I think the time has come to say that a Guster tribute band would be fiscally viable. That’s more a condemnation of the crowd at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom last Saturday than of the band, although they are not without some blame. I noticed several people who were one day early for the Ashlee Simpson concert and several more who looked like they were 20 years late for the Ratt and Dokken concert. These things happen in Hampton. Then there were the clowns who thought the hapless fans around them were just the breakers they needed for crowd-surfing during slow songs. It’s these folks who ruined some of the experience for me on Saturday (and even more so for people that they kicked in the head, I’m sure).The crowd-surfers, in particular, would seem to be just as happy to pay money to see cover artists play the same tunes. Cue Buster! A band that will carry on the memory of Fa Fas and the Happy Frappys long after the real band has moved on. I can play bass. Any others interested?
I say the band isn’t faultless because they have indeed evolved somewhat since they achieved modest stardom. It’s to be expected that a band will move on from their old ways, but it was impossible not to notice that some of the onstage tomfoolery and ballyhoo so prevalent at past shows was absent this go around. There were a few exceptions, such as in impromptu version of The Georgia Satellites “Keep Your Hands to Yourself” during an emergency conga head replacement. Another highlight, albeit somewhat trite, was an entirely acoustic version of “Jesus on the Radio” without any amplification. This was an intimate moment in front of a packed HBCB crowd that lost some of its luster thanks to some future Buster fans who couldn’t keep quiet.
Music-wise, though, Guster is better than ever. The addition of a full-time fourth member on various instruments and a part-time fifth member on percussion fills out the sound that I, for one, never thought was lacking. This allows for concertgoers to be treated to three-part harmonies, which is an upgrade from years gone by. They mixed together a great set of old favorites, some rarely played live, like “Center of Attention,” and new songs expected to be on the next album, like “One Man Wrecking Crew” and “The Beginning of the End.” Overall the show was deserving of the sold-out room—the music is entertainment enough to keep me coming back.