Guster rocks the Hill

By David Enders

Daily Arts Writer

Somewhere between the worlds of massive superstardom and painful obscurity there is a band called Guster. A band that has opened shows for Sting and Dave Matthews, but didn't go to the MTV Video Music Awards.

"We weren't invited. I don't think you get invited if your video plays on MTV just once," said Guster guitarist and vocalist Adam Gardner from Boston last week, where the band was taking a short break before hitting the road again. The band formed in Boston, at Tufts University, in the early '90s.

"Basically, we're gearing up for the last leg of our tour. When we're done opening for Barenaked Ladies, we're going to really hole ourselves up and write for a while and start working on the next record seriously," Gardner said. The band released its third album, "Lost and Gone Forever" on Sire last year, their first major-label project after independently releasing their first two discs, "Parachute" and "Goldfly."

Since their first release in 1994, consistent touring has made the band popular on college campuses, but a measure of mainstream popularity came only recently, when Steve Lillywhite (U2, Dave Matthews Band) signed on to produce "Lost and Gone."

This afternoon, Guster will be rattling the windows on the Hill when they play a free show on Palmer Field.

If you've never heard of the band, go to see drummer Brian Rosenworcel, who plays hand drums instead of a kit. Go because lead singer/guitarist Ryan Miller is usually entertaining to watch. Go because an hour and a half of melodic pop music never hurt anyone. And if you live in Alice Lloyd, Couzens or MoJo, go because you're going to be able to hear the band playing anyway.

"Part of the thing about playing colleges is it's not as much pressure. We can go have fun and fool around," Gardner said. "It's not as professional, maybe."

The band has been finding out that recognition has its pitfalls after promoters of a show refused to pay them when Miller began making fun of the shows sponsors.

"There were a lot of bands playing this show in Chicago at this race track, there was Barenaked Ladies and Metallica and Kid Rock - we showed up and it was pretty much all Metallica fans.

"The quote from Oldsmobile the day before the show was this is a rock and roll concert at which we can advertise our product to a specific demographic," Gardner said. "You show up there, and there's a gigantic Oldsmobile hanging from the stage, and between bands they're showing Oldsmobile commercials. Ryan always just sort of makes fun of his surroundings - he was just trying to find some common ground with the Metallica fans because we were just trying not to get lynched up there."

Because of the cracks, the shows promoters refused to pay the band the second half of their fee.

"We were paid half in advance ... when we get the other half - they don't have a leg to stand on legally - we're probably going to give it to the ACLU or we're going to try and find somewhere to donate it to, because it's more a matter of principle at this point," Gardner said.

Guster fans recognize observational, tongue-in-cheek, frat boy style humor as a staple of Guster shows, but managing to offend someone is a new step for the band.

"We're trying to be careful not to get up on our soapbox too much - we just try to keep our band, as far as how we present ourselves, as real as possible. I think people are going to start to grasp that 'Hey these guys are real, they're not caricatures of what rock stars are supposed to look like or act like.'

"That was the first intelligent thing I said this morning," Gardner laughed.

Heavy stuff from a band whose online tour diary includes a whodunit-style discussion of who was responsible for stinking up the band's tour bus bathroom.

Courtesy of London/Sire Records

The lads in Guster tear up Palmer field today at 4 p.m. The concert is free to all registered voters.