The Met welcomed Goose on March 24 and 25 2023 Review and Photography by Joel Shover
GOOSE are a quintet from Norwalk, CT featuring Rick Mitarotonda [vocals, guitar], Peter Anspach [vocals, keys, guitar], Trevor Weekz [bass], Ben Atkind [drums], and Jeff Arevalo [vocals, percussion, drums] and these guys are growing in fame and faster than Jack Herer can grow!
From the moment GOOSE announced two nights from their spring tour at the world-famous Philadelphia Metropolitan Opera house fans were scurrying to get their hands on a ticket for a least one if not both shows just to have a chance to hear the most amazing rhythm section coming up in rock today with Trevor, Ben and Jeff.
Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love, did not disappoint. Even the airport was flooded with fans, on of all days but, National Cheesesteak Day. Those fans were from all across the United States from states like Colorado and Oregon and Mississippi and those are just the ones I met going to the Met.
Upon arriving at the beautiful Four Points Sheraton that is only a short walk to the Met, I was greeted by the most wonderful staff and the view of the city wasn’t too shabby either. Every single employee at this hotel was so friendly I can’t wait to get back for another show!
Although I’ll go on record and say that we will be very lucky to ever see Goose at such a small intimate venue as beautiful as the Met again because of the band’s extreme popularity the next time they are in Philly look for them at a large arena just to accommodate all the fans, or perhaps a twelve-night run so everyone gets a chance! The crowd all knew this, and over the two-day run and it was discussed much with everyone in attendance and each discussion ended with agreement. These shows were special and we were about to have our minds blown!
Check out the full gallery of photos from night one here, by Joel Shover.
The short walk to the venue from the four points is filled with deep history and culture with plenty of sites to see along the way including Dunkin Donuts. So, I left my coat at the hotel and headed to the old ballroom. The venue was lit up with a full projection of liquid psychedelic art advertising the sold-out show. Fans were gathering, some with fingers in the air searching g for the beloved “Miracle”.
Love was definitely the theme for weekend but we only had one life to live for as the boys opened the run with “ROCKDALE”. This featured this first of many extended mind-blowing jams from Mitarotonda that had us all wanting to hear that voice calling, taking us back, to the wild again with “ATLAS DOGS”.
As you gazed around the venue looking around at all the insane lights you couldn’t help but notice that EVERYONE had a smile on their face and a groove going! “We are young, we are strong, as we stand waiting with no demands.” The band broke out the Pat Benatar hit “LOVE IS A BATTLEFIELD” for only the fifth time but it seems like this song will have a happy home in setlists to come! The tone of Mitarotonda’s Paul Reed Smith guitar is one that you will never forget the minute you hear it!
A future when you need it, you can teach the lights to dance, you’ve got the magic in your hands. “EVERYTHING MUST GO” took us through all the ups and downs a song can possibly provide! This is one of my favorites for sure! By now everyone in the Met was elevated to another realm with these jams.
A little fine tuning and we were off again with the Keys from Anspach taking us to the “OLD MAN’S BOAT” that also feature some thick bass from Trevor, as he had many more bass bombs in store for us this weekend. Someone in the crowd was overheard saying that they love this version of Lawn Boy. I thought to myself, me too! All comments aside this song is a smoker!
The band was about to turn it up some, so we all took to the rail grabbed our GOOSE and made a run with “THATCH” Weekz had the whole Met bouncing to every distinct note he smoothly played through his Elrick Gold Series bass. My love is for thee is this whole first set.
“ANIMAL” started the second set and took us deeper into the funkified wonder-verse than we had reached in the first set. We certainly could all “FEEL IT NOW” it was coming, the most epic version of “ECHO OF A ROSE” to date weighing in at a beasty 29 minute jam.
Just look around this city you must be out of your mind, and out of our minds we were as the boys “TURNED CLOUDS” and left the stage. The Goose was flying in had up near the rail and the crowd cheered for more as they came back for “MR. ACTION”
Thank you GOOSE for we are the “eyes behind the stories that you tell”
SETLIST:
Set 1:
Rockdale (Vasudo cover)
Atlas Dogs
Love Is a Battlefield (Pat Benatar cover)
Everything Must Go
The Old Man’s Boat
Thatch
Set 2
Animal
Feel It Now
Echo of a Rose (Fast Version)
Turned Clouds
Encore:
Mr. Action
On Saturday, I woke to the steady rain over the city but that didn’t stop the smiles. Some coffee and a trip to the Reading Market was in order along with the usual sites before making the walk back to The Met for night two!
A smooth soulful bluesy “Dr Darkness” opened the show and Trevor was sure to let everyone know this was his house tonight just from the pure sweet sound of his bass dominating the room with the funky keyed up sounds Ansapach was throwing at it him, this space was off to a solid start! The heady “YETI” was next and from the first slapping note the entire MET erupted into a dancing frenzy that included Peter himself erupting into a dancing guitar solo. Good times indeed.
Mitarotonda piped the calming vocals for “BORNE”. We didn’t know it at the time we were going on yet another thirty-minute elucidating reverie that these guys can only produce.
The groove didn’t stop there as Atkind and Weekz showed that they are the best bookends in the rock game, at their age with the jug-blues style The Band cover song “THE W.S. WALCOTT MEDICINE SHOW”
The very upbeat “BUTTER RUM” brought the energy even higher with a sweet island muffin sing along before we all became “SEEKERS ON THE RIDGE”. Though they gave all they had to give, the beast ran and vanished backstage again. Set break had most fans catching some crisp fresh Philly air outside before what was sure to be a fire second set.
While the banter roar is surely thriving it seemed as if the venue was more alive than before, and now as the warm air danced around me again, I knew it was “SOS” when the lights went down, but who turned down the lights? It all “LEAD UP” to this second time played jam.
We as fans are “SO READY” for anything GOOSE brings to us. For winds they are blowing, and clouds are turning fast into the “ROSEWOOD HEART” are those dreams of love and, they will not be my last. A love lit hue, what’s a naked view if I’m adjacent to you in this “DRIPFIELD” where you sitting? The band closed out the two-night run with “TURN ON YOUR LOVE LIGHT” and that light shined and is still shining as I write this review.
Check out the full gallery of photos from night two here.
I don’t think they could have written a more perfect setlist for this run at the Met.
Set 1
Dr. Darkness
Yeti
Borne (Double time feel)
The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show
(The Band cover)
Butter Rum
Seekers on the Ridge Pt. 1
Seekers on the Ridge Pt. 2
Set 2
SOS
Lead Up
So Ready
Rosewood Heart
Dripfield
Encore:
Turn On Your Love Light (Bobby “Blue” Bland cover) (with Secret Agent Man teases)
If you are not on this train already you should be! Go See Live Music……Till the next show….Joel
@Joelshoverphotography
Check out the full gallery of photos from night one here, by Joel Shover.
Check out the full gallery of photos from night two here.
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