When it comes down to it, being a fan of a musical act is ultimately about being a fan of their choices. Their choice of musical style to play, their choice of songs to record and how to sequence them on an album, their choice of a tour schedule, their choice of set list, etc. The choices that acts make are what keep us going, for better or worse.
Now, with Goose, one of my hang-ups has been my confusion about their choices. I don’t always get them, and I don’t always agree with them. That’s why my Goose fandom currently sits at around 74%. It should be noted that this might be the highest it’s ever been, but I need to go back and check the ledger. It typically hovers around 70%, and I don’t think it’s ever been lower than 63%.
Either way, part of why I can’t get to even 80% with Goose is their choices and decision-making. But that’s also more about me than anyone else, and actually, before you poo-poo the percentage thing, I’d challenge you to think about what acts out there that you follow that you’re above 80% on board with, let alone 100%. It’s probably a pretty short list and likely includes legends like The Beatles and Bob Marley. I don’t know why we can’t accept that bands/acts we love aren’t batting a thousand and be cool with that. I’m 74% into Goose, and all things considered, that’s not bad.
Part of what lives in that remaining 26% is my up-and-down relationship with Goose and cover songs. I’m generally fine with a band playing cover songs. It’s usually fun, especially when the songs become part of an act’s repertoire. Bands can make covers their own or stay close to the original, and sometimes it gets educational, with acts tipping you off to other acts you might like. Phish definitely did that on several occasions for me back in the day, and it’s one of the reasons I’m grateful for them. And hey, I don’t even know if I’m 100% into Phish if we’re keeping track. I’d say I’m 94% into Phish and I feel good about that.
I also feel great that I was able to work mentioning Phish in a piece about Goose because time is a flat circle, friends.
Goose is currently on tour, and as I’ve been prone to do, I’m following along and listening to shows as they pop up on Nugs. They sound great right now and continue to be on something of a heater, a heater that has gone on for at least the past year. It’s fun to see a band hit their stride and take off like a bat out of hell. I was skeptical of drummer Cotter Ellis when he joined, mainly because I really liked how solid Ben Atkind was, but I’ve come to really enjoy Cotter. Dude is a madman and is solid in his own special way. Losing percussionist Jeff Arevalo wasn’t a huge loss in my opinion, but for those who think it was, the fact that Cotter is more of a percussionist than a drummer should have eased those concerns by now.
And speaking of concerns, Goose’s choice of what covers they play remains one of mine, and until something changes, I don’t see that concern going away.
I mean, the choices are just strange, and if this were a decade ago, when they were largely kicking around the wilds of Connecticut and needing to fill time at shows, I would get why they’d be playing some of them. But things have changed. Goose has more than enough songs to fill a show, and a lot of those songs are quality tunes that people rightly want to hear live, as opposed to something like “Shama Lama Ding Dong.” But the band has played the Otis Day and the Knights classic almost sixty times over the years, and I know I’m not alone in immediately skipping it whenever it pops up in a show I’m listening to.
Yet if “Shama Lama Ding Dong” is representative of the problem with the songs Goose covers, there’s a handful of covers that are solid to really good and worthy of sticking around. Goose just needs to do a bit of an audit when it comes to what’s in their cover songs bin, and while they haven’t asked for my help, I’m here to offer it.
Here are 20 songs the band covers; some they cover a lot, and some they cover occasionally, and we’re either tossin’ em or keepin’ em. Oh, and we’re not really getting into songs they played at a Goosemas show because they seem to be one-offs, which, in the case of a song like “Jungle” by Electric Light Orchestra that was played in 2023 AND NOT ONCE SINCE, is a damn shame.
“Shama Lama Ding Dong” Otis Day & the Knights
It’s fitting that we start here mainly because I already started talking about it, and I like to finish thoughts. Or I like to try to, but more often than not, I get distracted or interrupted by kids and thoughts float off into the ether. But really, what are we doing here, Goose? Y’all play this way too much, way more than should be happening. They played it at their first MSG show, which is a great show, but long and in need of editing, and “Shama Lama Ding Dong” would have been a good place to Shama Lama Ding stop. Editing in general is an issue with Goose, and this is a prime example.
