When did a band like Guster—a band that has been around since the mid-90s--start to attract fans that were wrist deep in coloring books when they were grinding out their early days on the road? It was an eye-opener for me when I entered the Warfield and realized that many of the fans in the theater not only couldn’t drink, but probably couldn’t see an R-rated movie without their older sister’s ID. The attendant fears to this realization were quickly quelled when the Boston threesome took the stage.
Bands sometimes depend on their one strong facet. They throw all their eggs in the Lead Singer basket, or look to their big brother of a guitarist to beat up a teeming crowd for them. Guster defies. Fronting the triumvirate and taking you by force is drummer/percussionist Brian Rosenworcel, beating down on his bongo drum set in precision-controlled chaos. He can commandeer a song, arms flailing, and take it in his own direction. I was amazed at his power and speed; at the jolting energy he injected into a song. He could just as easily, however, shift to the side of the stage and settle into his traditional bass and snare for a softer set. Dynamo though he was, he was never left to carry the band.
The vocal talents of Adam Gardner and Ryan Miller, when weaved, are among the most arresting I have heard. The harmonies are the kinds you tell your friends about. A prime example of this is in the song “Either Way”, a sardonic anthem for the cold and emotionally distant one you love. The way Gardner and Miller put their voices together in the song—one feeding off the other, then heading off on their own parallel before sweeping in again—was astounding and emotive. The duo also offered up “Happier”, another song from the 1999 album Lost and Gone Forever, but softened the song’s cruel lyrics with their haloed delivery of them. These guys could sing about kicking puppies and you would get a warm, fuzzy feeling simply for the way they harmonize.
Providence continued throughout the evening for me, as the band played almost all of my favorite songs. In addition to the two already mentioned, “Diane”, “Airport Song” and “Homecoming King” all made their appearances, and I hummed along and enjoyed my luck. The songs all had unique beats and tempos, but most ended up making me bob my head from side to side and jump up and down like a kid who’s next in line for the waterslide.
Miller was particularly jocular at this show, maintaining the band’s laid-back demeanor. He joked at one point in the evening about seeing a Prince video on the flight over, and really wanting to be as cool as the Symbolic One. He attempted a rap that predictably fell flat, but he was quick to call himself to the mocking carpet and admit just how ill advised it really was. The trio seems to be the cool guys from the apartment next door, who just so happen to be outstanding musicians.
In keeping with the band’s admirable and pervasive lack of pretense, Miller mentioned sarcastically on their last song that they “might” come back for a couple more songs if the crowd appreciated the music enough. It was a quick jab to age-old tradition of the encore, pointing out the absurdity of pretending to be done for the evening when the fans clearly want more. When they did come back out, tongue was removed from cheek to deliver some of the best songs of the evening. And in closing, they provided the most compelling notes of the evening with “Jesus on the Radio”—done entirely unplugged. There is no way they should have been heard as well as they were in a mid-size venue like the Warfield, but somehow they were. The organic beauty of the harmonies and instrumentation were clearer than ever, and the crowd remained hushed in homage.
You simply can’t help but like Guster. They play what you want to hear amazingly well, complete with whistle, falsetto and pouncing rhythm, and they don’t take themselves too seriously in the process. On this occasion, they gave a great feeling to a good night and I left the Warfield a bigger fan than when I went in—quite a feat for someone who already had them near the top of a long list of great bands.
