Photo via Goose’s Instagram
Goose returned to Saratoga Springs, NY’s Saratoga Performing Arts Center over the weekend, headlining the classic summer shed on both July 3 and 4. The shows marked the third and fourth times the Connecticut-bred jamband had taken the stage at SPAC; they made their debut there almost three years ago on July 7, 2023, their biggest headlining show at the time, and returned to the storied space for two nights this past September.
The venue, and Independence Day Weekend in general, hold special significance for the members of outfit as well. Goose precursor project Vasudo played their final shows before breaking up over the holiday weekend in 2013 and that band’s second-to-last performance took place in Saratoga Springs, NY on July 5, while Phish were in the midst of a multi-night run at SPAC. Adding to the festivities, this year Goose tapped two classic Northeast jambands–who the members of the ensemble came of age seeing–as their openers, the Disco Biscuits and moe. The Biscuits supplied support duties on July 3 and, before the show, bassist Marc Brownstein took to social media to recount how SPAC was his regular summer venue growing up, citing early shows there by acts like Men at Work, Whitney Houston, the Grateful Dead and Phish.
Though the Disco Biscuits opened for Phil Lesh & Friends and RatDog at SPAC in 2001, it had been nearly 25 years since they performed at the scenic shed. The quartet marked the occasion by closing their set with their first reading of Aram Khachaturian’s “Sabre Dance” since April 12, 2024, and their first take on the tune with drummer Marlon Lewis, who joined the band this past fall. Brownstein also, notably, wore a variant on the Jerry Garcia hand shirt Relix publisher Pete Shapiro sported on TV during the NBA finals during his set.
The Disco Biscuits lent their elaborate laser-light rig to Goose for their headlining spot, which added significantly to the festivities. Some inclement weather caused a delay around set break, but the group was able to finish out their full show and invited Brownstein back to play bass during the final song of the night, the second-set closing “So Ready.” Goose bassist Trevor Weeks switched to his DJ Marb Menthols persona for the tune and moved over to turntables.
The cross-pollination continued during moe.’s opening slot on July 4. moe. also have a rich history with the venue, having played their in 1997 as part of the traveling Furthur Festival. That show came early on in drummer Vinnie Amico’s tenure in the group and has been described as a surreal moment, both because he lives in the Saratoga area and because he played in a Dead cover band before joining moe. During their opening set, moe. brought things full circle again by inviting out Goose guitarist Rick Mitarotonda and keyboardist Peter Anspach for their classic Tin Cans and Car Tires track “Happy Hour Hero” near the end of their spot.
For their encore, Goose opened up their stage once again and invited Schnier, who also lives in Upstate New York and has called SPAC a local shed, for a seasonally appropriate take on the Grateful Dead classic “U.S. Blues.” The members of Goose initially started covering the summertime anthem with their acoustic-based Orebolo project in 2021 and played it for the first time as Goose on July 23, 2023. However, besides an April 15 show from this year when they offered a unique setlist to spell out “Suck It Storm,” they have not played it since then.
Goose are now off the road until they kick off a West Coast run at San Diego, CA’s Cal Coast Credit Union Amphitheater on August 13.
Here’s a look at Goose’s setlists via El Goose.net
July 4, 2026, Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY
Set 1: Same Old Shenanigans, Your Direction, Seekers on the Ridge pt I > Seekers on the Ridge pt II, All I Need[1], Savenger, Animal
Set 2: Dripfield[2] > Amongster[3], Tumble[2] > Don’t Leave Me This Way[4]
Encore: U.S. Blues[5]
[1] Slow, melodic version.
[2] Unfinished.
[3] Polica.
[4] Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes.
[5] Grateful Dead. With Al Schnier on guitar and vocals.
July 3, 2026 Goose, Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY
Set 1: Echo of a Rose[1], Dustin Hoffman, Strange Overtones[2], POP, Borne -> MEDIA, Jed Stone, The Empress Of Organos
Set 2: Thatch[3] -> Good2B, Good Times // End Times > (((postplace))), So Ready[4]
[1] Fast version.
[2] David Byrne & Brian Eno.
[3] Unfinished.
[4] With Marc Brownstein on bass and DJ Marb Menthols on turntables.
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Disco Biscuits Move Massachusetts Show
July 8, 2026 at 11:48 am[…] The Biscuits first performed at the 2,300-capacity Cape Cod Melody Tent, a theater-in-the-round venue, last summer. This will be their first appearance at the 600-person Soundcheck Studios. The group recently returned to Saratoga Springs, NY’s Saratoga Performing Arts Center for the first time in almost 25 years with Goose and bassist Marc Brownstein sat in with the evening’s headliners. […]