Leading up to the biggest show in the Wilton, CT band’s life, headlining Madison Square Garden on Saturday night, Goose made a rare club appearance on Monday at the 650-capacity Racket in Manhattan. The group was in mid-tour form, delivering a long set that showcased their style to some fans and a host of newcomers.
The unique show was a Marquee Member event held by WFUV for its top-tier supporters, and tickets were not available for purchase; instead, a lottery was held for fans. The crowd skewed older with less dancing and woo’ing than a typical Goose night as the band showcased their captivating mix of alt-rock, a touch of AOR, a dash of indie inspiration, and a whole heaping of feel-good rock.
This evening focused almost entirely on their recent release Everything Must Go, eschewing any cover material that typically litter the group’s setlists. The quartet, Rick Mitarotonda, Trevor Weeks, Peter Anspach, and Cotter Ellis started out with the light funk of “Animal” as Mitarotonda’s wah-wah effects rang throughout the tiny venue. “Hot Love & The Lazy Poet”, one of several Everything Must Go tracks composed by Mitarotonda and songwriting partner Matt Campbell, brought their modern jamband stylings to the forefront before segueing into “Hungersite,” which used ringing guitar and a Bruce Hornsby-inspired sound. At the same time, Ellis pushed the mid song excursion higher and higher with his strong drumming.
The most extended jam on the night arrived with newly minted fan-favorite “Dustin Hoffman” as the swirling keys and layers of sound flowed into a rocking “Lead Up” with Anspach adding a second guitar to wrap up the adventure. “Your Direction” felt inspired by The War On Drugs with synths and pulsing sounds, while “Atlas Dogs” rumbled to start with a fierce low end before the Pink Floyd-like psychedelia took over.
The cascading scales and big rock breaks highlighted the musical oddity “Iguana Song” which contained a stretched out mellow jam that was less effective, while the title track off their new album tastefully melded synths, drums and guitar work around a steady bass bump. “Give It Time” closed the set with well-timed hits before the encore of “Thatch” brought it all back home with more wah-wah funk, and a piano solo before Mitarotonda (whose guitar work is the well-deserved focal point) cycled throughout tones and styles.
While not a typical Goose outing, the night served to highlight their new album in front of a radio friendly crowd before they return to town this weekend to shake it down. Anspach closed the special event by saying “See you at the Garden” as Goose and their fans look forward to the big night.
