Goose Show Review - 5/3/21 Showtime at the Drive-In, Frederick, MD

This review was written as a companion to the Summer Tour Leg One write up appearing in the El Goose Times Tour Edition Volume 2.

A one-set affair that took place during a torrential downpour, the first night of Goose’s 2021 summer tour showed us a band ready to push the limits of their jamming even when faced with tough show conditions. Taking the stage during a brief respite from the rain just before 9pm, the band whipped up a few brief moments of space before Rick led the band into a laid-back and groovy Arrow. As the rain began to pick up again, Peter’s crunchy clav kept the audience in high spirits. As many were hoping, this jam went in a similar dark direction to the previous version played at South Farms in November 2020. After a fiery Type I section, Spuds, Jeff, and Trevor laid down a solid groove for Rich and Peter’s dueling guitars to weave around as a very slow-burn segue into Bob Don ensued. As the rain continued to absolutely pour, the band took a break in between songs to frantically attempt to dry off their equipment. Special shoutout to Coach, who ran around the stage delivering towels and assisting with the wiping! A rare Type II Yeti followed, bringing another blast of dark grooves that continued through Spirit of the Dark Horse and Arrow Reprise. Though their instruments drifted a little bit out of tune and they were only able to play for about an hour, Goose made the best of the situation and delivered a fantastic set that gave us a peek into a band ready to dive into the unknown over the course of the tour and year.