On December 26, 2017; Connecticut-based band Goose posted the following message on their Facebook page: “It gives us great pleasure to officially announce the addition of Peter Anspach to the flock full time! Welcome to the family! We love ya buddy!!” The announcement of Anspach joining the band received a grand total of 80 likes, six comments and a whopping one share. Despite the little acclaim the announcement received at the time, the decision to add Anspach — which truly marked the start of Goose as currently constructed — may go down as one of the most important in the next chapter of jam scene history.
Goose has blown up over the past six months as the lineup of guitarists Anspach (who unbelievably decided to add keyboards to his arsenal after joining the group, which might come as a surprise to those who have seen just how good he is on keys) and Rick Mitarotonda, bassist Trevor Weeks and drummer Ben Atkind gelled in the 18 months prior and developed a signature sound, merged songs from Anspach’s previous band (Great Blue) with their own ever-growing repertoire of originals and delivered inspired performances at the all the right places chock full of inventive cover selections. The latest display of Goose’s unprecedented rise came over the weekend when they played concerts in New York City at the Bowery Ballroom on Friday and at the Music Hall Of Williamsburg on Saturday — each of which sold out quickly after tickets went on sale. Saturday’s concert was a fine example of why the quartet is worthy of the hype and showed they are the real deal, not a marketing ploy. Because at the end it’s the music that matters, and Goose’s music is really good.
