The end of the year, along with Goosemas, is upon us once again. It's hard to believe how fast 2024 flew, and flew it did. Goose delivered the first night of the bingo themed Goosemas XI without a hitch at the North Charleston Coliseum on Friday, December 13th, much to the delight of the fans. The show included the mystery of the bingo balls, which included a couple of first time played covers.
Every Goosemas event has been structured slightly differently which only elevates the fan experience. This year, the band handed out pre-filled out bingo cards to those who requested them, and selected balls with songs written on them by the band staff. In contrast to the 2022 show in Broomfield, CO, the audience wrote their requests on balls, and the band selected them. However, these are the only Goosemas shows where songs were selected at random. The 2023 show in Hampton, VA featured a theme that drove numerous new covers and the 2022 Mohegan show (moved from 2021 because of covid) dispatched several new tunes that are today's heavy hitters.
The show began with a stage illuminated with a larger than life bingo back drop. An MC named Lucky Lou wore an Elvis inspired outfit walked on stage to start the event. The band emerged dressed as musicians from the 70's, including bassist Trevor Weekz as Rick James, complete with permed hair. The band began to play "Sirius" by the Alan Parson Project as the first tune, while the MC selected the first ball. This first time played song took some folks back to the nineties, until a ball displayed "Yeti" on the large LED screen next to the stage. The band went deep early with a twelve minute jam.
"Butter Rum" was the next ball selected by Lucky Lou, who did a lap around the stage holding the ball so that all could view, before throwing the ball into the crowd. This bubbly island tune morphed into a disco funk jam, complete with multi-instrumentalist Peter Anspach on the clav, before returning to "Butter Rum." Upon conclusion, Anspach took a moment to thank the crowd for making the trip to Charleston.
Lucky Lou selected the next ball: "Arcadia." This well known Moon Cabin jam vehicle evolved into a tasty back and forth between Anspach and guitarist RIck Mitarotonda, before Mitarotonda went into beast mode. Drummer Cotter Ellis and percussionist Jeff Arevalo held down the beats as this jam evolved. The song ended, and the balls were held as the The King, played by Goose Merchandise Manager Naveed Quarterman, arrived on the side stage, and assumed his position in the dunk tank. After several tries, and perhaps a bit of manual coaxing, The King was submerged. He was rumored to likely appear next at the merch table.
"Turbulance & The Night Rays" was plucked from the bingo machine by Lucky Lou. Weekz' bass line wove together the raging jam that ensued. "Silver Rising" emerged as the last bingo ball for the set. The band fired on all cylinders as they brought the music home to end this exciting first set of Goosemas.
The band returned for round two, and "Hot Love & the Lazy Poet" bubbled up in the bingo machine. We were stoked to see this 2024 debut, as we have mentioned how much we love this tune. Ellis and Arevalo had a nice drum solo during the jam. "Give It Time" popped up next, which is another 2024 debut that was written by the tandem of Mitarotonda and Matt Cambell. The song began mellow, and flowed into faster pace, driven by the stellar drums and percussion.
"Mr. Action" was chosen next, and was followed by "Hungersite," a tune that debuted at Goosemas IX at Mohegan Sun in 2022. A lengthy jam followed, with Weekz continuing to crush on the bass. Mitarotonda built a raging guitar jam that brought a smile to many faces. This gave way to more goodness on bass and keys, as this train continued to build speed into "Flodown," which was selected during the jam.
Lucky Lou picked "726," which gave the crowd a much needed chill moment. This was followed by the selection of "Bonus Ball 6," which prompted singer Nicole D'Elisa to join the band on stage for their first rendition of Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir." This emerging artist unfurled fuego vocals that contributed to a memorable version of this electrified seventies' classic. As this special cover wrapped, the dunk tank was unleashed once again. This time, social media celebrity and El Goose Facebook group admin Bruce Robinson took a turn in the tank on the side stage. After a few tries, he met the same fate as The King in set one.
"Into the Myst" followed, which turned into an eighteen minute exploration that went in many directions. New tune "Big Modern!" also took the fans a prolonged journey, though much more up tempo. The band returned for an encore that went long. This started with "SOS" aka "Same Old Shenanigans." Weekz continued to dominate during this Shenanigan's Nite Club tune.
"Seekers" was selected as the last ball for the evening from the large bingo machine behind the stage. This meant "Seekers on the Ridge pt 1" into "Seakers on the Ridge pt 2," a very beautiful tandem that featured some sweet guitar work by Mitarotonda, which sent the fans home reeling.
Goose is back in action on December 30-31 at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas. Tickets are available at this link. They are also heading down to Mexico for Viva El Gonzo in May 2025. Head on over to their tour page for details about all of their upcoming events.
Check out more photos from the show!
Band: Goose
Location: North Charleston, SC
Venue: North Charleston Coliseum
Date: December 13, 2024
Set One: Sirius[1], Yeti, Butter Rum, Arcadia, Turbulence & The Night Rays, Silver Rising
Set Two: Hot Love & The Lazy Poet, Give it Time, Mr. Action, Hungersite -> Flodown, 726, Kashmir.[2], Into the Myst[3] > Big Modern!
Encore: Same Old Shenanigans, Seekers on the Ridge pt I > Seekers on the Ridge pt II > (dawn)
Coach's Notes:
[1] The Alan Parsons Project. FTP.
[2] Led Zeppelin. FTP. Bonus Ball #6. With Nicole D’Elisa on vocals.
[3] Unfinished.
Set list via elgoose.net
