February 26, 2022 is a day I will remember for the rest of my life. The last time I was this excited to see a band for the first time was for Phish in June 2012. Just over two years since the 1/25/20 “Hot Tea” earwormed me and I dove into the Goose rabbit hole, I was finally able to see them live – and not just any show. The eighth annual Goosemas celebration at and their first ever show in an arena, at Mohegan Sun.
Mohegan Sun was absolutely bursting at the seams from the beginning of the day. I spent most of the afternoon at the PhanArt “The Hometown Flodown” show (shoutout to the El Goose Times and GrooveSafe crew) before heading into the venue a little before showtime. I was stationed with one of my Always Almost There co-hosts Neal on the floor Peter side.
Goosemas VIII was not about massive jams. It was about a single statement: this band is built for arena rock.
Three sets with nary a ballad, two debuts, and a distinct shift away from the expected songs (I hit just two of my Fantasy Goose picks that were largely comprised of longtime setlist staples). Percussionist Jeff Arevalo even remarked how he was glad they had to reschedule Goosemas from December – this gave the band the opportunity to incorporate many of their more recent songwriting efforts that had yet to be debuted in 2021.
The lights dropped around 8:15 and thousands of people simultaneously yelled “GOOOOOOOSE!”. The band walked on stage and started into holiday classic “Linus and Lucy,” Peter’s special grand piano shining from the get-go. Ripping a hot “Yeti” next, the energy in the venue seemed to grow with each note as I basked in finally hearing one of my favourite bands live for the first time.
After “Yeti” came a fantastic “Atlas Dogs,” one of the best songs debuted by the band in 2022, Peter yet again shining on piano. The sound in the room was crystal-clear, and Spuds’ tom work especially cut right through and sent vibrations through the room.
The uptempo “Echo of a Rose” arrangement came next and got my feet grooving through another fantastic jam. The big musical focal point of the night, as mentioned earlier, was Peter’s grand piano. Dominating almost every jam with its incredibly deep sound, the ivories were sounding phenomenal.
The first set came to a close with an always-fiery “So Ready” and a new, reworked “Silver Rising.”
Goose came out swinging in set two with a “Rockdale” that built to FIVE peaks and rivals the 11/21/21 version for G.O.A.T. status (note: this is a #HastyRank and is subject to change). A song that has become special to me recently, “Red Bird” (written about Peter’s mother), began with soft “Vintage Vibe” work as we all were #StraightBirdn. Continuing the theme of the night, the jam was relatively short, packed some serious energy, and faded nicely into “Rosewood Heart.” The band made the long-awaited live debut of Nina Simone’s “Sinnerman” before blasting into “The Empress of Organos” to close the set.
“Empress” is one of my favourite songs and I was OVER THE MOON to see it live at my first show. From Trevor’s bass solo to the blistering peak, I was dancing my ASS off until the end and was just about to head to the bathroom when Spuds grabbed the mic and called his girlfriend Sam on stage.
What followed was an incredibly heartfelt proposal (somehow not involving potatoes) as the whole arena cheered the two of them on.
Set three consisted of three songs, all 2022 debuts and the first three songs on the upcoming Dripfield album.
“Borne” opened the final frame, and while it lacked the extended groove-based jam of its L.A. and Seattle counterparts, Rick and Peter’s guitar/synth build seemed to stretch out forever as Andrew Goedde’s expanded arena-size light rig washed colours and patterns over the audience.
Moving next into the debut performance of “Hungersite,” the band established it quickly as a top-notch jam vehicle as the energy in the venue continued to climb higher and higher.
The jamming highlight of the show, however, would come in the live debut of “Dripfield.” The title track to the band’s upcoming album and most recent single release, this song showcases the dual-drummer attack of the band in a Peter Gabriel-esque vibe (Thank you Becky Chinman for that fantastic parallel!) that came close to shaking the walls. A jam like the San Francisco “Wysteria” but without some of the evil, Spuds’ incredible tom work pushed Rick and Peter’s dueling guitars into a churning and rhythmic groove that stretched for minutes (#HastyRanking as a top jam of the year so far).
There was only one song that the band could encore with, despite the setlist saying “Tumble.” Mohegan ERUPTED as Rick strummed the familiar opening chords to “Arcadia” and thousands of people sang along to the lyrics of what is arguably the quintessential Goose song. The band drove this jam into a piano-led and bright space before the second-ever “slow ending” (LTP 6/18/21) to the song built into the typical scorching final “Arcadia” solo to end the third set.
Mark my words: this was Goose’s first arena show, but it is far from the last. The band’s sound will continue to evolve and grow, and so too will its fanbase. We are incredibly lucky to witness this growth firsthand and I can’t wait to continue listening to and enjoying every note they play for decades to come.
There was a moment during “Arcadia” where I realized that decades from now, I’ll be taking my children to Goose concerts and passing on the live music gift that my dad has given me my whole life. Thank you to this incredible band for welcoming me (second set “American Woman” and all) and cultivating an environment of positivity and love while producing some truly mind-blowing music.
Shoutout to everybody who came up and said hello at Mohegan as well – such an honour and a pleasure to meet all of you!!
And an extra-HUGE thank you to Jake Silco for bringing me on Goose tour as assistant/driver – having the opportunity to travel and see this band is amazing!!
Tune into a special Always Almost There Goosemas recap episode here.
Goose – Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, CT – Goosemas VIII – February 26, 2022
Set 1: Linus and Lucy, Yeti, Atlas Dogs > Echo of a Rose, So Ready, Silver Rising
Set 2: Rockdale, Red Bird > Rosewood Heart, Sinnerman*, Empress of Organos
Set 3: Borne, Hungersite* > Dripfield*
Encore: Arcadia
* First time played
