Show Review - Goose 6/29/23 Scranton, PA
Goose returned to the Peach Music Festival in Scranton, PA last night for a two-set affair in the Thursday night headlining slot. While lighter on jams, the sets were flawless in terms of song selection, execution, and energy.
The night began with “Feel It Now,” the Peter Anspach song that has been a second set staple since debuting at the Capitol Theatre in March. Last night marked its first time in the first set – and it worked in that slot perfectly. The packed Montage Mountain crowd vibed into the ensuing “Mr. Action” that saw Anspach shine again during his dextrous piano solo.
“Rockdale” gave the first extended improvisation of the night as guitarist Rick Mitarotonda dug in on the Vasudo classic with grimy funk. The dual-drum attack of Ben Atkind and Jeff Arevalo locked in on the shuffle beat in the initial space before a cue from Mitarotonda struck them into double-time. Anspach attacked his piano with infusions of klezmer as the jam picked up more and more speed. A perfect landing in the euphoric ending to the song had the crowd roaring with approval ahead of a straight-ahead rendition of “Lead Up,” Mitarotonda squeezing every last bit of tension and power from his guitar solo.
First-set staple “Turbulence & The Night Rays” gave way to an extended romp through “Butter Rum,” bassist Trevor Weekz taking a turn at the helm as he drove the band into a dark and steamy groove. Anspach covered everything with a layer of synthesizers as the peak approached with ferocity, closing the first set in style.
The second frame opened with one of Goose’s best covers, Fat Freddy’s Drop’s “Fish in the Sea.” Played for the first time on the quintet’s summer tour, the band once again dove into the grime as lighting director Andrew Goedde swirled colours and patterns across the inside of the packed pavilion. Anspach led the band through “Red Bird,” which landed in a gorgeous major-key jam infused with exceptional piano work – the keyboardist entered into a beautiful conversation with Mitarotonda in a more active jamming style that is becoming more prevalent as Goose matures.
A perfectly-placed “Silver Rising” (despite brief guitar tuning issues) had the audience howling before “Drive” was fired up. While this song has been played a number of times in 2023, it has remained jamless since the monstrous 28-minute version from the Capitol Theatre on March 8th. That all changed at Peach as Mitarotonda struck into the propulsive “second jam.” Superfans in the crowd yelled with excitement as loops and textures were set by both guitarists. Atkind leaned heavily into the cowbell throughout the “Drive” jam, and while it didn’t stray far from the song proper, it was a display of a unique and layered sound that we will no doubt see more of as the year progresses.
A modulation within the improv led to a seamless segue into “Hollywood Nights,” a cover that has recently become one of Goose’s most reliable ways to kick the energy up to another level coming out of a jam anywhere in the show. Cooling down with a beautiful and emotional reading of “726,” the Connecticut band closed their headlining slot with a ripping “Thatch” with exuberant clavinet work from Anspach.
Goose’s third appearance at Peach and their first as a headliner was a resounding success. From the Grove Stage in 2019 all the way to now, the festival has always been a special place for the band and they will no doubt be back in the future for even more monumental performances.
Read my full recap of the festival via JamBase here!