I don’t know if this is true for everyone, but for me, seeing a favorite band in concert for the first time can be nerve-wracking. What if they don’t play a song you really like? Or worse, what if they don’t sound as good live as they do on their albums? Thankfully, this wasn’t true of my experience with Guster, a band from the Boston area with a mellow musical style so eclectic yet so uniquely them that I can’t do them justice even trying to describe it!
I’ve loved this band since I first heard them during my high school days, but for various reasons, I’ve missed their appearances in Colorado over the years. Finally, when I found out they would be playing a free show in Vail for the resort’s closing-day “Spring Back” celebration, I knew I had to go. After all, they were touring in support of the 10th anniversary of “Lost And Gone Forever,” the first Guster album that I heard and owned -- and the one that won me over as a fan.
It was beautiful weather up in the mountains for an outdoor concert. The stage was set up right in the middle of Vail Village, so once I got past the dizziness and slight headache from the altitude, I was ready to rock!
The band played for a little over an hour, and the set list included selections from each of the five albums in Guster’s discography. They even made brief mentions of working on a new album, which got some of the biggest applause of the whole show because it’s been four long years since their last one! Between songs, they engaged in some good-natured ribbing of the crowd, most of whom were either dressed down for the nice early-spring skiing weather or dressed up in various costumes that I can only assume were donned specifically for the end-of-season festivities. Either way, both the band and the audience were in great spirits, and it showed in the music. There’s nothing quite like the sight and sound of several hundred strangers all joined together by their shared enjoyment of the same songs.
Speaking of songs, I did expect a few more to be played from “Lost And Gone Forever” given the occasion of the tour. But of the four we were treated to -- “Barrel Of A Gun,” “Center Of Attention,” “Fa Fa (Never Be The Same Again),” and “Happier” -- they were all fitting, upbeat choices for the nature of the venue. A local violin player was brought on stage to help perform the string section of the song “Satellite” from the album “Ganging Up On The Sun.” Other favorites like “Amsterdam” and “Careful,” both from the album “Keep It Together,” had me singing along like a fool. But what did I care? At least I wasn’t in costume, haha!
Guster ended their show with an unexpected rendition of Phil Collins’ “In The Air Tonight,” which was played instrumentally at first until the crowd, along with myself, caught on and half-laughed, half-cheered. Then the band brought forward their percussionist, the only member who played without a microphone -- something I didn't notice until that moment. Like the rest of the band, he’s a very talented musician; unlike the rest of the band, he’s not really a good singer, but that didn’t stop him! I don’t know if this is some kind of concert tradition among the band members, but it was a fun, human moment that defined the essence of live music. Once he returned to his percussive comfort zone and the rest of the band joined in, they quickly turned the silly into the sublime by rocking that song so hard I almost forgot that I don’t really care for Phil Collins!
In my humble opinion, Guster passed the live show test with flying colors. The quality of their singing and musicianship proves their mettle beyond relying on studio magic, and they clearly know how to work a crowd. As an added bonus, they even proved they can still be just as awesome with other people’s music. If (hopefully when) they come back through Colorado on tour for the new album, I’ll definitely be there! =)
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