Show Review - Goose 5/31/25 Spokane, WA
COTTER BONHAM
Goose tour continued last night with a trip up to Spokane for their second show to date at the city’s Pavilion. Boasting a really cool tent-like structure above the audience with extra lights and another day of absolutely perfect weather, the stage was set for the band to throw down another memorable night on the Everything Must Go summer tour.
The night began with an absolutely flawlessly-executed segment of “Drive” -> “All I Need” -> “How It Ends,” Goose kicking off the night with short-yet-dense pockets of improv. The “Drive” jam began in its usual guitar-forward space, Rick Mitarotonda leading the way into a smooth major-key modulation as drummer Cotter Ellis opened things up with a flowing beat.
Anspach made a pivot to piano for a brief spell of beautiful and more fast-paced play before the band steered things in a funkier direction for a perfect segue into “AIN.” Once again dropping into a blissy space, the band locked in on an uplifting progression driven by bassist Trevor Weekz’ insistent playing. While the ensuing segue into “How It Ends” was flawless and completed a great segment, I did feel as though the band missed out on utilizing the improvisational momentum that had been building up.
“Doc Brown” made an appearance later in the set than normal, keeping the energy up with a blistering hot Anspach guitar solo before “Seekers on the Ridge” let Mitarotonda unleash a flamethrower of his own on the audience.
“Mas Que Nada” saw the band jump into a surprisingly adventurous jam, once again packing a ton into just over 11 minutes as Mitarotonda ripped through “When The Saints Go Marching In” teases. Ellis led the charge into some extended territory with a double-time shift as the rest of the band locked in on a chord progression reminiscent of “Going Down The Road Feeling Bad.” One last volcanic tension-build later, the band wrapped up “Mas” and headed into the set’s musical highlight in “Animal.”
After being rather predictable and even stale at times for years, “Animal” has had a serious renaissance in 2025 with Goose’s discovery of the song’s emotional bliss potential. Shifting outside of the song’s typical funky, driving jam relatively quickly, Mitarotonda set some loops early on and began to weave a narrative, Anspach following close behind on some subtly-delayed marimba piano.
From there, the four band members became one unit and uncorked an extended and breathtakingly beautiful jam that was perfectly suited to the early stages of sunset we were in at the end of the first set. Mitarotonda hinted at some “One In, One Out” riffs as the peak drew closer, uplifting all members of the audience into a space where you’d be hard-pressed not to have your arms in the air and a huge smile on your face.
Energized by the awesome end to the first set, the band returned for the second frame ready to party – and there’s nothing that fits that vibe more than a classic “Arrow” > “Hollywood Nights” > “Arrow” sandwich. The crowd went nuts for the Seger – as per usual – and Mitarotonda took the lead on an inside-the-box “Arrow” jam that allowed him to flex his guitar chops through a sustained burst of energy.
The tour’s first “Everything Must Go” carried the improvisational weight of the second set, the band executing 15 minutes of excellent minor-key interplay with Weekz pushing through in the leadership role he has borne so often over the past week. Anspach and Mitarotonda duelled in the tense space, driving atop Ellis’ aggressive beat to a screaming peak and seamless return to the song.
“Red Bird” came next and seemed poised for a big jam, but the band spaced out almost immediately into the first “Trevor Reads Poetry” since the band’s last show in Spokane (“Spokane Word”). Weekz read out a poem entitled “Frogs” by Remo Perini as Anspach strapped on his guitar and tuned up in preparation for the band’s debut cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Moby Dick.”
In celebration of the late John Bonham’s birthday and Ellis’ fondness for Zeppelin (he plays in Vermont-based cover band Nico Suave and the Mothership when not on tour with Goose), the band tore through the iconic classic rock song with Anspach handling the Jimmy Page leads with great aplomb and a huge grin on his face.
For the drum solo, Ellis played first with his hands and then sticks, unleashing a mind-blowing several minutes where he put his incredible chops on full display, the rest of the band watching from the other side of the stage in delight. This cover is absolutely MUST-hear Goose and I sincerely hope it’s not just a one-and-done – they nailed it and just reinforced how INSANE Ellis is at the drums.
The show concluded with a quick 10-minute “Tumble” encore, getting in just before curfew with one last burst of dancing and fun.
While Spokane may have been the least jammy show of the tour so far, it managed to go beyond the usual “vibes night” energy with great flow, a HUGE cover debut, and a general feeling that the band themselves were having a ball on stage.
Tour continues tonight in Boise before heading south for one-offs in Las Vegas and Phoenix on Tuesday and Wednesday. Livestreams of the full tour are available exclusively to nugs All Access subscribers.