Last year when Guster came to play at Crowbar, 420 E. College Ave., only those old enough to drink legally or sneak in past the security guards were able to hear the trio from Boston.
On Mar. 26, however, fans of all ages will be able to hear this up-and-coming band play when they take the stage at 8 p.m. at Rec Hall.
In 1991, band members Ryan Miller (vocals/guitar), Adam Gardner (guitar/ vocals) and Brian Rosenworcel (percussion) met at freshman orientation at Tufts University and started collaborating almost immediately.
First playing in each other's dorm rooms, the trio originally named themselves "Gus," and released their first album Parachute (1994) with producer Mike Denneen (Letters to Cleo and Aimee Mann). The album sold well over 35,000 copies.
The next year another artist named Gus surfaced, and the boys from Boston had to change their name to Guster.
Working under its new name, the band independently released Goldfly in 1996, further pumping up its fan base. On this album, Guster worked with producer Steve Lindsey, who has previously worked with Peter Gabriel.
Shortly thereafter Goldfly was re-released by Hybrid Recordings/Sire Records Group.
Later that same year, Guster was named the Best Live Act at the Boston Music Awards of 1997.
Guster broke the mold of the traditional rock band by having Rosenworcel play on bongo drums instead of a standard drum kit and by primarily using acoustic guitars backed by Miller and Gardner's vocals.
Their sound was solid and straightforward.
Although this formula seemed to work very well, Guster did not hesitate to darken some of the tracks on Goldfly by adding bass, electric guitars and keyboards.
Guster's most recent release is Lost and Gone Forever (1999). Now under the Sire label, the band had the opportunity to work with producer Steve Lillywhite, who has worked with such bands as U2, Dave Matthews Band and Peter Gabriel.
Drawing on their previous formula of instrumentation, Roseworcel stayed away from the drum kit, and Miller and Gardener stuck to their acoustic guitars.
Although they use no bass or drums, Guster is still able to pull off successfully a full-sounding album by relying heavily on vocals. Phish keyboardist Page McConnell also makes a guest appearance on the album by playing the theremin, an electronic instrument.
The songs have an upbeat, bouncy sound, but are not sugar sweet. The album deals with such issues as loneliness and lost memories.
The band is best known for its crazy sense of humor and comedic banter with the audience during its live performances.
Always eager to tour, Guster has opened for bands like the Barenaked Ladies at the H.O.R.D.E. Festival and played at the most recent Woodstock.
The University Concert Committee, setting the tickets at a reduced price of $20 for Penn State students, is sponsoring the Guster show.
Tickets for the show are still available at the Eisenhower box office. The regular cost for non-students is $22.
