Watch Guster Cross ‘Tiny Desk Concert’ Off Band’s Bucket List

After nearly 35 eventful years as a band, there are just a few items left on Guster's bucket list. The Boston-bred ensemble recently crossed off a big one, when they performed a session for NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Concert video series, which has been shared today and can be viewed below.

Guster — Ryan Miller, Adam Gardner, Brian Rosenworcel, Luke Reynolds and Dave Butler — delivered a four-song set that showcased their ability to transcend genre. After kicking off the performance with the rollicking “Manifest Destiny,” the band recruited members of the Gay Men’s Chorus Of Washington D.C. to back them on the solemn “Empire State.”

Ryan Miller explained that the group had reached out to the choir to participate in their March 2025 concert at the nearby Kennedy Center, but couldn’t make it happen. “We thought that this would be cooler in a lot of ways,” Miller said. Six members sang on camera as Guster tried to set the record for the most people to fit on the Tiny Desk set.

The emotional collaboration was followed by live staple “Satellite” to end a run of three tracks featured on the band’s 2006 album, Ganging Up On The Sun. Guster closed the session with the poignant “The Elevator” from their latest LP, 2024’s Ooh La La. Miller took an opportunity to point out how important the work of public radio and television is and that the band is honored to be part of the fight for NPR’s survival.

Watch Guster’s Tiny Desk Concert debut below: