GUSTER KICKS OFF THEIR TOUR AT UPSTATE CONCERT HALL

“Well that’s it. It’s not going to get better than that. We should just call it quits now and we’ll be 1 for 1 in 2016. What do you say?” said Ryan Miller after finishing “Long Night.” The crowd roared back at him and the band was about to deliver, until Luke Reynolds’s bass stopped working for a moment. Right in stride Ryan stated maybe they could just become a Carpenters tribute band and began singing one of the band’s hits until Luke had it fixed. It wouldn’t be the last instrument snafu for the evening, but with more doses of Gusters’ comedic side it all seemed like it was part of the show.

Guster

The amount of instruments on stage for the band was astounding and ranged from horns and guitars to a percussion set and keyboards. It seemed as if everyone on stage could pick up any instrument and play it perfectly. Celebrating their 25th year as a band this year, the band touched on all parts of their catalog though it leaned heavy towards their latest release Evermotion. The songs fit right into the set though and didn’t feel like new music, which is not a bad thing. “Never Coming Down” and “Satellite” were early highlights, with the later song making the crowd erupt in screams as it started. The funky guitar riffs of “Airport Song” signaled the audience to dance and sing their hearts out so much that it looked like it took the band by surprise.

Guster

Another instrument malfunction took a little longer to fix, so the band played a song about the Albany area to a country beat with Ryan making up the lyrics on the spot. With a refrain of “Well Worth the Wait” the crowd began to sing with Ryan and the whole ordeal was almost a blessing to have the extra song in the show. As soon as it was fixed the band launched into the “Do You Love Me,” much to the delight of the crowd. The band made the whole evening as special at this moment. Their laid back attitude spread through the crowd and nothing but good vibes could be felt on a cold January night. As the band ended the show after 23 songs, a heartfelt thank you from the band and a wave goodbye whisked them away into the rest of 2016.

Guster

Posters

Starting the show was the The David Wax Museum and their amazing energy. Mixing the sounds of Vampire Weekend with a Mariachi Band and including a hint of salsa music led to a big dance party at the venue. David jumped and moved all over the stage enjoying each second the band was up there giving it their all. Sue Slezak continuously changed instruments from piano to accordion to violin to what appeared to be a lower jaw of an animal; it was impressive to watch her work. Charles Rivera’s fingers flew all over the guitar while Chris Dammann’s bass skills could be seen on both the electric and acoustic form of the instrument. Danilo Henriquez held down the beats and kept the band chugging forward during their short set. The band couldn’t thank the crowd enough and told them to look out for more shows soon.