Photo via Guster’s Facebook page

Guster kicked off their 2026 touring activity with three acoustic shows at Providence, RI’s Uptown Theater this past weekend. The rare band whose original lineup has performed live every year since 1991, without fail, the group has been largely off the road since October, a relatively long stretch for the Boston-bred outfit. With that in mind, this weekend’s shows each featured a few surprises and unique elements, including a guest string section each night.

On Friday, Ben Thornewill opened and Guster brought back the Lost and Gone Forever track “Rainy Day” for the first time since 2024. The next night Arc Iris’ Jocie Adams, who plays with Guster’s Ryan Miller in the side-project Bwahaha, provided support duties and Miller joined her on stage. Guster also debuted the track “Gauguin, Cézanne (Everlasting Love),” a number from their 2024 LP, Ooh La La.
Finally, on Sunday, The Poison Tree’s Steve Salett appeared before Guster. Salett’s band included musicians Annie Nero and Josh Kaufman, the latter of whom happened to serve as Ooh La La‘s producer. During Guster’s headlining set, Kaufman returned to the stage to sit in with Guster for the first time, playing guitar on the tender Ooh La LA track “Maybe We’re Alright.”

Guster will perform more of their Hits & Bits variety shows at Los Angeles’ Pacfific Electric tomorrow as part of the Netflix is a Joke Festival. To read about Kaufman’s work with Bob Weir, order the latest edition of Relix.