Jam Breakdown - 6/11/21 Arcadia
Arcadia is arguably the quintessential Goose song. Aside from it being what initially hooked me from its performance at the Peach Festival in 2019 (along with many others), it has delivered some of the band’s best improvisation to date and never has a below-average version. Whether you’re looking for a straight Type I rager (see 10/15/20 or 5/4/21) or deep Type II journeys (9/16/20, 10/29/21, 11/22/21), Arcadia has it – along with some awesome songwriting.
As discussed in my reviews of Goose’s 2021 Legend Valley concerts, the June leg of their summer tour was legendary for the band. To open the leg, they visited Northlands in Swanzey, NH for the second time (check out the awesome 10/3/20 show and its landmark Madhuvan or Look Out Cleveland debut), dropping what still remains a top show of the year.
After a high-energy Elizabeth opener, the band delivered a top-shelf Arcadia jam filled with joy and bliss that remains the definitive version of the song*. Other highlights from Swanzey include an atypical Lead the Way, a funky Wysteria Lane → Loose Ends, the live debut of The Labyrinth, a raging White Lights, and the most recent outing of the Jive II “third jam”.
I hope you enjoy my breakdown – what’s your favourite Arcadia?
*note: my opinion on the GOAT Arcadia can and will change depending on the day
All timings are per the Nugs/Bandcamp release.
0:05 – Rick creates wild delay haze
0:15 – Arcadia riff
0:29 – Clav
1:03 – Jeff is slaying the congas already
1:27 – Thick and slow groove takes its time to develop during the song
3:38 – Spuds locks in
4:27 – Jam begins with Peter hitting a staccato riff
4:38 – Band plays off riff
4:50 – Clav is absolutely nasty
4:58 – Peter switches to organ in atypical move for Arcadia
5:14 – Jam has a laid-back vibe as Rick plays sparse rhythm and Jeff really shines on congas
5:39 – Trevor grooves along with a perfect bass line
6:05 – Rick begins to play off Peter’s organ work
6:35 – Rick and Peter latch onto riff that will carry the next segment of the jam
7:02 – Peter starts to build on single-chord vamp
7:14 – Jam begins to float into major key and Type II space
7:25 – Rick picks up what Peter is laying down
7:44 – Peter goes back to clav as we hit a gorgeous major-key progression
8:05 – Rich on easygoing rhythm work as band continues laid-back melodic vibe
8:33 – Jam mellows a bit but is clearly poised to explode
8:48 – Build into Rick exploding with a gorgeous solo as Peter goes back to soaring organ
9:20 – Rick alternates between rhythm progression and joyful solo
9:42 – Jam begins to mellow again, shows no signs of minor key
9:54 – Rick leads modulation to a new blissful space
10:14 – Spuds loosens groove and does textural work while Rick searches for next section
10:36 – Rich finds insane joy riff, begins to play off it
10:55 – Peter quietly building on riff on organ
11:05 – Peter on piano
11:12 – Trevor adds to the jam so perfectly
11:30 – Piano chords and Rick’s melody crafts a soaring jam
11:52 – Trevor stepping out with playing in higher register
12:05 – Hose mode engaging
12:32 – Trevor coming in with insane fills
12:42 – Huge big stupid grin on my face
13:04 – Jam reaches space of pure joy
13:26 – Peak is reached and announced by gong
13:40 – Jeff is a very good percussionist
13:50 – HOSE JOY YES WOOHOO
14:04 – I could live in this segment
14:14 – Trevor builds underneath Rick to yet another peak
14:40 – Peter on organ
14:43 – MORE BUILD MORE PEAK
14:53 – Peak begins to die away, Rick dirties tone and readies for return to song
15:00 – Jam hits back into Arcadia, closing chords fake out
15:13 – BUILD BUILD BUILD
15:22 – HUGE TENSION
15:31 – Explosion into ending progression of Arcadia perfectly
15:50 – SHRED CITY
16:10 – Trevor laying it DOWN
16:28 – I never want this to end
16:40 – TREVOR
16:51 – Just when you think it’s over, they take it around again
17:13 – End