Dawn Of A New Era: Goose Plays 1st Concert With Drummer Cotter Ellis

Goose is back.

That’s the statement the quintet made last night at The Capitol Theatre as they returned for their first show of 2024 and first featuring new drummer Cotter Ellis.

After many months of uncertainty around the departure of founding drummer Ben Atkind in late December, the community has been abuzz with speculation in the days and weeks leading up to The Cap run, engaging in lively discussions about what the band might sound like – fueled by “teasers” released by the band in the form of the twin Gemini jams, Ted Tapes 2024, and the Chateau Sessions in early March.

It was immediately apparent from those recordings that Ellis was breathing a different kind of life into the Goose catalog, especially freshening improv that had begun to stagnate toward the end of 2023, so we already had an idea of what we’d hear going into last night’s show – or so we thought.

Over the course of two sets and just under three hours of music, the band blew the doors off of everything we could have predicted or hoped for, delivering stunning moments of improvisational greatness within jam staples, two debuts, a big-time cover bust out, and more.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a more fitting one-two punch to open these shows than “Flodown” and “Rockdale” – both are upbeat and crowd-pleasing songs that allow the band to ease into the show. At this point, at least for Goose, The Cap seems to have taken on the role of the “Rockdale,” a room they know well that’s within a quick drive of their hometown in nearby Connecticut. While neither of the first two jams ventured into Type II territory, the quintet locked in on a dirty ascending riff akin to Led Zeppelin’s “Heartbreaker” within the “Rockdale” jam, letting guitarist Rick Mitarotonda rip searing leads while showing off his new dual-Fender amp setup that’s producing his best-sounding tone in a long time.

Obviously, being the first show back, it would have made sense for the band to stick close to home for at least the first set, keeping the energy high while making sure everything was clicking onstage before really diving off the deep end. Instead, Goose embarked on a “Drive” of epic proportions as the third song of the show, spanning just over 30 minutes and cementing itself as the longest version in the band’s history.

All the recent practice at the Chateau was apparent from the jump as every member of the band seemed perfectly attuned to each other while exhibiting a hunger for the jamming that is atypical of Goose.

The initial deluge of guitar solos had lighting director Andrew Goedde painting every corner of the room with his new rig before they embarked on their first improvisational passage by way of a calming dual-guitar motif. Multi-instrumentalist Peter Anspach twined his riffs with Mitarotonda, utilizing different delays in tandem to craft a memorable soundscape over Ellis’ dynamic drumbeat. Patiently building the theme from there, the band slowly but surely ramped up the intensity, going from softer reverb-soaked melodies to all-out rock.

Riding the wave, Ellis pivoted his drumbeat as the peak died away and pushed the band into the “Drive” “second jam” without a return to the song or main riff – a smooth transition. Propelling forward, Anspach’s dark and angular guitar utilized his new Whammy pedal for some computerized chirps ahead of a switch on his part to keyboards.

Bassist Trevor Weekz initiated a major-key modulation, leading the next section as Anspach and Mitarotonda bent over their various toolkits of effects, layering and giving the rhythm section time to show off their fluidity and tightness. The upbeat mode continued to develop with an infusion of Anspach’s siren-like synth work before Mitarotonda pushed the band into a familiar progression that led to several peaks that could have easily transitioned into the ending of “SOS” at any moment.

After the explosion of energy and release of pent-up jamming that was the “Drive,” band and crowd alike took a minute to catch their breath amid raucous cheers and an incredible feeling of accomplishment before starting up a perfectly placed cooldown of “Seekers On The Ridge.” Mitarotonda flexed his chops again on the second part as the energy in the room seemed to reach a new high with each fiery phrase.

Continuing the amazing first set, we were treated to the Goose debut of “Hot Love & The Lazy Poet.” Penned by Mitarotonda and Matt Campbell for predecessor band Vasudo, this has long been a request of some die-hard fans and was met with an excellent response from the audience. Featuring a strong drum solo from Ellis, it was immediately apparent that “Hot Love” will be here to stay and make its mark on future Goose setlists, another success of the Mitarotonda/Campbell songwriting combination.

Multi-instrumentalist Jeff Arevalo stood up from his percussion rig and strapped on a guitar for the set-closing debut of “SALT,” a brand-new Mitarotonda original that had just been completed within a couple of days. Anspach utilized his new organ pedalboard for some reverse-delay work (yes, reverse-delay organ) through the aggressive song, before the jam just tore the roof off the room, closing the 80-minute first set on the top of the mountain.

Returning from set break, the lone cover song of the night came in the form of the first “Eminence Front” since November 13, 2021, breaking a 180-show gap to massive cheers from the crowd. Ellis and Arevalo demonstrated the fruits of their practice with a ferocious double-drummer performance, each snare and cymbal hit coming in perfect sync with some sweet moments of interplay within.

