Home Run In Holmdel: Watch Goose Unleash Outrageous 3-Song 2nd Set At Fall Tour Opener (2024)

The band debuted “Draconian Meter Maid” and “Big Modern!” as part of a barn-burner at PNC Bank Arts Center on Sunday.

By Scott Bernstein Sep 2, 2024 • 4:06 pm PDT

There’s not much commonality between Wilton, Connecticut and Holmdel, New Jersey on the surface level. Yet when you dig a little deeper, both suburbs are an hour’s drive from New York City (sans traffic) and lie in the massive shadow of the Big Apple. So it was fitting that Goose, the pride of Fairfield County, started their biggest tour yet at the pride of Northern Monmouth County, the PNC Bank Arts Center on Sunday (September 1).

And dig in deep Goose did, beginning the cross-country jaunt with a jam-heavy barn-burner that featured a pair of debuts. The two live premieres included “Draconian Meter Maid,” Goose’s first take on a song from drummer Cotter Ellis’ days in Swimmer and the +38-minute “Big Modern!” as part of a monster three-song second set.

Goose did steady business two hours from their hometown and within a region with a dedicated fanbase that has supported the band since their early days touring beyond Connecticut. While nearly 9,000 tickets were sold to the tour opener at the 17,00-capacity shed leading into the day of the show, many either made the last-minute decision to attend based on the beautiful weather or held off to lay their money down until just before showtime. Both the pavilion and lawn were filled with the quintet’s fervent followers, but neither was packed to an uncomfortable level.

The crowd’s reaction was loud as the band took the stage, and boisterous chants of “Goooooose” came up from the land of “Bruuuuce.” Goose fed off the energy during the potent “Flodown” opener before rolling through the Jackson Browne/Warren Zevon-influenced “Mr. Action.”

Goose’s current tour is Cotter Ellis’ second behind the kit for the group. The drummer has gelled so well that the uninitiated might be surprised to learn he joined the band six months ago. Ellis took the next step in integrating with Goose by leading the group through “Draconian Meter Maid.” While the song dates back to his previous original band, Swimmer, it fits well within the Goose repertoire just like multi-instrumentalist Peter Anspach‘s Great Blue tunes “Yeti,” “Pancakes” and “Doc Brown.”

“Draconian Meter Maid” was used to launch the initial extended improvisation of the evening. Guitarist Rick Mitarotonda focused on rhythms for the bulk of the jam with Anspach milking the Clavinet for all its worth to bring the debut to a close. Goose then took “Drive” for a ride and showed off a different side of their musicality with the pulsating tension of “Seekers On The Ridge Pt. 1” and the euphoric release of “Seekers On The Ridge Pt. 2.” An adventurous version of “Same Old Shenanigans,” one of just three originals played in Holmdel pre-dating Anspach joining the band, brought the set to a close complete with stellar slap bass solo from Trevor Weekz.

Goose was ballsy in devoting half of the second set at a huge gig to a brand-new song. “Big Modern!” was a revelation and showcased marked growth in the band’s songwriting ability. The new composition has a catchy chorus and features one of the hardest-hitting metal-tinged segments yet in a Goose original. “Big Modern!” contained an expansive jam that moved from an early guitar-driven peak to a creeping, ominous exploration. The improvisation was at times frantic and at others menacing. Mitarotonda has added notes to the one that in past years seemed at the heart of most jams. It’s exciting to think about the future of “Big Modern!” considering Goose brought the song out of the woodshed with a 38:32 minute unveiling.

After a massive cheer for the lengthy set opener, Goose lit into “Feel It Now,” another relatively new song that debuted in March of 2023. The Anspach-helmed original was a disco-tinged dance party with Mitarotonda dropping the hammer once again. Goose treated fans to the beloved “Madhuvan” to punctuate the closing stanza. The quintet patiently built a full head of steam on the decade-old song before bringing the 23-minute version to an explosive climax. Lighting director Andrew Goedde added new elements to his bag of tricks, including a really cool use of haze during peaks and wowed throughout the evening. It’s impressive how Goedde has adapted to larger venues so quickly.

Peter Anspach thanked the crowd when Goose returned to the stage for the encore. “This is gonna be a helluva tour we’re on right now,” Anspach exclaimed before promoting the next few stops on the run. Goose capped the night with a crowd-pleasing cover of Marvin Gaye’s “Don’t Do It” played in the style of The Band.

The group’s next stop is a three-night stand at Boston’s MGM Music Hall at Fenway Park from Monday, September 2, through Wednesday, September 4. nugs.net subscribers can watch the livestreams for free.

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Setlist (via ElGoose.net)

Set One: Flodown[1], Mr. Action, Draconian Meter Maid[2], Drive > Seekers on the Ridge pt I > Seekers on the Ridge pt II, Same Old Shenanigans

Set Two: Big Modern![2], Feel it Now, Madhuvan

Encore: Don’t Do It

• [1] Flopener.
• [2] FTP.

Official Audio (via nugs.net)

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