Guster, 9:30 Club, Washington, DC

It’s hard to believe that it’s been a decade since the Guster’s Lost and Gone Forever, which though their third album, played a crucial role in launching them to mainstream success. In honor of the anniversary, Guster played a handful of shows, including back-to-back shows at the 9:30 Club, that would feature a set that included Lost and Gone Forever in its entirety. Given the material, the performance was in front of a crowd that was noticeably older than the average one at the 9:30 Club. Though I had seen Guster many times before, Lost and Gone Forever has always been one of my favorite albums, so I was certainly looking forward to the opportunity to see it live, especially getting to see the show with my sister, who accompanied me in developing an infatuation for Guster in high school.

Without an opener, Guster took the stage a little after 8:30. Their first set was a nice mix of older (pre-Lost and Gone Forever) songs, including “X-Ray Eyes,” “Demons,” and “Airport Song” mixed in with newer selections like “Keep It Together” and “One Man Wrecking Machine.” They also included a clever, even if cliché, cover of “Don’t Fear the Reaper” following a rendition of their original song “Red Oyster Cult,” complete with drum tech Scooter performing an homage to Will Ferrell’s cowbell obsessed Saturday Night Live character.

Between sets, a short video chronicling the production of the album played, featuring interviews with a much younger looking band and producer Steve Lillywhite. Taking the stage again, the band kept their promise, launching into “What You Wish For,” the album’s first track. Though front man Ryan Miller’s assessment was correct in that the order of the album doesn’t necessarily flow as the best possible live set, no one in the audience cared as we were all so happy to hear the album that introduced many of us to the band. It couldn’t even be ruined by Ryan’s more than occasional forgetting of words or getting lost in the song. Guster worked their way through the album, adding a new flavor and guest performers to many of the songs, including strings on “Either Way,” brass on “Fa Fa,” and even a children’s choir on “All the Way Up to Heaven.” Even though the latter added little to the robustness of the performance, it was certainly a fun novelty. I fell in love with the album all over again, wishing that Guster’s newer material was able to capture the more raw essence of their first albums. I longed for their newer music to display their more exuberant attitude and indie sound which was lost on their newer, more mainstream work, especially what I considered to be the band’s strongest point, ample use of Brian Rosenworcel’s hands racing across the bongo drums.

To thunderous applause, Guster finished the final song on the album, “Rainy Day,” but returned shortly for an encore that included a classic version of “Come Downstairs and Say Hello” and a completely unplugged version of “Jesus on the Radio,” a novel concept which I had never seen attempted before at the 9:30 Club or any other venue.