This past weekend’s Welcome Back Concert featuring Guster and opening act Zach Heckendorf allowed newly on-campus students to come back to some addictive rhythms and sweet acoustic melodies, respectively.
Held at the Fine Arts Center on Saturday night, by 8 p.m. a young and lively crowd had bustled into the seated auditorium that has usually been known for more formal events.
Zach Heckendorf, from Denver, Colo., received a warm welcome from the crowd, and began his set with nothing but an acoustic guitar and his microphone. His fast, complex finger picking quickly won the crowd’s attention. An accompanying drummer provided light rhythmic support and helped make the songs more upbeat and danceable.
Heckendorf’s style was strongly based on his finger picking, but his vocals demonstrated a much broader range of influence. At times, he sounded like a combination of Jack Johnson and Dave Matthews, while occasionally slipping into a fast-paced reggae verse similar to that of Slightly Stoopid. The most impressive part of his act was the speed at which he played everything – as if it was in fast forward – and he had no problem matching the tempo with his lyrics as well. On any song with a slower pace, it would inevitably pick up, and the crowed seemed to be in awe of his ripping solos. Students enjoyed Heckendorf’s talent with a harmonica.
Guster came out and began their set without a word. The band started playing with two guitars, a bass, and a hand percussionist, with three microphones for vocal harmonization. The percussionist played mostly hand drums, but was also using a snare drum and cymbals with nothing but his hands. The other members of the band quickly began switching to different instruments, and their comfort in doing so demonstrated their talent as multi-instrumentalists. The rhythms produced by Guster’s strong percussion section and the group’s machine-like timing entranced the audience.
They had an excellent stage presence that connected well with the crowd. When talking to the audience, the band kept a casual and conversational demeanor, feeling quite at home on stage. They explained that they had been together since meeting in college in the early nineties, and were proud to still be touring even though they had wives and children at home.
The fun-loving attitude of the bands was impossible to ignore, and they made sure to fill the show with lots of interesting surprises. The first surprise was a ukulele that was lowered by two wires from the roof. In between songs, they would play bits of famous songs such as “Funky Town” by Lipps Inc. and “Where is my Mind?” by the Pixies.
Whether it was the tribal sound of the hand drums, or a bright leading melody from the occasional keyboard, their songs brimmed with positive energy. Throughout the performance, members of the audience could be seen swaying slowly to the music, dancing feverishly or sharing a moment with their boyfriend or girlfriend. The band’s experience over the years allowed them to work their sound into a science, and their soft vocals set them apart from bands with similar styles of lyrics and melodies. The vocal melodies were soothing yet strong and drove the songs on, revealing a beautiful creativity in their song writing. The other two guitar players frequently joined in for vocal harmonies as well, which added a folk-like feel to their sound.
Lead singer Ryan Miller closed the show by putting on a dance while wearing a disco-ball hat to end the night with cheers from a satisfied crowd.
David Kincaid can be reached at [email protected].