Verdict: Trash it
“Can’t Get You Out of My Head” Kylie Minogue
I don’t understand this one and ultimately chalk it up to the band loving themselves some 80’s bubblegum pop. And that’s cool. I don’t believe in guilty pleasures and think you like what you like. If they like this song, fine. But they’ve played this song almost 30 times, including recently, and I’m just saying, it might be fun live, but it’s taking the place of one of their originals, and that feels like a bummer to me.
Verdict: Trash it
“Hollywood Nights” Bob Seger
This song is fun and upbeat. It’s a fantastic closer for either set, but especially the second when the show has been a full-on barnburner, and you want to close things out on a high. Be smart with the deployment, Goose, and this one stays. But again, be smart.
Verdict: Keep it
“I Would Die 4 U” Prince
Anything by an artist like Prince needs to be treated carefully and with respect. It’s Prince, for crying out loud, one of the best guest stars from New Girl ever. Oh, and he was a pretty good musician too. Goose does a great job with this song because it’s got a drive to it, but it’s a sustained drive. Nothing too crazy. And Goose’s harmonies are perfect for the chorus.
Verdict: Keep it
“The Way It Is” Bruce Hornsby
I uh…yeah, I don’t know with this one. You could talk me into supporting it and extoll the genius and legacy of Bruce Hornsby, and I might be swayed. Maybe. But also maybe not. I guess, like with “Hollywood Nights,” context matters. Drop it as the encore, and sure, why not. But in the middle of the set? That’s a no for me, dog. Give me “Rockdale.” This one stays but with an asterisk.
Verdict: Keep it
“Bloodbuzz Ohio” The National
Who amongst us didn’t go through a brief National phase at one point back in the day? Yeah, most of us did. And someone in Goose, I imagine it was Rick, also dipped his toes in the smooth waters of The National’s music. I’m going to be honest, Goose’s version of “Bloodbuzz Ohio” is currently one of my favorite Goose songs. They take the tune for a drive through the most reflective of summer evenings along a road that snakes along the ocean, and the big ol’ moon sits there lazily, providing enough light for it to appear as not all is lost. They do such a beautiful job with the song, and I hope they play it forever.
Verdict: Keep it
“Turn On Your Love Light” Bobby Blue Band
It’s not technically a Grateful Dead tune. I get that. But it certainly feels like one, and with all due respect to Mr. Blue and his band, I don’t know who y’all are, but I know the Dead. I also know Goose plays a couple of other Dead songs, and while that’s cool for a band still finding their footing, I think Goose needs to shed some of them to make room for their own songs. We’re making tough decisions here, Goose. It’s for the best.
Verdict: Trash it
“Don’t Do It” The Band
(long sigh) Tough one. Actually, no, it isn’t. And at least it’s not “The Weight” or “Up on Cripple Creek.” Plus, they put a lil’ funky stank on it, and as an encore song, it’s a fun way to close out a show.
Verdict: Keep it
“Electric Avenue” Eddy Grant
Not to bring up Phish again, but it wasn’t until I saw Phish play TV On the Radio’s “Golden Age” live that the cover made sense to me. I was the guy on Page Side at Hershey on a hot, sweaty night saying out loud, “Ha, I get it now.” Yeah, that was me. And that was also me a year or so later, when I saw Goose in lovely Asbury Park, New Jersey, and they snuck “Electric Avenue” into an equally electric second set, saying the same damn thing. I don’t particularly like the song, but I like when Goose plays it, and I like hearing it and then humming it for the rest of the day.
Verdict: Keep it
“Crosseyed & Painless” Talking Heads
No, really, not to bring up Phish again, but while it’s gotten easier lately not to mention Goose and Phish in the same sentence, comparisons, for better or worse, are still out there. And you know, I don’t like ’em, and I feel strongly that we should let Goose be Goose and live their own lives, free of comparisons and torch talk. But guys, Goose, taking swings at “Crosseyed & Painless,” a Talking Heads classic that Phish has been playing fairly regularly for almost thirty years and doing so pretty well to boot, is just an unforced error on their part. Obviously, Phish doesn’t have a monopoly on covers, and Goose is free to play whatever they want. America, baby. But still, it’s just not helpful when we’re trying to create some daylight between Phish and Goose. So really, bagging it is best for everyone involved.
