We've said it many times: never miss a Goose Philly show. For some reason, they morph into superhuman musicians whenever they play in Philadelphia, PA. Their performance at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts last Friday, June 28, 2024, followed suit. The show included a pair of guest sit-ins and was Goose's biggest headlining show to date.
The set began with a spacey intro that built into 'The Whales,' which swam into a spirited 'Silver Rising.' Guitarist Rick Mitarotonda was on fire early and crushed the raging build-up at the end. This set the tone for the show, as he clearly stepped on stage ready to rock. A succinct 'Atlas Dogs' followed, taking a right turn straight into the dance-inducing 'Flodown.'
The band welcomed guitarist Rogers Stevens from Blind Melon on stage, and he joined them on electric guitar for 'No Rain.' The jam that followed included dueling guitars that wove around each other as the music moved back into 'No Rain.' This song was last played in Glasgow, UK, on November 15, 2023
Stevens was not the only guest on this special evening. As he exited the stage, Matt Quinn from the indie rock band Mt. Joy appeared and contributed vocals to 'California Magic.' 'A Western Sun' was up next, and this jam drove straight into a relentless, twenty-six-minute 'Tumble.' The resultant jam had multi-instrumentalist Peter Anspach on guitar and featured a few tasty moments of bassist Trevor Weekz soloing. The quintet came together to end the song and set on a high note.
The band returned for round two and began the music with the catchy 'Hungersite' from Dripfield. This version leaped into a twenty-one-minute jam, as drummer Cotter Ellis maintained an incredible speed. Mitarotonda was on fire with tension and release, but towards the end, the music took a distinctively darker direction.
The evil vibes disappeared as the band began playing 'In Your Eyes' by Peter Gabriel. This song had not been played in fifty-three shows, last performed on September 22, 2023, in Bonner, MT. The jam began tenaciously upbeat and mellowed into a funky simmer. Anspach had notable moments on the synth. Mitarotonda was in full-on face-melting mode before this twenty-five-minute beast of a jam mellowed into 'Red Bird,' ending this three-song second set.
The band took the stage for one final tune and played the jam vehicle known as 'Arcadia.' A layered jam ensued that included plenty of funk and blues rock, reaching an elevated conclusion that sent the fans home happy. Never miss a Goose Philly show, folks.
Goose will be back on tour starting in September at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ on September 1st. Tickets are available via this link. Hop on over to their tour page for more details on their stacked fall tour.
Check out more photos from Goose at the Mann Center. Also, view our prior summer tour 2024 coverage: Fiddler's Green, Fox Night One, Fox Night Two, and Fox Night Three.
Set One: The Whales > Silver Rising, Atlas Dogs > Flodown, No Rain1, California Magic2, A Western Sun > Tumble
Set Two: Hungersite, In Your Eyes3 > Red Bird
Encore: Arcadia
Coach's Notes:
[1] Blind Melon. With Rogers Stevens on guitar.
[2] With Matt Quinn on vocals.
[3] Peter Gabriel.
Set list via elgoose.net
