On February 26, 2022, I attended my first Goose show at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT. It was the band’s largest headlining show to date, packing the arena with thousands of eager fans for the eighth annual Goosemas tradition.
I will never forget the feeling of the energy that night – a celebration of all that the band had accomplished in order to make their way to that point. As crazy as that was, we all knew it was just the beginning…
Fast-forward 16 months – I walked into SPAC last night for once again what was Goose’s largest headlining show to date. From the first moment to the last, you could feel the exuberance of the audience and band alike as everyone in attendance basked in the glow of one of our favourite bands taking the next step up in their meteoric rise.
From my vantage point inside on Trevor side, I could clearly see the joy on the band members’ faces as they played a historic venue where they had seen so many concerts exactly a decade after the final Vasudo show took place at a Phish SPAC after-party.
The Rick Mitarotonda-heavy show began with a powerful “Silver Rising,” the vocal harmonies perfectly settling in the crowd ahead of his usual screaming solo. The bluesy “California Magic” led to an extended and rocking “Animal” where Mitarotonda could not let the jam go, building tension to a series of great peaks.
The sole Peter Anspach tune of the night came with “Red Bird,” which also featured the first lengthy improv of the concert. Patiently building within the song proper, a mellow peak was reached before Mitarotonda led the quintet into a funky motif. Drummer Ben Atkind’s popcorn snare cut right through the mix as the improv progressed and Anspach sprinkled an arpeggiated synth across it. Clocking in at just over 19 minutes, this first set centrepiece was an amazing vibe for early evening.
“Same Old Shenanigans” was tapped as the set closer and had the crowd in a frenzy throughout the euphoric final organ and guitar solos. The multi-part odyssey penned by Mitarotonda many years ago was the first song in the set to have its debut before 2022 – a clear choice by the band to focus on the newer material as they look forward to the future.
The entire venue was abuzz at setbreak, and eagle-eyed fans spotted “Coach” Jon Lombardi walking on stage during the break with his infant son Bodie, the pride and joy evident on his smiling face.
A nod to Vasudo keyboardist and Mitarotonda’s songwriting partner Matt Campbell came with the second-set opening “The Empress of Organos,” one of the last songs performed at the fateful final gig a decade ago. The crowd participation in the build before the chorus felt even more impactful as somewhere in the neighbourhood of 12,000 people raised their hands and joined a grinning Anspach in clapping. I was overcome with joy in this moment, looking around the legendary amphitheatre as people got involved with incredible passion.
Bassist Trevor Weekz took his usual bass solo and pushed the jam into a minor-key space from the get-go. Mitarotonda kept going in that vein, first in a steady-yet-slight departure from the main theme but gradually getting darker and darker. This was really the guitarist’s finest moment of the night, shredding like an absolute madman. It’s clear that the Jake Cinninger sit-in from last weekend had lasting effects…
Crossing the 20-minute mark with an explosive finish, Goose offered up the lone cover of the night in the form of David Gray’s “Please Forgive Me.”
Celebrating its 20th play since debuting last fall in Glens Falls, “Thatch” was undoubtedly the highlight of the second set. Percussionst Jeff Arevalo has said a number of times how this is his favourite song to play in the catalogue – and it is evident each and every time in the fervor with which he attacks his percussion setup.
Arms were raised and voices screamed the lyrics as the crunchy clav groove dominated the sound. Anspach led the rest of the band into a more mellow groove than normal, leaving space for the improvisation to breathe and expand beyond its boundaries.
The lengthy funk section (complete with “Tequila” teases) smoothly transitioned into a brighter key as the quintet rode the line between major and minor. Anspach laid down atmospheric clav textures as the rhythm section pounded away at the groove, Mitarotonda gradually increased the intensity before a wild return to the song complete with “Jebb bombs” aplenty.
I finally got my first “This Old Sea” last night – one of my favourite Goose ballads that I had been chasing. The emotional song was the perfect late-set breather ahead of a set-closing “Dripfield.” The massive drum sound of Atkind and Arevalo blasted through the venue as Anspach donned his guitar for the only time of the night. The duelling guitarists ripped through the churning jam with huge grins (mostly by Anspach).
As the band returned for the encore, most of the audience knew that there was only one song that could fill the slot – “Factory Fiction.” Always making an appearance at special shows recently, this is another catchy and well-written Vasudo song that has found a perfect home with Goose. The massive crowd ERUPTED at the first notes and the energy stayed at its peak throughout the whole song.
One cool and notable change from previous versions of “FF” came at the beginning of the jam segment – instead of plunging headlong into it, the band came to a complete stop and whipped up a bit of space before departing into a grimy and dark mode. Atkind slammed into an aggressive beat that led the improv for a few minutes ahead of one final explosion of musical euphoria as band and crowd alike finished the show on an absolute high note.
In my review of 2/26/22, I noted that Goose stepped into their first arena show with an intent to prove their worth in that large setting – and more than did so.
Last night, that need to prove themselves wasn’t nearly as present – instead, a prevailing feeling of accomplishment and joy at how far they have come as a band was in the air.
Many large Goose shows recently have been full of first-timers, people checking out the latest up-and-coming band, but last night felt like a reunion of superfans, people from all over converging on a venue in upstate New York to celebrate five guys from Connecticut and the incredible music they have created.
With their summer tour coming to an end tonight at Levitate Music & Arts Festival, the band and crew take the next couple of months off for some much-needed rest and studio time before striking out on a big September tour and their first overseas jaunt in November.
To paraphrase my good friend Marc Komito: “Every Goose milestone is the best Goose milestone since the last Goose milestone until the next Goose milestone.”
Never miss a Goose show. Ever.