Verdict: Trash it
“Mississippi Half Step/Uptown Toodleloo” Grateful Dead
As was previously mentioned, Goose has a few Dead tunes in their toolbox. That’s fine. I have a bunch of zip ties in my toolbox. To each their own. But at this stage of the game, Goose needs to pick one and ditch the others. I mean, if they’re doing an acoustic set, I’m cool with an exception or two, but for the part, we should be ride or die with “Mississippi Half Step,” and that’s it for Grateful Dead covers. Life is full of hard decisions, Goose, but this should be an easy one.
Verdict: Keep it
“Burn the Witch” Radiohead
Goose getting weird and kind of dark has been a fun development these past few years, and I maintain that the heavy part of “Big Modern!” is one of the most interesting things they’ve done overall. I was at that Holmdel show when they first played it, and it was like a bomb going off or your favorite TV show bringing in a new character who completely upends everything (for the best). “Burn the Witch” has that same feel and shows off a different side of the band that is perfect for when the other sides might start to get a little meh. I don’t think they need to play “Burn the Witch” a lot, and actually, making it more of a rarity would increase its stock and impact when they do bust it out. Hope you wrote that down, Goose.
Verdict: Keep it
“Green River” Creedence Clearwater Revival
Will future generations somehow forget how great Creedence was? Not if Goose has anything to say about it!
Goose also plays “Run Through the Jungle” sometimes, and that just helps their case for being American heroes when it comes to keeping the spirit of Creedence alive. Thank you for your service, Goose.
Verdict: Keep it
“Fish In The Sea” Fat Freddy’s Drop
Uh…I honestly don’t really care either way, and if they want to keep playing it, I’m okay with that. It’s a good mid-set song, and the world always needs those.
Verdict: Keep it
“Mas Que Nada” Sergio Mendes
I just don’t think they need to keep playing this one, no matter how fun it might be. Let me ask you, would you rather they play “Mas Que Nada” or “Dustin Hoffman?” What about “Mas Que Nada” or “Wysteria Lane?” I would definitely pick Goose originals because I like Goose originals, and when I go to a concert, I want to see Goose originals, and if it’s not a Goose original, I want a cover I care about. I don’t care about this song, and no, it’s not because I barely got out of Spanish I. Eh, maybe that’s part of it. Whatever. I’m not here to talk about the past. Next question.
Verdict: Trash it
“I’m Writing A Novel” Father John Misty
Goose playing this rollicking Misty tune makes way too much sense. It fits their vibe, fits their sound, fits their instrumentation, and lets them take a song like this for a walk. If they had their own song with a similar feel, I’d say they could toss “I’m Writing A Novel” because they certainly seem to enjoy jamming in that gear. But in the absence of an original that can get us and them there, the Father John Misty tune is along for the ride.
Verdict: Keep it
“Wild Night” Van Morrison
Yeah, I biffed it on the first pass and forgot this was originally by Van Morrison. Apologies to Van the Man. But you know, if they were going to play a Van Morrison song, they should play “Sweet Thing” because they’d crush that song. As for “Wild Night,” eh. Pass.
Verdict: Trash it
“Inside Out” Spoon
I love Spoon and think they’re one of the best bands of this century. Every album of theirs is, at the very least, really good. They can do no wrong. Now, because I hold them in such high regard, I was initially out on Goose covering them. It felt maybe a little bit blasphemous, if I’m being honest. But hey, I came around and also came to appreciate how they hit the delicacy and spacey vibe of the song. It allows the band to lower the temperature but not lower the groove because numerous scientific studies have shown that Spoon songs have great grooves, and it’s partly why they’re so effin’ good. I’m here for Spoon appreciation and here for people getting hip to Spoon because everyone should listen to Spoon.
Verdict: Keep it
“Danger Zone” Kenny Loggins
GOOSE, AS A CLOSER ONLY. NOWHERE ELSE. GOT IT? You stick with that, and you can stick with “Danger Zone.”
Verdict: Keep it
Categories: Music
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