buy me a plane ticket to Washington for the September Caravan?

Local News Coverage

Dave Matthews Band Takes Over A.C. by LocalNews-GrabNetworks

Dave And Tim – Lie In Our Graves


The Flaming Lips


OAR – Heaven


Guster – This Could All Be Yours


Ray LaMontagne – Trouble


David Gray – Babylon


Dave Matthews Band – Everyday


Dave Matthews Band – Good Times, Bad Times


Dave Matthews Band – Sweet Emotion


Dave Matthews Band – Halloween

Guster - Easy Wonderful

Guster is back with a brand new record titled Easy Wonderful. As is usually the case with them, it’s been too long between releases. The band’s last album Ganging Up On The Sun came out in 2006. That’s a long time to wait. Part of that wait was due to members of the band getting married and having children. The question that arises is was Easy Wonderful worth the wait?

The first thing that is extremely noticeable upon first listen of the new album is the absence of the band’s trademark bongos. Ever since 2003’s Keep It Together, Guster has been straying from bongos on their records. They’ve been trying to evolve their sound into something more and that’s commendable. However, the complete absence of such a wonderful percussion instrument is highly noticeable and mildly disappointing.

How does Guster overcome this absence? They overcome this by making solid, enjoyable songs that will soon become part of their amazing catalog. Easy Wonderful opens with the fantastic Architects and Engineers. This song has a nice melody accompanied by strong lyrics and great vocals. As with most Guster songs, the lyrics make the listener think, which leads to a deeper appreciation of the song. Architects and Engineers is a great lead off track that makes us hopeful for the rest of the record.

Fortunately, Guster delivers on more than one song. Do You Love Me, the second song of the record, picks up right where Architects and Engineers left off in terms of pure enjoyment. A happy, foot-tapping song, Do You Love Me is another brilliant piece of hard work. If they decide to release this song to the radio, it’s bound to be a huge hit.

Other noticeable tracks include the first single, Bad, Bad, World, as well as What You Call Love, Jesus and Mary, and Do What You Want. Overall, Guster has stayed true to what makes them such a beloved band to begin with – solid songwriting. While the evolution of their sound may bother some long time fans, the complexity and beauty of their new musical arrangements more than makes up for what’s missing. Reaching deep within themselves and challenging one another musically and lyrically, Guster has sent us a beautiful piece of art that can be enjoyed for hours on end. Should the band continue to grow and evolve in this vein, the future looks very bright for Guster fans the world over. If there is one record you purchase this fall, it should be Easy Wonderful.

Ryo’s Rating: 8.5 (out of 10)

Track Listing
Architects and Engineers
Do You Love Me
On The Ocean
This Could All Be Yours
Stay With Me Jesus
Bad Bad World
This Is How It Feels To Have A Broken Heart
What You Call Love
That’s No Way To Get To Heaven
Jesus & Mary
Hercules
Do What You Want