The 10th anniversary of Goose has been equal parts bittersweet and transformational. The band came into the year down a drummer, after the departure of Ben Atkins, one of the band’s founding members, in December 2023.
A change like that can be a big blow to a group like Goose. Ben, in particular, had migrated with guitarist Rick Mitarotonda and bassist Trevor Weekz from their previous band, Vasudo, to their current one in 2014. But Ben’s exit still left plenty of talent in place—and, apparently, an added drive to revive its history in spectacular sonic detail. Now that Cotter Ellis is commanding Ben’s former spot on drums—next to Jeff Arevalo on percussion and Peter Anspach on keys and guitar—Goose has made a concerted effort to reach deeper into its Vasudo roots on its latest tour.
That trend continued on the final Friday of September, as Goose’s new lineup made its Los Angeles debut on a crisp night at the Greek Theatre.
The first set of the band’s second-ever show at the famed Los Feliz amphitheater drew particularly heavily from the catalog of Goose’s forerunner. After opening with “Dr. Darkness”, they stepped into the past to relive the Vasudo track “Hot Love & the Lazy Poet”. They went on to send the audience into set break with Vasudo’s “Give It Time”, with its interpolation of tempos—and plenty of wicked riff work from Rick.
In between, Goose dug back into its own early repertoire for “Turned Clouds” and a fast version of “Echo of a Rose”, performed their new song “Big Modern!” for just the fifth time ever, and paid their respects to the Golden State with a cover of L.A. native Ilsey’s “No California”.
All told, the first set was fairly mellow, save for Rick rocking out during “Big Modern!” The second set, on the other hand, was rip-roaring with raucous and righteous energy from the get-go.
Goose emerged from intermission with its 10th-ever play of The Who’s “Eminence Front” before slipping into a 30-plus-minute “Dripfield”. The extended jam on the latter gave Rick plenty of opportunity to shred.
The band then embarked on a roundabout run through Great Blue’s “Yeti”, with Peter playing bits of lead guitar. In the middle of that cover, Goose dropped in another—Foster the People’s “Pumped Up Kicks”—complete with yet another ripping Rick solo.
Jeff joined Rick on guitar for a more mellow vibe on “Arise”, which gave attendees just enough of a reprieve to prepare for the spectacular finish that followed. The crowd went wild for another Moon Cabin favorite, “Arcadia”, as the band’s mesmerizing lighting rig lit up with the letter-by-letter spelling of G-O-O-S-E.
For an encore, Goose got everyone back up out of their seats and dancing by way of “Hot Tea”. But before that fun and funky finale, Peter took a moment to thank the audience for showing up to the Greek again and making Goose feel at home some 2,500 miles away from their base in Wilton, Connecticut.
The band’s bespectacled spokesman also offered his gratitude to those fans who had congratulated them on their decade together. “We’re looking forward to at least 10 more years,” he said, through his mustachioed smile.
Time will tell if Goose gets another 10 years, or perhaps even more. Between their always-tight instrumental skills, ever-expanding songbook, mind-bending stage production, and a fanbase that continues to glom onto all of the above, they have the makings of a group with staying power well into the future.
Goose knows as well as any band, though, that change can come quickly. For now, they can feel confident in their current lineup, with Cotter proving himself more than capable in Ben’s stead.
No matter what the long-term future holds for Goose, this much is certain: They will play 20 more shows together between now and the end of 2024, including a two-night New Year’s Eve run at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas. For a full list of upcoming shows, visit the band’s website, and to purchase tickets, head here.
Scroll down to view Friday’s setlist, and click below to view a gallery of photos courtesy of photographer David Tracer.
Goose – “Dr. Darkness”, “Hot Love & The Lazy Poet” (Vasudo) – 9/27/24
Setlist [via El Goose]: Goose | Greek Theatre | Los Angeles, CA | 9/27/24
Set 1: Dr. Darkness, Hot Love & The Lazy Poet > Turned Clouds, Echo of a Rose[1] > No California[2], Big Modern!, Give it Time
Set 2: Eminence Front[3] > Dripfield[4] > Yeti -> Pumped Up Kicks[5] -> Yeti, Arise > Arcadia
Encore: Hot Tea
Coach’s Notes:
[1] Fast version. Unfinished.
[2] Ilsey Juber.
[3] The Who.
[4] Unfinished.
[5] Foster The People.
Show Notes: Arise was played for the first time since March 10, 2023 (126 shows).
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