Fading into a wash of synth, Anspach turned to the crowd and raised his hands, signaling the opening claps of “Pancakes.” This jam highlight of the night – at least in my opinion – was an absolute behemoth. In this superlative-soaked review, I’m going to try to do this jam justice, but you really just have to go hear it to believe it.

Taking their time in the initial Type I section, Anspach and Mitarotonda engaged in some relaxed interplay, circling each other and searching for the vein of inspiration that would inform the next part of the jam. Ellis’ beat took on tinges of “Tomorrow Never Knows,” especially in the tom work, while Anspach sprinkled bright piano licks on top.

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Mitarotonda introduced a darker tone and the band responded in kind, beginning to build a simmering wave of darkness. Anspach’s marimba tones added a percussive base layer as the whole band locked in as one to build the churn. Mitarotonda built and built and built, exploding back into euphoria after exploration of a single idea much like last year’s “Echo Of A Rose” in Philadelphia. A strong return let Arevalo go wild on his percussion rig as the song ended with a bang, leaving us all breathless and eager to see what would come next.

“Creatures” was tapped as a mid-set dance party and featured a revised arrangement – the bridge before the jam was preceded by a brief spacey interlude, an addition that suits the song well. As the jam began, Anspach laid down some foundational sounds with his new Sequential OB-6 synthesizer before leading the way on some bouncy Vintage Vibe electric piano work.

The party vibe was not to last, however, as the short jam dissolved into a very different opening to “Everything Must Go” than we’re used to. If you thought the standout version from Red Rocks in October was the final form of this song – you were sorely mistaken, as last night’s version quickly cemented itself as the new G.O.A.T. rendition. Ellis’ take on the song proper was absolutely phenomenal and gave new dynamic life to the well-written tune, but the jam was a beast unto itself.

Dropping into a minor key from the jump, Ellis propelled forward with a ride cymbal-heavy beat as Anspach and Mitarotonda dueled back and forth on aggressive comping and lead work. Arevalo’s cymbal crashes and timbale rolls were a perfect complement to the steady drumbeat and elevated the music as Mitarotonda pushed for modulation into a major key Type II space.

Brimming with confidence, Goose engaged in a blissed-out peak, full of an energy that can only come late in a show when you know that you’re absolutely on top of the game. Not to be outdone, the band obliterated one last major peak and then dropped quickly into a propulsive funk zone reminiscent of the Chateau “Hungersite.” Anspach attacked his clavinet, shredding through a gritty segment. Locking into a cowbell-centric groove akin to the older “All I Need” second jams, Mitarotonda gave Anspach the spotlight as the latter returned to marimba. The guitarist returned to the fold with a smooth infusion of “EMG” that led to a powerful conclusion to the song.

Goose then gave us a look into what life would be like if they weren’t a jam band – “This Old Sea” complete with Arevalo on acoustic guitar for the first time ever. Already one of the best songs in the Goose catalog, it was elevated by the new acoustic additions, and Arevalo kept the guitar on to add to the ensuing jam, acting as a great counterpoint to Mitarotonda’s leads.

One of the highest-energy moments of the entire night came as the “Sea” jam dissolved smoothly into the opening chords of “Factory Fiction,” a song Goose reserves for the most special shows – and one conspicuously left off the table at last year’s five-night Capitol Theatre run. Pandemonium ensued inside the room for the fan-favorite song as Goose blasted through the set closer with huge grins and the same vibe of unlimited confidence they had displayed all night.

Continuing the trend of new arrangements, the encore’s “Yeti” eschewed the typical Anspach guitar solo in favor of a two-guitar funk jam, digging into an amazing pocket and just having an absolute ball. Anspach ventured out of his corner and danced over to stand near Weekz, whose intense slapping seemed to vibrate the foundations of the building. Trevor Bass, indeed!

With one last burst of energy, the crowd roared as the band took their bows, closing the first show of this new era of Goose with a feeling that absolutely anything can happen. The band is invigorated, the jams are fresh, and with three nights to go, there are sure to be even higher highs.

GOOSE IS BACK. But they never really left.

Setlist (via El Goose.net)

Set One: Flodown[1], Rockdale, Drive[2], Seekers On The Ridge Part I > Seekers On The Ridge Part II, Hot Love & The Lazy Poet[3], SALT[4]

Set Two: Eminence Front, Pancakes, Creatures > Everything Must Go, This Old Sea -> Factory Fiction

Encore: Yeti

Notes:

• This was Cotter’s first show as a member of Goose.
• Eminence Front was played for the first time since November 13, 2021 (180 shows)
• [1] Flopener.
• [2] Unfinished.
• [3] FTP as Goose.
• [4] FTP.