I started listening to Goose sometime in late 2019, after noticing an increasing amount of buzz about them in various jam band circles and forums. Regrettably, I was actually at Peach Festival in 2019 when they played their viral breakout set, but missed it, not knowing who they were at the time. As soon as I checked out their catalog seriously, I kicked myself hard for that. Their music was, simply put, fantastic. They were a jam band proper, putting out several improvisational art pieces ranging 15-20 minutes every show, and not a single one getting boring. Rick’s guitar style was simultaneously bluesy and jazzy, somehow both rootsy and exotic. The smiling and mustachioed Peter on the keys was the innocent, extraverted Yang to Rick’s brooding and creative Yin. The rhythm section was equally excellent, with sunglasses-at-night Trevor projecting a perpetual atmosphere of cool into the band’s vibe, and the plucky, talented Ben on the drums punctuating the band’s melodies with his snappy, percussive style. Overall, these guys had excellent chemistry as a band. They could masterfully change key, tempos and atmosphere on a moment’s notice, and could pull off tension and release dynamics with a mastery comparable to Phish. It was funky, groovy, trippy, moody, and sexy stuff. You could jump around and dance like crazy to it, or just sit back and let the bliss wash over you.
