Boston-based group Guster brought its soulful and catchy music to the McDonald Theatre for the first time on Thursday. Despite it being Guster’s first Eugene performance, the McDonald was a packed house of ecstatic fans.
The highly entertaining Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players kicked off the show. They called themselves an “indie-vaudeville conceptual art-rock pop band,” and, yes, they are an actual family. Member Jason Trachtenburg switched between guitar and keyboards and sang the songs, with wife Tina operating the slideshow projector. Their young daughter, Piña, kept the songs together on drums. This performance was a one-of-a-kind experience because every song was based on images found at yard sales, which were projected on the screen behind them.

After the Trachtenburg Family completed their set, the house lights went down again and the mostly college-age crowd exploded as Guster took the stage. The band played many songs from its latest album, “Keep It Together,” but dug into its past albums as well. The crowd was obviously delighted in many of the songs, singing along with a volume that matched and sometimes overwhelmed the sound coming from the stage speakers.
One of the most impressive things about Guster was its musical proficiency. Ryan Miller and Adam Gardner — both vocalists for the band — switched instruments practically every song. The arsenal of instruments played included guitars, basses, keyboards and harmonicas. Even percussionist Brian Rosenworcel played two different drum sets.
Rosenworcel is an interesting drummer, preferring a percussion setup of bongos, djembes, shakers and cymbals to the standard trap-kit that drummers typically play. He did have a trap-kit for a few of the songs, but he primarily played percussion. His abilities transcend those of most rock drummers today.
A fine example of these abilities manifested during the band’s cover of the Talking Heads classic, “(Nothing But) Flowers.” His assault on the set sounded more like a complete African drum ensemble rather than a single person.
This is not to say that Miller and Gardner are slackers; they command respect as well. Their matching harmonies complement each other perfectly. While their eclectic guitar hooks seem subtle at first, they reveal themselves as complex and well thought out with closer listening.
Guster has a way of making these dynamic song arrangements and vocals come off simple as cereal. Beneath it all are great songs that can make people feel better about life. A relaxed attitude, easy sense of humor and appreciation of the crowd only complement the well-written songs.
Watching Guster play is like swinging on a porch swing, watching the sunrise and drinking good coffee. It’s an experience that shouldn’t be taken for granted. This is most certainly a band to look out for the next time it comes gusting through town.