Goose Show Review - 5/6/21 Riverfront Live, Charleson, SC

This review was written as a companion to the Summer Tour 2021 Leg One write-up appearing in the El Goose Times Tour Edition Volume 2.

The third stop on the first leg of Goose’s summer 2021 tour took place at the absolutely gorgeous Riverfront Live in Charleston. Opening with a laid-back take on Wes Montgomery’s Switchin’, Peter asserted himself early with some serious fretboard fireworks that continued through The Whales. Starting Hot Tea at a noticeably slower tempo than usual, Peter showed off his Vintage Vibe electric piano with a fantastic solo ahead of Rick taking the reins and leading the jam into an atypical groove, complete with weird chorus effects and fantastic synth and clav from Peter. Stretching to nearly 19 minutes, this Tea dug HARD into the groove and stuck there for some prime first set dancing material. The set then closed out with great renditions of Lead the Way, White Lights, and The Way It Is, the latter finally making an appearance after being on setlists for both nights in Frederick. Goose took the opportunity to take the Bruce Hornsby cover out into a dark and extended jam. The second set fired up with an explosive So Ready, complete with crowd clap participation, crunchy clav, and more Peter shredding. Another notable contribution to the jam was Jeff, who continues to demonstrate his impressive percussion skill after just a year playing. After soloing, Peter returned to his keyboard rig as Rick ripped the remaining minutes of the jam to absolute shreds. This Old Sea came next, offering a new arrangement on the fantastic ballad with soft and beautiful electric piano from Peter. The delayed-guitar intro to Into the Myst followed, featuring exceptional bass playing from Trevor. The show was rounded out by Drive -> Shama Lama, an extended Earthling or Alien?, and a bouncy Lovelight. While Charleston didn’t reach the full-show heights of Frederick N2, it still offered a bevy of riches and jam spaces that Goose would only explore further as the tour went on.