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In between the excessive amount of cookout grub consumed and the backyard shenanigans that Labor Day brings about, Guster makes its annual ramble to Columbus this weekend in support of the band’s new EP On the Ocean. And not a moment too soon.
This Sunday (September 4), Guster is set to play the LC Pavilion – sharing the bill with equal parts fun and poppy, Jack’s Mannequin – to help you celebrate not having to work the next day. 2010’s release, Easy Wonderful, is still the band’s primary tour focus; however, On the Ocean features unreleased Guster cuts and some stripped-down versions spanning the band’s entire catalog.
The true standout on the 6-track EP is “Big White Bed,” a quirky bass-walking shuffle that falls in line with Guster’s fascination with life after death. Main Guster Ryan Miller sings, “Everyone that you’ve ever known is going to die. Don’t cry, there’s a big white bed up in heaven.” Half comforting and half terrifying at the same time, the song is an introspective tongue-in-cheek look at mortality told with Guster flair.
Diehards will no doubt love the EP for its live and alternate takes on Guster standards like “Satellite,” “That’s No Way to Get to Heaven,” and title track “On the Ocean.” The average fan might find the EP less accessible than studio albums like Ganging up on the Sun, Keep it Together, and the aforementioned Easy Wonderful.
To get a taste of Guster’s new EP, stop by the band’s Facebook and hear “On the Ocean” or you can pick the album up for yourself at the show.
With the band’s show on the immediate musical horizon, we want to know what your favorite Guster song is and why?
See everyone on Sunday.
This review was written by Josh Fitzwater and brought to you by the Franklin University Plaza at the LC Pavilion. For more information about shows that Josh and the Franklin crew will be attending and for chances to win tickets to concerts all year long, visit us on Facebook. Photography was provided by floto+warner studio.
LOVE Guster, sad I missed them as I was playing a gig myself. I love the album “Keep It Together” and “Backyard” is one of my fav tracks, so many good ones on there, love the drums on it and all the textures. They do a really good job of putting a lot of weird instruments/sounds/layers on their songs but still making it accessible. On top of what I assume (though I am just assuming) a core of bas/guitar/drums, this song has a string section, banjo, piano, tambourine, more drums, distorted guitars/instruments, what sounds like toy pianos, shakers, harmonica, and probably a ton more but it doesn’t sound cloudy or crowded. Love Guster!