Article and Photos: Kyle Ostrander
New York City – Slowcore pioneers Duster stopped by Webster Hall earlier this week to serve up their signature sound to an eager audience. The band is on the road in support of their latest album, In Dreams, which was released earlier this year.
As soon as doors opened, a crowd of fans pushed right up to the front of the pit, trying to get as close to the stage as possible. The house lights went down and the band took their positions as they went into the instantly recognizable descending intro line of “The Twins / Romantica”. The set went on to feature songs from across the group’s expansive catalog, including “Making Room”, “Chocolate and Mint”, “Aqua Tofana”, and “Starting to Fall” (the latter two being from their aforementioned new album). Floating guitar chords with the perfect amount of dissonance, accompanied by a solid rhythm section, gave the songs their amazingly unique Duster qualities. Adding to the atmosphere was an accompanying light show alternating between shades of red, green, blue, and white. Abstract visuals projected on a screen behind the band also complementing the vibe of each song, while each band member jammed out and jumped around stage in their own way. Duster has been around since the 1990’s, and their fanbase truly speaks to the unifying force of music, with fans of all ages bobbing together in the crowd in support of their favorite band. “Thank you so much for being here tonight! I know sometimes people say that and they don’t mean it, but we really do!” said the band during their set.
Duster’s North American tour continues through late-November, with all dates listed on the band’s website.