Letting Loose With Goose

By Kel Kawas
The electrifying Connecticut based funk-folk quartet Goose has been creating waves up and down the east coast and across the country this year. Their unique sound – dance-inducing melodies paired with sublime lyrics and exploratory jam sections – has blown me away each time I have had the pleasure to see them. Rick Mitarotonda (guitar, vocals) is supported by Peter Anspach (guitar, keyboard, vocals) and a dynamic rhythm section consisting of Trevor Weekz (bass) and Ben Atkind (drums). While their music is what generates dancing for hours on end, it is their genuine personalities and contagious enthusiasm that keeps fans coming back for more.
Fresh off tour stops in Morgantown, Covington, and Norwalk, Goose were ready to join their feathered-friends Pigeons Playing Ping Pong on night one of their three-night run in Boston at the Paradise Rock Club on November 29th. As fans poured in early to the jam-packed venue it was unclear which attendees already loved Goose, and which attendees didn’t know that they loved them just yet.
The groovy gaggle of geese wasted no time wowing the audience, opening with their upbeat folk-inspired “Flodown,” that surely set the room in motion. “Time To Flee” followed, allowing Rick and Peter to show off their blissful harmonies and memorable lyrics that are both passionate and relatable.
“Ups and downs, all I know
This elevator rises too slow
Trapped inside with you
No way out, déjà vu.”

(Photographed by Vince Brazen) (Instagram: @wnwmedia)
Next up was the jam-vehicle “Jive I,” off the 2016 album Moon Cabin, which featured an extra improvised section, transforming it into a “Jive I Lee.” Totaling 18-minutes, Goose took listeners on a masterful journey that is best described as “deliberate.” Tension-building valleys were resolved by seemingly limitless peaks time and again as the crowd was stuck in a mesmerized state of uncontrollable dancing and sheer awe. At the end of the musical marathon that was “Jive I Lee,” attendees erupted into applause while the die-hards belted out the band’s name “Goose!”
It was at this point that the set took a turn back to the 70s with a cover of the disco-era classic “Disco Inferno,” by The Trammps. While Peter provided the lead vocals, Rick took over the backing vocal responsibilities and even included a stylistic vocal tease of “Cross Eyed & Painless,” the 1980 single from The Talking Heads’ fourth studio album Remain in Light. A tight rhythm section led by Ben and Trevor provided a funky backbone for the textured guitar solos and symphonic keyboard explorations, which once again impressed the scores of music aficionados that gathered in the Paradise Rock Club that evening.

(Photographed by Vince Brazen) (Instagram: @wnwmedia)
Following another applause, Goose transformed the chilly Boston night into a scorching-hot dance party with fan-favorite “Butter Rum.” Featuring a sensational island-inspired melody and lyrics, I watched with excitement as the crowd moved more than any other point in the set. A brilliant breakdown section was highlighted once more by sonorous guitar solos which carried the jam back into the final verse.
Finishing with a top-notch performance of “Hot Tea,” Goose had sufficiently prepared the audience for the 3-hour Pigeon journey they were about to embark on. It was clear; by the end of that dazzling set there would be nobody left in the venue who didn’t remember their name. They tend to leave a similar impression on every other venue they play! Be sure to catch Goose on the rest of their fall tour which ends with the Fifth Annual Goosemas on December 22 in Norwalk, Connecticut!

November 29, 2018 @ Paradise Rock Club (Boston, MA)
Flodown, Time to Flee, Jive I Lee, Disco Inferno, Butter Rum, Hot Tea
The Trammps
Cross Eyed & Painless vocal teases from Rick
First time playing at The Paradise
 

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