I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: March 26, 2024] Guster

This was my eleventh time seeing Guster!  This show pushed them in to second place (along with Tori Amos and Richard Thompson) as the artists I’ve seen the most.

And what a great show this proved to be.  Following Taylor Swift’s Eras tour, Guster announced that they have eras too (since they’ve been around for 30 years) and they announced a two set retrospective of their career.

What I didn’t know (I saw no spoilers!) is that there would be a narrator telling us what was going on with the band.  Dave Butler (who also plays drums with Marco Benevento and has played live with Guster since 2015) was the evening’s narrator. [This also means I’ve seen Dave Butler play 12 times].

They opened the show with a chalk board showing a dorm room at Tufts.  Ryan and Adam met at Tufts.  They each played in bands in high school (Adam from outside of Morristown, NJ!), but both played very different types.  So, as the skit goes, Ryan asked Adam if he knew a D chord and the spontaneously wrote “Parachute.”

Then they needed a name.  How about Gus?  Sounds good.

So they were all set to be the Indigo Boys, two guys with great harmonies and acoustic guitars.  Then a goofy guy who carried bongos all over the place showed up.  And soon they were a trio busking in Harvard Square.  I lived near Harvard Square a little before this time, so I doubt I ever saw them.

They found that someone else called Gus had recently released an album (and was reviewed in Spin) so they changed their name to Guster.

Brian discovered drumsticks (his drummer friends say they hurt a lot less than using your hands) and Ryan discovered a bass guitar (literally every other band in the history music uses one).  And they alienated all of their die hard fans.

It was really fun hearing these older songs with the band as a trio–slightly stripped down.

Then Dave came out dressed like Steve Lilywhite, raving about them and offering to record their new album–with NO DRUMSTICKS!

Then Luke Reynold came out with a giant head of Joe Pisapia and a name tag that said JOE.  He was a multitalented multiinsturmntalist and wrote “Jesus on the Radio” (which Luke and Ryan sang together.

Then Joe joined the band for real.

They recorded and played a bunch and then a nasty record producer (a hilarious skit) told them that they had to record their next record how HE wanted it done.  So Joe left.  And Adam went on to form REVERB.org.

And this gave The Thundergod a chance to sing his own song of woe )and man, I hope these tours are recorded).

Act II showed the band having recorded Easy Wonderful and having some success as an independent band.

Luke as Joe said that the only person who could replace Joe was a musician named Luke Reynolds, and there was a song about how great Luke is.

The second Act was shorter, with the newer songs getting a little less attention.  But each album received some play and they even played two brand new songs (the new album is not out yet, but we got to hear a song that hasn’t been released yet, which was cool).

Then the band broke with chronology to rock us out with “Come Downstairs and Say Hello” with the some great bongo banging.

They went off stage for 47 seconds for an encore and the crew set up the encore scene–a campfire, where the four guys played “Happier.”  And then Dave came out with a melodica and then ended with a rocking, acoustic, campfire version of “Amsterdam.”

Sure, I’ve heard most of these songs live before (some as many as 8 times before), but the crowd was great (seriously, no one horrible around us), the sound was fantastic, and the band was in really good form.

It was an outstanding night.  And, our friend ML grabbed a last minute ticket and met us for dinner at Surf Taco.

A great night.

And yes, I’m looking forward to the tour for the new album–to make then the 12 times band.

 

