I was lucky enough to see Goose at Westville Music Hall, the old Yale Bowl in New Haven, this past Saturday night. They were wonderful, and it was my first show since The Brothers at MSG!!
It was a lovely sunny day. We got some thin crust New Haven pizza and had an hour to enjoy a beer in the lawn parking lot in the shadow of the venue. How nice to see a "parking lot scene." Goose keyboardist/ 2nd guitarist Pete Anspach has a Leon Redbone-style mustache, so a lot of the fan base has grown that same stache! Quite a sight.
Goose jammed. They opened with "Me and My Uncle" but then played all their own stuff. While they sure have a debt to Phish, especially in the lead guitarist's sound, they do their own thing, and they sing better. lol. The singer makes me think of Bob Welch.
Their jams often start with them locking into a very tight rhythmic pattern, with the singer/guitarist picking almost like Steve Morse, very tight and disciplined, and holding that pattern to build tension for a while before busting out into the wildness. Nice build-ups. They have an almost EDM pulse under some of their stuff, which added to the hypnotic feel that really moved the crowd through the grooves.
The security was mellow - lots of guards dancing! - and they had good beer. What a great start to the summer and the return of live music! I am grateful to have tickets lined up for some good stuff this year: Tommy Stinson from the Replacements, TTB outdoors in summer and at Beacon in fall, Wilco, King Crimson, BOC, and the Musical Box. Viva la musica!!!!
