Show Review - Goose 2/13/25 Grand Rapids, MI

Unpredictability

Goose’s winter run reached its final stop last night with the first of three shows in Grand Rapids, picking up where they left off in Milwaukee last weekend by delivering two jam-heavy sets full of unpredictable setlist choices and overall excellent playing by all four members of the band.

While I had a blast at the Toronto shows and think there are tons of memorable moments from those two nights, there was a different energy to last night that felt more in line with what we saw last weekend, a complete willingness to dive off the deep end and see what might happen.

The show began with two oddball calls of “Mr. Action” and “All I Need,” both songs having been played just two shows previously on Monday night in Toronto. Perhaps the band felt as though they needed a do-over on “AIN” after the unfortunate second-set ripcord in the last rendition…but at any rate, it was amazing to see them play a second consecutive show with a different style of setlisting, eschewing the expected “warm-up” songs in favour of jamming.

Getting off to a start in an airy minor key, multi-instrumentalist Peter Anspach lightly laid down some subtle piano chords as guitarist Rick Mitarotonda went into heavy delay, setting up some reverse loops to add texture before locking in with drummer Cotter Ellis on the flowing groove.

Laying back in this space for a while, the band let patience dictate the layered space as they increased the intensity ever so slightly, Mitarotonda eventually beginning to pull the jam in a new direction with some bright leads. Anspach sparkled on some piano riffs as Ellis dropped back into a quieter beat, a synth drone slowly rising as the quartet pivoted into a major key as one unit.

From there, Goose unleashed a spectacular peak full of egalitarian improvisation – Mitarotonda’s leads of course at the forefront but the rest of the band right there with him as the energy got higher and higher into a blissful explosion and resolution to the earlier tension.

Without missing the beat, the band quieted post-peak and transitioned smoothly into “Lead Up” after packing SO MUCH into a relatively short 14 minutes – this is the new, efficient Goose.

A quick laugh and false start in the wrong key for “Time to Flee” brought the Anspach staple off the bench for the first time since 10/24/24 in Nashville – a gap of 25 shows and longest break since the song’s debut in 2018.

Picking up right where “AIN” left off, the band spaced out into psychedelia almost immediately thanks to Mitarotonda diving into his delay and loop pedals. Anspach kept things grounded with a hypnotic piano motif as the clouds of guitar sound swirled around the room.

The guitarist returned to lead work with some insistent play, upping the intensity from the space as the loops faded away. The ensuing runs felt completely unique to “Flee” as the band hit into a gorgeous mini-peak before jumping back into exploratory territory.

Ellis took to aggressive tom work as Anspach hammered piano chords in lockstep, the drummer then switching to double time as the band blasted through an excellent peak full of earworm melodies from Mitarotonda that he continued to expand and build on through the segment of music.

Blazing through a peak with their foot on the gas, Goose smashed through the finish to the jam before cooling off and executing an excellent segue into “Atlas Dogs.”

Continuing their commitment to transitions rather than stopping in between songs, “A Dogs” was used as a launchpad to go into “Inside Out,” giving us our first cover of the night as the band went right back to incredible improvisational territory.

Anspach took the lead with a repeating riff on marimba piano, airing us out for a brief jam before we got yet another smooth transition into “Moby,” perfectly placed as the cooldown and fitting right in among the songs and jams that came before – and notably, the first time the Ted Tapes track had ever appeared in the first set.

The first set was brought to a close with a rowdy “Flodown,” bringing the tempo and energy back up as they headed into the break.

Returning for set two with a massive call for “Everything Must Go,” the band followed up last weekend’s monumental version in Milwaukee with another hugely impressive rendition.

Kicking things off with a percussive zone, Anspach brought in a low synth drone underneath Ellis’ varying beat, bassist Trevor Weekz making his presence known with some super low rumbles ahead of Mitarotonda pulling the band through a major-key modulation.

From there, we were treated to a lovely first peak to the jam that felt full of release and catharsis, one of the modes that Goose plays best. Cooling off after the initial apex, Mitarotonda hit a minor chord to signal a pivot into the darker jamming that has been such a hallmark of this February tour.

Anspach shone initially on some unsettling and tension-filled piano runs as the band developed a two-chord motif, Weekz unleashing some rapid-fire melodic runs on the upper register of his bass as the band patiently waited for the moment to dive headlong into the murk.

Mitarotonda augmented his tone to signal that moment and the band built upon the vicious two-chord motif for several minutes, just heaping tension upon tension until a final wild and dark section gave way to an explosive finish to “EMG,” marking this song’s second noteworthy performance of 2025 and an indication that this will be the year of this song – and not just because the album is named after it.

“Arrow” kept the driving energy of the set up as the band wasted no time getting down to business once again – usually, it can take several minutes for them to find a new and interesting space within this song. Mitarotonda’s heavy use of loops as of late seems to be inspiring Anspach to craft ideas more quickly, as he took to clavinet and began to build a blissy and hypnotic melody not unlike the Goosemas “Hungersite” from 2024.

Hitting into an ascending lick, Mitarotonda filled the sonic space usually occupied by keyboards, colouring underneath Anspach’s lead lines instead of going for a big solo. Some of the best Goose jamming happens when the guitar takes a back seat, but then the change in tone when he reclaimed the lead was absolutely gorgeous.

Riding the wave of the continued repeating riff from Anspach, Goose soared through a breatakingly gorgeous peak before settling down into a propulsive-yet-unsettling space for the final couple of minutes, developing a motif very similar to Ted Tapes 2024 standout “Arrokoth.”

The third song of the show to appear on an unusually short rest from Monday in Toronto, “Interlude II” gave way to “Jive I,” a rare placement mid-second set that took the slot typically reserved for a cool-down ballad. I am all for this call – the energy and flow of the set was preserved while giving the band a chance to play a straight Type I ripper before opening up again with “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo.”

Dual-guitar bliss jams are one of the greatest things in Goose’s improvisational arsenal, and Anspach’s work to support Mitarotonda’s melodic leads in the “Half-Step” were once again nothing short of breathtaking. The umpteenth jam of the night to immediately require relistening gave way to a ROARING “So Ready” to close the second set, complete with digital sauce action from Mitarotonda.

Encoring with a blazing hot “White Lights,” Goose bid the Grand Rapids crowd farewell after an incredible first night – this band clearly loves three-night runs and with the way this tour has gone, the next two are going to be nothing short of spectacular.

Watch the last two shows of Goose’s winter tour exclusively with a nugs All Access subscription.