Photos by Matt Crosby

On Thursday night, August 1, Guster brought their live show to Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colo. During the night, the band took the second set to mark the 25th anniversary of their 1999 release LP, Lost and Gone Forever, a significant milestone in their career. They did this with added assistance from the Colorado Symphony, during their sixth-ever appearance at the esteemed venue. 

Before the onset of the celebration, the band treated their audience to a 13-song warm-up, including a mid-frame “Doin’ It By Myself,” which saw crowd frequenter and bandleader Ryan Miller ascent to the rocks. For the night’s high point, the band ran through their third studio album, start to finish. With added instrumentation, the set piqued with builds meant for an orchestral setting. 

Notably, to add to the occasion and mark its specialty. The group brought out the set’s producer, Steve Lillywhite, who helped out on the final number from the LP track list, “Rainy Day.” As he left the stage, Miller called after him, “You changed our lives.” The band followed up after the show, making notes of special moments online, including: “And he did. He insisted we could make an album that captured the sound we’d built as a trio and he followed through. It gave us the confidence to grow the sound after that. Lost & Gone was everything the experience of making a record was supposed to be.” These reflections on their journey and the impact of their producer added a personal touch to the concert experience.