■
Courtesy
(Left to right) Guitarist/vocalist Ryan Miller, percussionist Brian Rosenworcel and guitarist/vocalist Adam Gardner make up the band
- Guster, which will perform at the McDonald Theatre tonight. The band is touring in support of their new album, ‘Keep It Together.’
Guster comes back to Eugene
as part of its nationwide tour
The band will perform at the
McDonald Theatre tonight
with the Trachtenburg
Family Slide Show Players
By Andrew Shipley
Freelance Reporter
What can you do with a couple of
acoustic guitars, a sense of humor
and a bongo? Maybe a little more
than just annoy your friends, or at
least that's what three guys from
Boston thought when they decided
to start a band called Gus more than
10 years ago.
The trio, currently known and
adored by fans nationwide as
Guster, has
now record
ed four al
bums and
toured with
such pop gi
ants as John Mayer and the Bare
naked Ladies. Tonight, Guster will
combine vocal harmonies with up
beat guitar riffs to bring what Rolling
Stone calls a "bright, folk-pop
sound" to the McDonald Theatre.
Less than a year ago, the band
played the Arlene Schnitzer Concert
Hail in Portland. The McDonald
Theatre is a significantly smaller ven
ue, so where the band performs isn't
always related to ticket sales.
CONCERT
PREMEW
"Guster is a college band, and
they haven't forgot where their fans
are at," McDonald Theatre event co
ordinator Dan Steinberg said. "This
is the kind of band that students ap
preciate, and that's why they're here,
because of students."
The band's history is rooted in the
collegiate experience. The three
members — guitarist/vocalist Ryan
Miller, guitarist/vocalist Adam Gard
ner and percussionist Brian Rosen
worcel — all met at their freshman
orientation at Tufts University more
than 12 years ago. The original cre
ation, Gus, was born in a dorm
room the next semester. By the end
of each member's junior year, the
group had recorded their first al
bum, "Parachute."
The band kept its original
acoustic guitar and bongo formula
throughout the subsequent decade
of touring and recording. However,
on their latest album, they have tried
to escape this instrumental rut.
Those who have seen Guster in con
cert previously may be surprised at
the presence of a drum kit on stage,
but Rosenworcel is not turning in
the bongos yet.
"He'll only be playing four songs
or so on the dream set," Steinberg
said.
The addition of the complete
drum set is just part of Guster's
attempt to expand its musical range
on "Keep It Together." The thought
ful lyrics and pop-guitar riffs that are
the Guster staple still form the new
album's core.
The excitement among campus
Guster fans testifies to the band's
touring success. Sophomore Kristin
Bray saw Guster for the first time last
year and said they were "very cool."
"I wasn't really familiar with their
stuff, but they are so good live it did
n't matter," she said. "I got my ticket
for this show as soon as I heard they
were coming."
Sophomore Erin Heineman is a
longtime Guster fan and was equally
excited.
"Guster is amazing live," she said.
"They have kind of mellow music,
but the atmosphere when I saw
them play wasn't really like that.
They were really good with the audi
ence, and it was just a lot of fun."
The show's opening act will be the
Trachtenburg Family Slide Show
Players, a group that defies classifi
cation. The group's show at the
WOW Hall earlier this year sold out.
Tickets are available for $15 at all
Safeway TicketsWest locations and
$18 at the door if not sold out.
Doors open at 7 p.m., and the show
begins at 8 p.m.
Andrew Shipley is a freelance reporter
for the Emerald.
FREE* Phones!
We even beat web prices!
SonvEricsson T616
Take pictures with the
built-in camera and send
them to your friends.
Siemens M56
Built in speakerphone
for cars, parties, and
group meetings.
Nokia 3595
Better than free! You
pay nothing and get an
additional $25 rebate.
A+ Wireless
841 E 13th Ave
Eugene, OR 97401
541-465-8877
Plans
start at
$29.99
per month
* On plans of 39.99/month or above. Certain
restrictions apply, see store for details.
Ki m
Ka ren
U
now open for
appointment
tnonday - Saturday
1745 W. 18th Ave.
18th & Chambers
431-1717
ing by)
*Pre-Law Society at
Portland State University
Presents the Fourth Annual
Law School
Tuesday November 18, 2003
10:00am - 2:00pm
Smith Memorial Center Ballroom @ PSU
Free Admission* All Welcome
Meet with over 50 admissions directors
from around the country
PrelawPSU ®'yahoo.com
prelawsociely.pdx.edu
I HI CONDOM BREAKS YOU FORGOT TO TAKE YOUR PILL
'>•’ OR, YOU HAD ST X WHI N YOU DIDN' IWAN! OR PI AN TO
Yen haw up w 5 Days ta take emergency contraception.(EC)'. But toe sooner the bettor
. Ask your health care provider about an advance supply of EC
1-800-230-PLAN
P Planned Parenthood
j pianntrdpan.MUhood.org/ec
BE PREPARED
TO PROTECT YOURSELF INCASE:
Where will it take you? Through
USAC, 3 consortium of U.S. universities, you
can choose from 31 programs in 21 countries.
With 20 years of experience, you can be sure
that you have someone to turn to throughout
your educational adventures.
Month, summer, semester & year-long programs
• Wide range of academic courses • Internships
• Field trips & tours
' Language dosses
at all levels
’Small classes
• University credit
•Scholarships
• Housing