Weekend Recap: Goose at Playing in the Sand

Article Contributed by Greg Knight | Published on Tuesday, January 21, 2020

On the evenings of January 17 and 18, the high flying indie-groove band Goose joined musical supergroup Dead and Company at their third annual concert series, “Playing in the Sand.” The all-inclusive event was hosted by the Moon Palace Resort in Riviera Cancun Mexico.

Goose was invited to play three times over the week and after a rain-soaked mainstage set on Tuesday, the band settled at the Nizuc Pool stage to perform back-to-back late-night sets, both starting around midnight.

Night one was an opportunity for many of the traveling Deadhead attendees to see Goose for the first time, with over 50% of the attendees in the packed poolside amphitheater responding it was their first time seeing the band. The gaggle quickly won over the late-night revelers with a healthy mix of originals, including “Time to Flee,” “Yeti,” and “Hot Tea.”

The highlight of the night for many was experiencing Goose’s uncanny ability to venerate musical legends of yesteryear, presenting covers of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Green River,”  Bruce Hornsby’s “The Way It Is,” and a high energy rendition of Bobby Blue Bland’s “Turn on Your Love Light,” another Deadhead favorite.

NIght 2: 

Goose in Bobby's short shorts -- Playin in the Sand

Those familiar with the Grateful Dead, are familiar with the band’s sartorial contributions to the music scene, including tie-dye tinged clothing and thigh-high jean shorts, worn specifically by guitarist Bob Weir.

On Saturday night, Goose paid homage to Weir, as the quartet and their crew donned jorts for their final set of an incredible tropical weekend. Goose, playing on a poolside stage in the center of the Moon Palace resort, earned a significant increase of attendees after their Thursday night set, as partiers closed out the final performance on the Nizuc Pool stage with a nearly three-hour marathon of music with a cover-heavy set (setlist below). After the closing notes of “Jive Lee,” partiers were yearning for more as the cheers of the enthusiastic crowd echoed across the resort property.

Goose in Mexico - Playin in the Sand

Goose returns to the stage this weekend, for two sold-out shows. Friday night at Bowery Ballroom in Manhattan, NYC and Saturday night at the Music Hall of Williamsburg.

For more information visit goosetheband.com

Setlists: 

1.17.20 • Cancun, Mexico • Playing in the Sand • The Moon Palace

Set: Time to Flee, Green River {1}, Yeti, Drive {2} , The Way It Is {3}, Hot Tea, All I Need {4} > Electric Avenue {5}, Turn on Your Love Light {6}

Coach’s Notes:

{1} Creedence Clearwater Revival

{2} Shama Lama Ding Dong teases

{3} Bruce Hornsby

{4} Slow & melodic version of All I Need

{5} Eddy Grant

{6} Bobby Blue Bland

Set Start: 11:55pm Set End: 1:53am

Sound Check: Eliza Jane, W. S. Walcott’s Medicine Show

1.18.20 • Cancun, Mexico • Playing in the Sand • The Moon Palace

Set: Flopener {1}, Escape {2}, Tumble, Wysteria Lane > Echo of a Rose, Crosseyed & Painless {3}, Arcadia, Madhuvan > Wild Night{4}, Creatures, Don’t Do It {5}, Jive I > Jive Lee {6}

Encore: Me & My Uncle {7}

Coach’s Notes:

{1} Flodown opener

{2} Rupert Holmes

{3} Talking Heads

{4} Van Morrison

{5} The Band

{6} Handini teased ‘Chank’ by Scofield Medeski Martin & Wood

{7} John Phillips, Kurt said to the crowd “This one is for all the people that helped us get here”

The entire band was wearing jorts.

Start Time: 12:05am End Time: 2:37am

Sound Check: Jam, No Rain, I’m Alright > Make The Move

Next Show: 1.24.20 • Manhattan, NY • Bowery Ballroom

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