After winning some tickets courtesy of a Twitter contest, I decided to drive up to Orlando and spend my Valentines Day with Guster. The long time indie rock band was playing House of Blues. For those of you that might know Guster, they hail from Boston and formed in 1991.
Guster was finishing up a winter tour in support of their new album - Evermotion. It's been a while since I've been impressed with new material from this band, but this most recent work is very strong. Lead single "Simple Machine" leads a group of tunes that have found a new and more energetic sound. Lead singers Adam Gardner and Ryan Miller nicely mixed these new tunes in a lengthy setlist.
One of the most entertaining things about Guster is that in addition to being musically gifted, they also are comedians. The guys told stories from their day, which included a spontaneous trip to the east coast of Florida for some surfing. Miller explained how they hit some traffic coming back and actually missed sound check. He said it was all to get away from the touristy hub of 'Downtown Disney,' in an effort to find 'Authentic Florida.'
Their storytelling even led to an impromptu performance of a Florida based song. It was very reminiscent of something former tour mates, Barenaked Ladies, would put together. The guys also joked about the self-named 'Guster Reverse Curse,' which references how many of Guster's former openers have gone on to win Grammy's and find commercial success. Some examples are John Mayer, Marroon 5, and FUN.
Guster definitely does not have the mainstream success of any of those bands, but they've built up a solid fan base throughout their 20 year career. That following still runs strong today as I'd say the venue was about 90% full. The guys commented on how Florida shows are still well attended, and they thanked everyone for spending their Valentines Day with them.
Those fans were rewarded with a 22 song set featuring a fair variety of all Guster's albums. I was personally satisfied as they played 5 songs from my favorite Guster album - Keep It Together. Although I was definitely hoping to hear my overall favorite Guster tune - "One More Wrecking Machine."
That one never came but they still kept the crowd entertained with some of their biggest hits. The best sing a long of the evening was for 2003 hit "Careful." Top song (according to Spotify) "Amsterdam" also received a great reception.
The show had a very appropriate ending as the four core members abandoned their instruments for an acapella version of "Jesus on the Radio." This was quite the intimate finish. As the guys took their final bows, ping pong balls started flying from all directions up onto the stage. (Guster fans should know the reference) Overall, fun night. Good band that still has it.
CONCERT RATING: 3 Stars
SETLIST:
1. Demons
2. Center of Attention
3. Doin' It By Myself
4. What You Call Love
5. Ramona
6. Architects & Engineers
7. Endlessly
8. Kid Dreams
9. Satellite
10. Come Downstairs and Say Hello
11. Do You Love Me
12. Lazy Love
13. I Spy
14. Dear Valentine
15. Improv Jam 'authentic Florida'
16. Gangway
17. The Beginning of the End
18. On the Ocean
19. Manifest Destiny
20. Simple Machine
21. This Could All Be Yours
Encore:
22. Long Night
23. Diane
24. Never Coming Down
25. Amsterdam
Encore #2:
26. Jesus on the Radio (unplugged, in the round)
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