When I first saw Guster at William and Mary in October 2007, it was awkward. The crowd was there to hear live music on Homecoming, not necessarily Guster. The band tried to compensate with ‘rowdy’ pranks, which did not remotely match their vibe or sound. And the sound itself was not very good: Matoaka may be a visually impressive outdoor amphitheater, but it certainly does not enhance acoustics.
It was with great hesitation, then, that I stepped into the Beacon Theater for another Guster show two years later. I had been drawn back by the prospect of a straight album show (they would play 1999’s Lost and Gone Forever), but was skeptical they would sound anything other than mediocre.
Man, was I wrong. From the first song, 2007’s spirited “Captain,” they sounded great. The vocals were smooth, the instrumentals were strong, and the Beacon provided Constitution-Hall-level acoustics. This time you also had a committed crowd. Instead of hundreds of halfhearted non-fans who talked through most of the songs, there were two thousand devoted fans who joined in during the choruses and verses.
Considering this, every performance was an improvement. Every song was a pleasant surprise. Some of the best of those appear below:
Grade: A
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