Show Review - Goose 12/18/22 Boulder, CO
Colorado Finale
On Sunday night, Goose brought their holiday Colorado run to a close with an intimate show at Boulder’s Fox Theater benefitting Conscious Alliance. After two nights at Broomfield’s 6,500 capacity 1STBANK Center (check out my recaps of 12/16 and 12/17 for JamBase), the 625-person Fox Theatre felt incredibly special and intimate.
As the band took the stage, multi-instrumentalist Peter Anspach took a second to note how the last time they played the Fox on June 26, 2019, they had around 40 people in the audience. Bassist Trevor Weekz seemed to be dressed as a throwback to the 2019 days, sporting his then-classic backwards hat and sunglasses combination.
The band opened up the show with a hot sandwich of “Yeti” -> “Pumped Up Kicks” -> “Yeti”, demonstrating their excitement at playing such a small room. Goose then ripped out a hot rendition of “Jive I”, Anspach and guitarist Rick Mitarotonda both shining on their respective solo sections.
The quintet next fired up the original and more reggae-tinged arrangement of “Echo of a Rose” for the first time since November 7, 2021 or 98 shows. The first extended jam of the night wasted no time before drummer Ben Atkind pushed the pace into a rocking motif that gave way to multiple early peaks. A fake-out at a return to the song led to a contemplative space that saw Anspach peppering in some beautiful reverb-heavy organ before Mitarotonda stepped up again and began to weave a gorgeous major-key progression. A slow and patient build ensued that was Goose crafting a beautiful soundscape that filled every corner of the theatre.
Firing up “Earthling or Alien?” next, the band really stretched out the funk on this one, getting dark and dirty through its 20-minute runtime. The band eventually morphed into a blissy space to end off.
Blind Melon’s “No Rain” closed the set with another great upbeat jam – a song many in attendance were happy to hear!
To open the second set, Goose debuted “Mr. Action”, a peppy song penned by Mitarotonda. With a catchy melody and lyrics, this is sure to become a well-played fan favourite in 2023 and will be an incredible addition to the band’s catalogue.
Following the debut was the first fast “All I Need” since Halloween 2021 (100 shows). The concise and explosive jam gave way to the first cover of “Crosseyed and Painless” since February. Keeping the intro jam relatively short, the jam blasted through the song at a propulsive speed thanks to the rhythm sections incredible work.
The jam stuck to a wild groove with repeated teasing of “Axel F” from Mitarotonda - incredibly aggressive guitar work everywhere with a meaty and distorted tone. Getting into some darkness in the second half, Goose gradually melted the jam into space before smoothly transitioning into “Spirit of the Dark Horse”. The packed Fox went wild for this tune ahead of a high-energy pairing of “Whip It” and “So Ready” to close the second set.
The encore consisted of three songs made by requests to the band. First up came “Elmeg the Wise” – coming as the result of a Twitter request in exchange for a $1000 donation to Conscious Alliance.
An emotional reading of “Brokedown Palace”, the first since its Goose debut on June 18, 2021 (118 shows), gave way to a party closer in “Disco Inferno”.
All in all, Goose delivered an amazing closer to their Colorado run at the Fox, giving all those in attendance a treat with multiple bustouts, rare covers, and expressive jamming.
The quintet closes out 2022 at the Andrew J Brady Music Center in Cincinnati, Ohio on December 30th and 31st. Both shows are sold out but webcasts are available via Nugs.net.
