• • • • Celebrate Valk • _xocluS From the Kitchen! • • • • • • • • • • • • sleep through the night, and you wake "NX/hen I went to college, I joined the up and you're at the next venue. Now radio station and began to listen to we can have the whole day to go to weird music and I met these guys (Gardner and Miller) and started writing radio stations and do whatever you've got to do. So I think that has been a big songs. So it's just something that hap- part in maintaining our sanity" pened, a logical course for a geeky, Devotion to the fans and a melodic Jewish kid," he laughs. pop sound aren't Guster's only distin- Geekiness aside, Guster's intense cruishinc, features. At their concerts, the lyrics and vocal interlocking harmonies atmosphere is pure energy, featuring — accompanied by Rosenworcel's mad the band's humorous, crowd-pleasing banging on the bongos and conga (he antics and interaction with the crowd. tapes up his hands before each show At a recent show in Vancouver, for and ices immediately afterward) — has example, a concertgoer held up a sho- made the trio one of the most success- far, the rams' horn used in High ful college bands to come out of the Holiday services, and put it on the East Coast in the late 1990s. stage. 'Adam [Gardner] said, 'I know The group's success is largely due to how to play that thing,'" recalls an extremely devoted fan base, com- Rosenworcel, "so he played it during prised of late-teenagers and college one of the songs. students around the country Before When the band played to an enthu- signing with Sire (who re-released siastic crowd at Michigan State Goldfly in 1998), band members University last week, Ryan Miller did relied on Guster Reps — high school his impression of a Mentos commer- and college students from around the cial when an audience member threw country — to distribute their CDs. a packet of the mints onstage. Then It worked like this: The band he passed out a few to the band and mailed 10 CDs to the.rep, who would audience. That, while playing songs sell them and send the band the off the band's three albums and such money. In return, the rep received a covers as "California Dreamin'" and Guster T-shirt and free entrance to the Radiohead's "Creep." group's shows. With hundreds of With Guster's appearance at Guster Reps spreading the Guster Woodstock 1999, a television debut as gospel, the group has sold approxi- musical guests with Conan O'Brien mately 35,000 of the independently and a heavy schedule of touring for released Parachute alone. Lost and Gone Forever, the Boston trio And even though the band is on looks forward to new listeners across the brink of breaking into the main- the country stream, its members constantly main- "I think the way we broke on the tain communication with their fans. East Coast was just by constantly Gardner, Miller and Rosenworcel touring and constantly, you know, regularly send out e-mails to their playing for more people," says audience (personally and on a list-serv- Rosenworcel. "I think that the rest of er), put on private shows for Guster the country should latch on given the Reps and hang out with new and old same formula." fans alike after concerts. Rosenworcel And the upcoming release of maintains a road diary on Guster's Guster's first video — "Fa Fa," from Web site (www.guster.com) to help their most recent album — could be keep fans informed about the group's the key. "Who knows," says performances on the road. Rosenworcel. "If our video gets [lots Will these efforts continue with of airplay], that could just kind of Guster's growing popularity and the start everything and put us on a level stresses of fame? "I think even though I that we never even envisioned." can't respond to every e-mail personally, I'll be able to maintain the road diary so people can have some type of regular contact with the band," replies Guster takes the stage, with spe- Rosenworcel. "And I think, as you cial guests Luna and Josh Ruse, become bigger, it becomes more impor- at The Majestic Theatre, 4120 tant to make those gestures. I think Woodward, in Detroit at 9 p.m. that's something we're devoted to do." Thursday, April 6. All ages wel- One thing that's made touring easier come. Doors at 8 p.m. Advance for the group is the acquisition of a tour tickets are $12. (313) 833-9700. bus, replacing the van the band mates For a touring schedule and to previously used. "[With] a van, you order CDs, contact the band's sleep for a few hours in a hotel room Web site at www.guster.com . and wake up all tired," Rosenworcel notes. "In a bus, after the show we can ❑ • • • • • • • • • Let the Stage show y ou the way to Freedom with our tempting array of tasteful rassover Delights $2.50/ea • • 11.95/lb • • 6.75/lb • • 3.25/ea • • 6.75/lb • • 50/ea • • 4.75/ea • • 1.95/ea • • 1.95/ea • • • Dro p in or call for our Complete rassover Menu • • • • rder before Wednesday April i 2 6, receive a complimentary • • Found of Chopped Liver with your order of $50 or more. • • • Your Classic Deli • • Quality 4 jervice -<>- Choice • • • boardwalk" Orchard Lake Road below Maple "On • • • OO • • • • • • • • ** * ** • OOO O OO O OO O OO • • • • • • • • • • • • O Classic Gefilte Fish Savory Roast Brisket Rich Chopped Liver Matzo Ball Soup Vege Chopped Liver Slow Roasted Chicken Garlic Roasted Chicken Twice Baked Potatoes Erica's Heavenly Macaroons • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 4 ORDER. EARLY O the • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 2+8.855.6622 ■■ ......................... ■■ .....•.... • 4 _ _ zfand & Spitits acn",-- Presents 43e42 A Little ight Music... Wed. thru Sat. NOW APPEARING AT THE PIANO BAR: 1■111M JOHN PERRY Thurs. - I I :00 • Fri. 6 Sat., 7:30- Midnight OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK • 248-626-2630 4108 WEST MAPLE • BLOOMFIELD HILLS • WIWWW11111111111WWW 101111 OUR GREAT DINNER SPECIALS! MONDAY ... FILET MIGNON TIPS W/Burgundy Wine Sauce TUESDAY. . . CHOPPED SIRLOIN W/onions, green peppers, mushrooms WEDNESDAY . SHORT-RIBS or WHITE FISH SICILIANO THURSDAY. . SAUTEED SCALLOPS over rice WHITE FISH (Duratee, Broiled or Siciliano) FRIDAY CHICKEN MARSALA SATURDAY. . VEAL MARSALA ROAST CHICKEN DELI & GOURMET RESTARANT 21754 E. 11 Mile Rd. • Harvard Row 248-352-4940 Fax: 248-352-9393 CPR can keep your love alive $9.95 $6.95 $7.95 $8.95 $7.95 $7.25 $8.95 $6.95 SHIVA DINNERS AND PARTY TRAYS FREE DELIVERY American Heart Association. Fighting Heart Disease and Stroke 3/31 2000 91