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Reviews From 04-19-2003
Submitted to Guster.net by Michelle

04-19-2003
The Tabernacle, Atlanta, Georgia


Though I have been a Guster fan for several years, I had not been able to attend either of the past two concerts they performed in Atlanta--which of course made this experience even more incredible. Standing behind one friend, I was delightfully close to the stage (due, of course, to an arrival two hours before the doors opened) and waited with anticipation as roadies cleared the stage after the opening act finished, bringing Brian's various drums and setting two microphones, one about two feet from us.
At last, the lights went down, and three of the most talented and amazing musicians in the world walked onstage. Ryan had what looked like a handful of baby carrots, which he handed out to individuals in the audience, and then joined Brian and Adam in smiling modestly and retrieving instruments. Never in my life have I seen such a wonderful concert, and I have seen some blockbusters (e.g., the Rolling Stones). The band played nearly all of my favorite songs, including "Demons" (which, I hear, is rarely played in concert), "The Airport Song," and "Two Points For Honesty." We did, of course, pelt the stage with ping-pong balls at the end of "The Airport Song," and cheered madly at all of Brian's INCREDIBLE drum solos. Joe (Pisapia, is it?) also played, and accompanied the band on several songs. Though Adam only smiled at my group of friends repeated requests for "Rocketship," the concert was definitely a success. Seeing Guster live pays tribute to their true talent, and there is something to be said for the modesty and pleasure which is evident in their demeanor. Adam, Ryan, and Brian obviously enjoy performing (despite poor Brian's taped hands...presumably to prevent too much wear and tear) and are uncanny crowd-pleasers.
Overall, Guster is a band that is best enjoyed live--though their CDs are awesome as well--and I cannot wait until the next tour, which hopefully will be after the release of their next CD. Such a pleasure! :)