Guster Dig Deep into Their Archive During On The Ocean Weekend Event in Portland, Maine

Photo Credit: Josh Frances

This past weekend, Guster hosted its annual Portland, Maine gathering, dubbed On The Ocean Weekend, which included three headlining performances from the event’s masters of ceremony, on Friday at the State Theater, followed by two additional nights of music on Saturday and Sunday at the outdoor, waterfront venue, Thompson’s Point. 

The onset of the event leaned into Guster’s traditional Hits and Bits offering. In this two-fold experience, the band played B-sides and rarities, jokingly referred to as “D-sides” by participating comedian, Greg Hess, during his August 8 performance. For the musical component, the band pulled as far back as 1997’s Goldfly record, dusting off “Melanie” for the first time since 2023. Its arrival set off a chain reaction, resulting in even more scarce selections. 

Also of importance, Guster revived their Keep It Together hidden track, “Say That to My Face,” having only played the track once prior, on April 19, 2002, at Millet Hall in Oxford, Ohio. During the same frame, the band debuted a new song, “It’s Wild,” released earlier this year, and the Ganging Up on the Sun outtake “Timothy Leary,” which returned to the band’s setlist earlier this summer for the first time since 2008. 

Night one also included help from fellow festival contributors like a former Guster member, Joe Pisapia, for a bust out “Well” for the first time since 2020, and set-enders “Every Moment” and “Jonah.” 

During the second day on the festival grounds, Guster brought out additional help via the Mountain Goats horn section, on their cover of Violent Femmes’ famed summertime staple, “Blister in the Sun.” By the end of Guster’s set, the band invited all members of the Mountain Goats and The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn to cover Boz Scaggs’ “Lido Shuffle.”

Guster closed out their festival appearances with a final performance on August 10, which accounted for a stacked offering of material that traversed their steady studio turn out, pulls off their latest effort, Ohh La La, on “Keep Going,” “Maybe We’re Alright,” and “When We Were Stars,” amongst others, including a cover of Christopher Cross’ “Ride Like the Wind” to cap the weekend. 

Scroll down to view content from Guster’s 2025 On The Ocean Weekend event.