Inspired by true events on movie screens, check out Guster performing at Breckenridge Brewery!
You’d think after three days taping Beanstalk Music Festival and getting dusty along the Colorado river, I would want nothing more than to take a 5-hour nap in my shower…and you’d be right, but for one exception: taping a Guster show within driving distance. And as fate would have it, KCBO was throwing a party at the Breckenridge Brewery, and they invited Guster out for a a nice, hearty set that would serve as the perfect ending to an epic weekend of music.
As fans began to flow in and sprawl out their blankets and padded chairs, it became clear from a sampling of the shirts that the Gusterrhoids presence was strong. This became even clearer as the band took the stage and kicked into the opening number, “One Man Wrecking Machine”, as the crowd became alive with excited cheers and exuberant singing (myself included). Singer Ryan Miller, who for their Winter tour wore a PAC-man inspired suit, has traded in video games for fruit, sporting a new suit with pineapples printed all over it. I want all my season changes signaled by a change in Ryan Miller’s suit. That’s what I want, but I digress….
The show was full of memorable moments: Ryan had some funny banter reflecting on the band being around for almost 30 years and his stock answer as to how the band has managed that longevity (“friendship, respect, and communication”), which led into an improv song about new songs, containing the hilariously backhanded faux-interview line “Why are you still a band Guster?”. He also made reference to a little girl on her dad’s shoulders holding a sign requesting “Hello Mr. Sun”, which was the next song on the set list. During “Doin’ It By Myself”, Ryan climbed down into the crowd and got help from several audience members to sing the hook. At one point, he B-lined it for where I was setup, grabbed the mic stand, tilted it and sang a “Woah” directly into the mics. As a taper and gigantic Guster fan, that was an awesome moment, and I may never be the same. He then walked over to another young child on his father’s shoulders and sang the song with him. When the kid delivered several of the tune’s lines with a nervous determination, the crowd erupted with giddy delight. Later in the show, Ryan dubbed him “Baby Buddha” , referring to his shaved head, during the intro to “Barrel Of A Gun”. The band even found room for a spontaneous sit-in from the horn players of St. Paul & The Broken Bones, giving a particularly saucy take on “Overexcited”. Even during the encore, almost as if they queued it up, on the very first synth hit before “Hang On”, lightning struck in the distance which provoked awe from the crowd. Needless to say, Guster knows how to cultivate a moment…and possibly control the weather.
Every single Guster show presents a new experience for their fans. Their incredibly deep catalogue gives way to endless set list possibilities for a band willing to take the chance on a new arrangement and flow each night. Their songs don’t have to have 20+ minute jams in them for each show to feel unique. It’s simply a respect for their audience; it’s a drive to give them something special every night. It’s what I’ve loved about them for the past 20 years, why they’ll always be one of my favorite bands, and why I’ll never miss a chance to tape them.
Guster | 2019-07-02 | Breckenridge Brewery, Littleton, CO
-= One Set =-
01. (KCBO Intro)
02. One Man Wrecking Machine
03. Careful
04. Terrified
05. I Spy
06. Amsterdam
07. (Banter / “New Songs” Improv Song)
08. Hello Mr. Sun
09. Demons
10. Doin’ It By Myself
11. Stay With Me Jesus
12. Come Downstairs And Say Hello
13. Do You Love Me
14. Never Coming Down
15. Manifest Destiny[1]
16. Look Alive
17. (Banter II)
18. Overexcited[2]
19. Ramona
20. My Satellite
21. (Banter III)
22. Barrel Of A Gun
-= Encore =-
23. (Encore Break)
24. Hang On
Show Notes: This set was performed as part of KCBO’s “On Tap” Summer Concert Series. Bailen opened the show followed by Guster, then St. Paul & The Broken Bones. It was also the first date of Guster’s 2019 Summer Tour.
[1] The lyrics in “Manifest Destiny” were changed to “How did everything get so muffed up?” due to the children in the crowd.
[2] “Overexcited” featured Allen Branstetter (St. Paul & The Broken Bones) on trumpet, Jason Mingledorff (St. Paul & The Broken Bones) on saxophone and Chad Fisher (St. Paul & The Broken Bones) on trombone.
Taper Notes: FOB DFC setup around 30′ from the stage, mics raised around 10′ PAS. During “Doin’ It By Myself”, Ryan (lead singer) came out into the crowd, tipped down the mic stand and sang into it briefly which caused about 2 seconds of clipping which were reduced with a limiter at -10db.
Thank you Guster, KCBO and Breckenridge Brewery for being cool with taping/sharing shows. Go see live music and tip your bartenders! #spacetapes
LINK: https://archive.org/details/guster2019-06-30.AKG.P170.AUD.flac16