3/26/2024–Red Bank  ERAs Tour	4/6/ 2023–White Eagle Hall	8/10/2022–Wellmont
Sketch 1: Dorm Room Parachute ¶ [2] (Ryan & Adam only)	What You Wish For ≅ [3]	Careful © [3]
Sketch 2: Enter Brian Fall in Two ¶	Architects & Engineers ω [3]	Terrified £ [3]
Sketch 3: Harvard Square Demons ℵ [8]	Red Oyster Cult © [3]	Diane © [3]
Airport Song ℵ [8]	Ramona © [7]	Hercules  ω [3]
Sketch 4: Lillywhite What You Wish For ≅ [4]	One Man Wrecking Machine ⊗ [2] (first since 2015)	Hang On ⊗ [4]
I Spy ≅ [6]	Manifest Destiny ⊗ [6]	Barrel of a Gun ≅ [7]
Barrel of a Gun ≅ [8]	I Hope Tomorrow Is Like Today © [1]	Backyard © [3]
Sketch 5: Tour Bus Jesus on the Radio (Acoustic) © [4]	All the Way Up to Heaven ≅ [3]	Satellite (House PA goes out at the end of the song due to power outage.) ⊗ [8]
Sketch 6: Joe Joins the Band Diane © [3]	Satellite ⊗ [9]	Jesus on the Radio (Acoustic) © [3]
Careful © [4]	Doin’ It By Myself (Ryan sang while walking amongst the crowd) € [7]	Hard Times (Acoustic) £ [2]
(Nothing but) Flowers (Talking Heads cover)	Look Alive £ [3]	Parachute (Acoustic) ¶
One Man Wrecking Machine ⊗ [3]	Come Downstairs and Say Hello © [9]	Doin’ It By Myself (Ryan sang while walking amongst the crowd) € [6]
Satellite ⊗ [8]	Do You Love Me ω [7]	Come Downstairs and Say Hello © [8]
The Captain ⊗ [5]	Never Coming Down € [4]	Lazy Love € [3]
Sketch 7: Evil Producer Thunder Song	When You Go Quiet £ (bonus track)	The New Underground ⊗
Act 2 Do You Love Me ω [7]	Mexican Restaurant Penis TV Improv Jam to Bon Jovi’s Livin On A Prayer	Lightning Rod ⊗ [2]
Sketch 8: Joe Leaves the Band This Could All be Yours ω [6]	Airport Song ℵ [7]	What You Call Love (with 11 year old Sam on bagpipes) ω [4]
Luke Reynolds is the Man song	Happier ≅ [5]	I Spy ≅ [5]
Lost at Sea ω [bonus track]	Hard Times (with Karina Rykman) £ [3]	Don’t Go £
Gangway € [3]	Psycho Killer (with Karina Rykman band) [Talking Heads cover]	Ramona © [6]
Doin’ It By Myself (Ryan sang while walking amongst the crowd) € [8]	Groove is in the Heart (with Karina Rykman band) [Deee-Lite]	The Captain ⊗ [4]
Sketch 9: Dave Gets Mad/Appreciated Don’t Go £ [2]	encore	Demons ℵ [7]
Terrified £ [5]	Mona Lisa ¶ [3]	encore
Sketch 10: COVID Keep Going  Ø	Bury Me ¶	Do You Love Me ω [6]
Black Balloon Ø	Terrified £ [4]
Come Downstairs and Say Hello © [10]	encore 2
Encore: Camp Fire Set	Hang On ⊗ [5]
Happier ≅ [5]
Amsterdam © [4]

 

3/23/2019–Fillmore	1/11/2019–Free at Noon	11/1/2018–White Eagle Hall
Diane © [2]	Hard Times £	Long Night € [4]
The Captain ⊗ [3]	Ramona © [5]	Happier ≅ [4]
Terrified £ [2]	Mind Kontrol £ [2]	What You Call Love ω [3]
Airport Song ℵ [6]	Manifest Destiny ⊗ [5]	I Spy (haven’t heard since 2004) ≅ [2]
Gangway € [2]	Terrified £	Endlessly € [2]
Hello Mister Sun (w/horns) £ [2]	Look Alive £	Airport Song ℵ [5]
Overexcited (w/horns) £ [2]	Satellite ⊗ [6]	Hello Mr. Sun (new) £
Stay with Me Jesus ω [3]	Overexcited £	Stay With Me Jesus ω [2]
Satellite ⊗ [7]	encore	Doin’ It By Myself € [4]
Doin’ It By Myself (w/horns) € [5]	I Spy (not broadcast) acoustic ≅ [3]	improv Levi’s bar mitzvah
Look Alive £ [2]		Come Downstairs and Say Hello © [6]
Backyard (w/strings} © [2]	** from the new album	Do You Love Me ω [5]
Amsterdam © [3]		Rocketship (never before) ℵ
Window (w/strings & showed the original music video) ¶		Manifest Destiny ⊗ [4]
LOST AND GONE FOREVER 20th ANNIVERSARY SET		Amsterdam (not since 2004) © [2]
What You Wish For ≅ [2]		Ruby Falls ⊗ [2]
Barrel of a Gun ≅ [6]		Ramona © [4]
Either Way (w/strings) ≅		Satellite ⊗ [5]
Fa Fa (w/horns & Stephen on flute) ≅ [3]		Barrel of a Gun ≅ [5]
I Spy ≅ [4]		improv-“False encore” song
Center of Attention ≅ [2]		This Could All be Yours ω [5]
All the Way Up to Heaven (not since 2004) ≅ [2]		“encore“
Happier ≅ [5]		Mind Kontrol (new) £
So Long (w/strings) ≅		Two Points for Honesty ≅ [3]
Two Points for Honesty (w/strings) ≅ [4]		Demons ℵ [6]
Rainy Day (w/strings)		2nd encore
encore		Jesus on the Radio (acoustic, no mics) © [2]
Rocketship (w/strings) ℵ [2]
Hang On ⊗ [3]
Great Escape ℵ
Come Downstairs and Say Hello © [7]

 

