Photo Credit: Adam Berta

Last night, Feb. 6, Goose touched down in Milwaukee for the first performance in their eight-date Winter Tour. The rapidly-rising indie groove outfit’s return to the spotlight has been eagerly-anticipated since its spectacular New Year’s Eve Formal Affair, and speculation came to a head on Monday, Feb. 3, when percussionist Jeff Arevalo announced his temporary hiatus from touring. With the first of its three-night booking at Miller High Life Theatre, the group showed that its chops carry over to the quartet format, delivering a jam-packed show amplified by covers and a dazzling live debut.

Goose kicked off their opening set in Milwaukee with “Rockdale,” giving fans an early sample of the restructured improvisation to come as guitarist Rick Mitarotonda and keyboardist Peter Anspach traded the front on the setlist staple. Cotter Ellis’ precision and ferocity behind the drumkit never ceases to amaze, and Thursday’s series intro was no exception as he effortlessly switched gears into the blistering soul-jazz shuffle of Grant Green’s “Flood in Franklin Park”; bassist Trevor Weekz gave the debut cover of Green’s 1973 essential a spring in its step, and the quartet’s attentive interplay exemplified their genre-bending capabilities. Watch the live debut below.

After this early highlight, Goose moved into the Anspach-penned “The Whales,” picking up velocity through its run and blazing directly into “Dr. Darkness,” which was atypically ominous and atmospheric as the quartet experimented with the new space in their sound. Likewise in the following cover of Father John Misty’s “I’m Writing a Novel,” this new distance hardly went unnoticed, but always resulted in captivating and fresh treatments of well-honed songs.

Nowhere was this more true in set one than “Drive,” which saw the band make inspired and daring leaps with their biggest jam vehicle yet. Each musician’s contributions to the greater sound were nuanced and sparing at first, swirling to a far-out trance then following pangs of tension and emboldened fits and starts into a ripping conclusion. A cool-down cover of The National’s “Bloodbuzz Ohio” led the group to “SALT,” which brought the first frame with a confident, hard-rocking close.

Goose returned to the stage for its second set with the certified classic “Creatures,” which catapulted the artists into a race-pace second set with a meticulously charted course. This floor-filling intro flowed directly into the cascading, contemplative rhythms of “Atlas Dogs,” which Mitarotonda ornamented with a tease of “Tarantella Napoletana” before a seamless transition into “Animal.” With another spirited and excitingly novel interpretation that shook the foundation of the canonized track, Goose took a beat before diving into the newer entry “Draconian Metermaid,” which too showed potential for future growth before coasting into the tried and true set closer of “Arcadia.” After the lights went down, the band brought on one last hurrah with an encore of “Turbulence & The Night Rays.”

Goose will return to Milwaukee’s Miller High Life Theatre tonight and tomorrow, Feb. 7 and 8, then continue through its Winter Tour with performances at Toronto, Ontario’s HISTORY and Grand Rapids, Mich.’s GLC Live at 20 Monroe. For tickets and more information, visit goosetheband.com/tour.

Read on for the full setlist from Thursday night.

Goose
Miller High Life Theatre – Milwaukee
2/6/25

Set I: Rockdale, Flood in Franklin Park*, The Whales > Dr. Darkness, I’m Writing A Novel+ > Drive# > Bloodbuzz Ohio~, SALT
Set II: Creatures -> Atlas Dogs^ -> Animal, Draconian Meter Maid > Arcadia
Encore: Turbulence & The Night Rays

Coach’s Notes:
* Grant Green. FTP.
+ Father John Misty.
# Unfinished.
~ The National.
^ With Tarantella Napoletana tease from Rick.
Setlist via elgoose.net.