by Sean Reiter
Goose left no doubt that the time is NOW for the leader of the next generation of jam bands with a thrilling Saturday concert at Stanford’s Frost Amphitheater that blended long, creative jams with spectacular lighting. The more than 2 1/2 hour of music consisted of only 14 songs with very little talking or time in between – coming out to an average of about 11 minutes per song. Touring in support of their new album “Big Modern!” they played three new songs – “Savenger”, “POP” and the encore “Good Times / End Times”.
As they took the stage in the early evening summer sun to a roaring ovation, keyboardist/guitarist/vocalist Peter Anspach looked up at the crowd and surroundings and announced “Frost Amphitheatre – Is this the most beautiful venue there is?” The audience responded in the affirmative and the band kicked off the night with guitarist Rick Mitarotonda taking lead on “Same Old Shenanigans” as Anspach filled win with funky keys and synths, Trevor Weekz setting the deep and plunging bass and drummer Cotter Ellis (wearing an outfit that looked like a Northwest trapper in summer season) demonstrating his power.
Formed in 2014 in Connecticut by Mitarotonda, Weeks, and former drummer Ben Atkind, the decade of live music has seen them rise from playing basements and bars to headlining some of the biggest venues in America – including a two-night stay at Madison Square Garden this past June. The post-Covid years have seen them play The Warfield, Fox Theatre, Masonic and Frost here in the Bay Area, and though they only visited for one night at The Frost on this trip through, it seems like the band is destined to fill multiple nights arena visits (or Golden Gate Park?) in the Bay as well.
Goose’s approach to lighting has always been something to behold in concert and put them up top in the jam band live experiences. Lighting Designer and Director Andrew Goedde deserves to be called out for the spectacular job he has done in continually taking the lighting into new and imaginative formations that take a Goose concert to the next level. Saturday, Goose had The Frost lit up like it was a stadium concert with Goedde even driving terrific lighting during the early evening songs when the sun was present.
“Hot Tea” closed out the first set and the power completely cut out on the sound for about a full minute. The band kept playing the audience kept dancing and when it did come back, it seemed that both band and audience were completely aligned as though they had never bene interrupted. Coming back after the set break, Anspach told the audience. “You guys were great when the power went out.”
Goose kicked off the second set with an almost 30-minute “Madhuvan” that seemed to continually pick up power and steam – even as it swung in different directions. A cover of “Sinnerman” – one of Nina Simone’s most famous songs – took on Caribbean and African tones from both Anspach and Ellis. Transitioning into the song at the end of “Into The Myst” – the band went on a pulsating, nearly 10-minute jam that prevented anyone from standing still and served as the highlight of the night for me.
