Captivating any audience’s attention in 2025 for three hours is no easy task. In fact, it's hard for some forms of entertainment to do that for three and a half minutes these days. For jam band mainstays Goose, however, three hours of music is just another night at the office, and a lively sold-out crowd at the Miller High Life Theatre on Saturday night were certainly living in the moment with the band.
Saturday's show was the finale of a three-night residency for the band in Milwaukee, the first of several that they'll be doing around the country this year. As drummer Cotter Ellis explained to OnMilwaukee, there's comfort in the third consecutive night in a venue, because the band can settle into the feeling of the theater without having to learn the intricacies of the room while on stage. It's no surprise then why Saturday was the most in-demand show of the three, and subsequently why the band were their most locked in.
With no opener, the house lights dropped just after 8 p.m. for the band, complete with guitarist and keyboardist Peter Anspach donning a cheesehead, to emerge to a larger-than-life response. Just about everyone in the theater were yelling “Gooooose,” which would be a recurring phenomenon after just about every song. With an opening rendition of “Into The Myst” clocking in around the 20-minute mark, things were off and running.
The marathon of a night saw plenty of opportunities for each band member to shine. With everyone in line with one another on stage, the jams felt like a showcase for the individual talents of a band that had already worked its way up to an elevated status in the psych sphere. There were solos aplenty, with guitarist Rick Mitarotonda leading the charge more often than not. Songs only seemed to gain steam the further that they went, with tracks like “No California” often building to a euphoric crescendo. The crowd matched that energy, and not even a half-hour intermission between sets would slow them down.
From a production standpoint, a wall of lights could make the Miller High Life Theatre feel mellow when it needed to and explosive when called upon, with fans cheering for strobe lights bouncing off of the theater’s fixtures that may have altered their umm, experience. Goose can provide a full-fledged freakout if the song calls for it, and did so on “Everything Must Go,” the title track from their upcoming album due out in April.
There was, of course, ample room for experimenting, and they did just that whenever they pleased. Most songs were broken down entirely, letting Mitarotonda and Anspach tinker while Ellis and bassist Trevor Weekz held down the foundation of the groove. When they would find a pocket, they'd comfortably live there for a moment, only to see where else they could take a song from a sonic perspective. There's certainly a chemistry with Ellis, the newest member of the group, who would at times dictate the jam’s momentum. It never felt as though any song would land in a rut.
One of Goose’s best qualities as a jam band, however, doesn't come in the live setting. At their core, the band have a well-crafted structure to their recorded work, which serves as the skeleton for when their live versions are given room to grow. This was especially true on “Hungersite,” which landed deep in the second set, and had a full theater sing-along at one point. Aided by beams of light frantically darting around the theater, the band clearly showed that they're ready to take on a new era, and have the potential to hang with the jam band elite for years to come.
Three and a half hours, however, doesn't generally fly by under any circumstances, even if the band is in full force. While at times extended versions of tracks in the second set carried a bit into excess, the band never truly lost their sharpness. On pure stamina alone, it was impressive to watch the band continue to press on, with little to no guitar changes or tuning or messing with effects pedals. It felt like a meticulous crafting of the finer points of the band's music, even if it did go just a little late in the night. By the midpoint of the second set, the band still felt like they were very much in their stride.
While most bands with more structured setlists have a big wind up to the night's end, Goose don't have to be bothered with having to “play the hit,” though they have considerable fan favorites. Instead, they still hit plenty of high notes, keeping the energy high as the night began to wind down. After a brief dip backstage, things cultivated with a frenzied encore version of their latest single “Give It Time,” with the clock approaching midnight. It was quite a way to go out, late into the night, with the band bringing the still very full Miller High Life Theatre into a full-fledged dance party one last time. When all was said and done, it was the cultivation of a master class in how to set and control the collective mood for an extended period of time.
Even though their recordings can be stellar, Goose are very much a live band at heart, and there was no questioning that as they put everything they had into Saturday's show. The finale of a three-night blowout had fans swaying, spinning, and bobbing for a lengthy amount of time, and it truly felt like watching the next superstars of the jam world as they are reaching just their latest peak.
