Guster

It wasn't so long ago that a fresh-faced, slightly gawky guitar whiz named John Mayer was opening for Guster, a Boston quartet that used its status as a beloved college-rock band to prop up the young singer-songwriter. Of course, by now Mayer has run laps around Guster in terms of units moved and dollars earned, but the band has stayed strong to its harmony-laden, acoustic guitar-based tunes and, in doing so, has retained its cult following. It appears that over fifteen years of touring and recording has given the band a reason to look back: The band will celebrate the tenth anniversary of the watershed Lost and Gone Forever with a series of East Coast dates in the fall, playing the album front to back. For this weekend's free show on the riverfront, however, look forward to an evening of old favorites, audience sing-alongs and the occasional bongo jam.