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Guster wants to be your prom date in Portland this weekend
Singer Ryan Miller talks about this year's "On the Ocean" festival, Guster's Boston roots, and not being Beyonce.
Guster’s On the Ocean festival returns to Portland, Maine, this weekend, promising three days of music, fan experiences, and a second chance at prom.
Guster, who originally met as Tufts students in Boston in 1991, will play a set each day, Friday through Sunday. The festival also features performances by Shakey Graves, Bahamas, Lucius, Brooke Annabelle, Grammy Award Winner Madison Cunningham, and Maine locals The Ballroom Thieves and Oshima Brothers.
Friday night the festival’s fifth year will kick off at The State Theatre with the Enchantment Under The Ocean Dance, according to a press release. Magician Casey Magic will open for Guster, lead singer Ryan Miller told Boston.com Tuesday.
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“We’re not necessarily really focused on ‘We have to make this the biggest one ever,’” Miller said. “We’re definitely always trying to make it the best version and getting the best bands with us and making the experiences around it really feel on-brand.”
The band encourages fans to “dress up in their most weird and wonderful prom-themed attire,” according to a press release.
“I was like, ‘A themed prom would be kind of funny,’” Miller said. “It’s just sort of a goof that we can have so people can dress up, and it gives people another opportunity to differentiate the three different nights from one another.”
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Miller said ideas like the prom theme come from a place of “joy and creativity and trust,” in the band’s fans.
“They know that we’re trying to do the right thing. And also thankfully, you know, we’re not Beyonce, where everything has to be perfect,” Miller said. “If and when we fall on our faces, from time to time, it’s like, ‘Oh, well, that’s what we love about them.’”
For Saturday, the festival will move to Thompson’s Point with a lineup including Guster, Bahamas, Madison Cunningham, The Ballroom Thieves, and Brooke Annabelle.
The festival closes on Sunday, featuring Shakey Graves, Lucius, Oshima Brothers, and a 20th anniversary “Keep It Together” set from Guster.
At the festival, Guster will play a teaser from their upcoming ninth studio album, which they’ve been recording since the pandemic.
“The good thing about having songs that have been done for almost a year or two is that I still love them a lot,” Miller said. “And that’s really a great indication that they’re going to hold up for other people.”
New music and high school nostalgia aren’t the only fun features to look forward to.
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Looking to bring the whole family?
The Kids Zone offers a break from the crowd for children and parents, with activities like arts and crafts, games, face painting, and more, according to a press release from festival organizers. Tickets for kids under 13 start at $20.
Food trucks, live screen printing, and “other fun stuff” lie in wait for festival goers, according to a promotional poster.
While the festival takes place in Maine, Guster originally got their start in Boston. Miller said Massachusetts has become “intertwined” with Guster’s identity, even though the band hasn’t lived there in years.
“I love Boston,” Miller said. “We have a t-shirt now that’s like ‘Guster’ on a Massachusetts license plate. And it couldn’t be any other license plate.”
Festival tickets start at $40 for general admission.
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