6/16/2016–Fillmore	11/21/2015–Wellmont	4/24/2015–TLA
What You Wish For ≅	Ramona © [2]	Demons ℵ [3]
Satellite ⊗ [4]	Satellite ⊗ [3]	Center of Attention ≅
Doin’ It By Myself € [3]	Simple Machine € [2]	Doin’ It By Myself €
Barrel of a Gun ≅ [4]	Happier ≅ [3]	The Beginning of the End ⊗
Ramona © [3]	Hercules ω [2]	Ramona ©
Never Coming Down € [3]	Careful / “Chariots of Fire” © [2]	Gangway €
Architects & Engineers ω [2]	Doin’ It By Myself € [2]	Endlessly €
Lightning Rod ⊗ [2]	The Captain ⊗ [2]	Stay with Me Jesus ω
Come Downstairs and Say Hello © [5]	Kid Dreams €	Come Downstairs and Say Hello © [3]
Do You Love Me ω [4]	Homecoming King © [2]	Do You Love Me ω [2]
Dear Valentine ⊗	Come Downstairs and Say Hello © [4]	(Everything I Do) I Do It for You [Bryan Adams cover]
That’s No Way to Get to Heaven ω	Do You Love Me ω [3]	Hang On ⊗ [2]
Red Oyster Cult © [2]	Never Coming Down € [2]	Lazy Love €
Mona Lisa ¶ [2]	Demons ℵ [4]	Hercules (with Kishi Bashi) ω
Manifest Destiny ⊗[3]	Two Points for Honesty ≅ [2]	Satellite (with Kishi Bashi) ⊗ [2]
Simple Machine € [3]	Happy Frappy ¶	Simple Machine €
Airport Song ℵ [4]	Ruby Falls ⊗	Never Coming Down €
Kid Dreams €[2]	Lazy Love € [2]	Two Points for Honesty ≅
Demons ℵ [5]	Barrel of a Gun≅ [3]	Diane ©
This Could All Be Yours ω [4]	This Could All Be Yours ω [3]	Careful ©
encore “Improv”	“encore” (“Zombie Jews”)	This Could All Be Yours ω [2]
Long Night € [3]	Long Night € [2]	“encore”
Bad Bad World ω	One Man Wrecking Machine ⊗	Long Night €
What You Call Love ω [2]	Manifest Destiny ⊗ [2]	Manifest Destiny ⊗
Fa Fa ≅ [2]	Airport Song ℵ [3]	What You Call Love ω
encore “boooo”	Careless Whisper [George Michael cover]	Happier ≅ [2]
Jesus on the Radio ©

 

	7/20/2013–PNC Bank Center	7/5/2004–Starland
	The Captain ⊗	Happier ≅
	Architects & Engineers ω	I Spy ≅
	Homecoming King ©	Airport Song ℵ
	Come Downstairs and Say Hello © [2]	Demons ℵ
	Do You Love Me ω	Amsterdam ©
	Airport Song ℵ [2]	Come Downstairs and Say Hello ©
	Hang On ⊗	Barrel of a Gun ≅
	Demons ℵ [2]	Mona Lisa ¶
	Satellite ⊗	Red Oyster Cult ©
	Barrel of a Gun (with Ed Robertson) ≅ [2]	California Dreamin’ [Beach Boys cover]
	This Could All Be Yours ω	Fa Fa ≅
		Jam (with Ben Folds)
		Backyard (with Ben Folds) ©
		All the Way Up to Heaven ≅

Ø Oh La La (2024)                              -8/10
£ Look Alive (2019)                            -2/10
€ Evermotion (2015)                          -3/11
ω Easy Wonderful (2010)                -4/12
⊗ Ganging Up on the Sun (2006) -2/12
© Keep It Together (2003)              -3/13
≅ Lost and Gone Forever (1999)   —
ℵ Goldfly (1997)                                    -6/11
¶ Parachute (1995)                              -6/11

 

Parachute

1. “Love for Me”
2. “Eden”
3. “Scars & Stitches”
4. “The Prize”
5. “Dissolve”
6. “Cocoon”

Goldfly

1. “Perfect”
2. “Medicine”
3. “X-Ray Eyes”
4. “Grin”
5. “Getting Even”
6. “Melanie” (unlisted bonus track)

Keep It Together

1. “Keep It Together”
2. “Long Way Down”
3. “Two at a Time” (hidden track)

Ganging Up on the Sun

1. “C’mon” – 3:51
2. “Empire State” – 4:59

Easy Wonderful

1. “On the Ocean”
2. “This Is How It Feels to Have a Broken Heart”
3. “Jesus and Mary”
4. “Do What You Want”

Evermotion

1. “Expectation”
2. “It Is Just What It Is”
3. “Farewell”

Look Alive

1. “Summertime”
2. “Not for Nothing”