Guster Artistfacts

1991-
Ryan MillerLead vocals, guitar
Adam GardnerGuitar, vocals
Brian RosenworcelDrums, percussion
Joe PisapiaVarious2003-2010
Luke ReynoldsVarious2010-
All three founding members went to Tufts University in Massachusetts, where they met on the freshmen Wilderness Orientation program and later shared an apartment in Somerville, Massachusetts as students. Here they toured extensively in the early 1990s as an acoustic trio.
After the release of their 2003 album Keep it Together, the band simultaneously released a fake online version of the record in which all the vocals were replaced with the sound of cats meowing, which was called "The Meowstro Sings – Guster's Keep it Together." This fake was released in response to illegal sharing and downloading of their music, and were called the "meow mixes."
In the spirit of the Grateful Dead who started the tradition, Guster allows audience members to tape their shows from the audience during concerts. These tapes are then shared amongst Guster fans, with whom Guster keep an intimate relationship. Guster frontman Ryan Miller said, "We're so bad at playing rock stars, it's ridiculous!", but this has proven to be a very good marketing strategy for the band whose success is mostly due to word-of-mouth popularity and a jam-packed touring schedule.
Brian Rosenworcel has maintained a blog called Guster Road Journal in which he humorously keeps fans in touch with the band members' personal lives and experiences, and has done so on an almost monthly basis since 1999. For example, August 1 2013's entry keeps fans graphically up-to-date with Rosenworcel's latest bowel movement, and returning from the toilet to find the tour-bus has left without him. Says Brian: "We feel that the website and our road journals and having our music available is an important part of how our band got to where we are."
Guster's music has featured in several movies and TV shows, including Disturbia, Life as a House, The O.C., Martain Child and Wedding Crashers. They have also featured in an advert for The Weather Channel.
Guster enjoy keeping their live shows humorous, and have a history of dramatic concert entrances. They have arrived on stage in a rubber dinghy, and also through the ceiling.
Guster started out as an acoustic trio, and it was not until their fourth album Keep it Together that drummer Rosenworcel (a.k.a. "Thundergod") began to use a drum set instead of percussion. Rosenworcel has also performed as a DJ under the alias "DJ Thundergod."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

More Songfacts:

CelebrationKool & the Gang

"Celebration" by Kool & the Gang has a deeper meaning - it was inspired by a verse in the Quran where angels celebrate as God creates man.

Gee Whiz (Look At His Eyes)Carla Thomas

Carla Thomas became the first woman to achieve a Top 10 hit on the Hot 100 with a song she wrote herself when "Gee Whiz (Look At His Eyes)" reached #10 in 1961. Thomas was just 16 years old when she wrote it.

Lady MarmaladeLabelle

"Lady Marmalade" is the only song to hit #1 twice in both the UK and US.

(Everything I Do) I Do It For YouBryan Adams

The Bryan Adams song "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You" was almost rejected for the movie Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves because it didn't sound medieval enough.

Break FreeAriana Grande

Ariana Grande's collaboration with Zedd, "Break Free" came about after the Russian-German producer overheard Grande performing at a label showcase while he was backstage, and he mentioned to his team that he wanted to work with her.