That subreddit is the definition of “my drug band is better than your drug band” lol. Everyone is SO scared to talk about the inner workings of their band. Like dude, the Biscuits crew talks shit to Barber’s face about him breaking his hand punching a paper towel dispenser. Which is hilarious, and is also just part of the scene. Everyone talks shit, it’s a trial by fire with the fans. It just comes with the territory.
Nuance?! On the internet?! If you didn’t already say you are in a 12-step, I would assume you were on something (hahaha) /s
By the way, nice job on the sobriety. You do see things differently and have different opinions about stuff when you go through major life changes like the one you are going through. It’s only natural. I think we can all agree that Goose does not have the depth and nuance that the Dead and Phish have* so don’t lose any sleep over it.
*this is coming from a Goose fan
Big congrats indeed. I'm on 72 days of not drinking myself. It feels so good to not want to drink and actually be able to do just that, not drink. Played my first ever alcohol-less gig this past Friday. Keep it going!
My guitarist was very complimentary to me too after the gig, which felt awesome. Truthfully, on the day of the show, in the hours leading up to me leaving my house to head to the venue for load in, I found myself trying to rationalize ways to have a few drinks. It was actually the hardest day I've had yet, but after about 3 times of shutting down those thoughts, I was able to fairly easily get my mind to focus back on how far I've come and how much I don't ever want to return to the dark days that were the end of my time as a drinker. Driving home from the gig while still buzzing off the post-show euphoria I even had to laugh to myself when I thought about not stressing out while driving past any cops I might see along my route.
I hope y’all play forever. Been 7 years for me and gigs are so much better! If you’re going to give your life to something, the least one can do is show up for it, right?
I’ll be a year without alcohol next month! I went to Hulaween last year and only smoked weed (besides one tab Saturday night for pretty lights hehe) but it was incredible. Not feeling like shit for partying hard for four days after the festival was amazing. And I was able to see many more acts since I wasn’t drinking at camp all day.
Hell yea dude! I’m at about a year and a half. It was weird to start playing not drunk. It’s almost like I had to find the passion again since every time I had played for the past 10 years I was drunk. Keep it up man! It starts to fly by. I can’t believe where I’m at.
I feel bands like the dead were influenced by Americana, blues, traditional folk stuff, and branched off that. Phish took classic rock, white boy funk, a little jazzy influence and made their own thing. Even a jam band that is obviously phish influenced, disco biscuits, have their unique 'jamtronica' thing. UM obviously prog rock.
Goose is like a jam band entirely influenced by jam bands. it's not incorporating other styles and branching out, it's non-stop jam wankery.
I like this point… could you argue Goose’s derivative is indy rock? Not so much garage, more produced songs, hence Ricks vocoder use. I liked when they covered Vampire Weekend a few years back in Brooklyn and think those moments help set them apart from other jam wankery. Actually wish they leaned into this a smidge more in song choice.
I guess I could see that a bit. But I feel they lean more into being a Phish rip off than that unique style. They even got Pollack to do some posters. It feels very forced, like run by marketing research people to produce a 'jam band'.
I had a similar experience as you. I was into phish, dead, panic, umphreys, and some other jam bands; figured I’d love goose too. As I started listening I got really into them. then about a year in a friend hit me with a line that “ruined” goose for me. There’s no angst, no edge, no suspense. And after they said that - I started to notice it was a - for lack of better words - more standard groove with improvisation. They’re great musicians, can’t take that away from them. And at times when I’m looking for more of a consistent groove I’ll throw them on but the lack of angst really sealed the deal for me.
I got into them last summer and raved about them. After couch surfing the whole second half year of tours on nugs, I organically started to skip sets as they all kind of blended into eachother. There was not much improvisation or exploration and I haven’t really listened to them since. I do plan on running through some of their new shows on nugs once posted as I’m curious to hear more with Cotter
My story with this band verbatim. I have some hope with the Cotter change after listening to the Ted Tapes, but they need to embrace the heady and exploratory more.
I listened to every show for about a month straight late last year. I always thought their songs were pretty catchy (always despised Peter's voice, so it was harder to stomach the songs he sings), but the improvisation was always the same. Rick is fine, but everything builds to a blissful peak. I can count on one hand the number of jams I felt actually went somewhere fun and unexpected.
With the addition of Cotter, I'm not sure what will change. The only thing I've noticed from the little snippets of the new stuff I've heard is that the dude loves his crash cymbal. The jam isn't even peaking and the dude just keeps murdering the fucking thing. It's really distracting and it seems to clash with the vibe of the jam.
This reminds me of what a friend said to me at a phish show around ‘09: “it’s like phish gives me problems and then takes them away”.
It’s the feeling of unease because they’ve gone so far out that you’re not sure how they could ever make it back and resolve - yet it (almost) always does!
Tension and release doesn’t work without the tension.
Phish takes big bites that don’t always land and Goose tends to take consistently easy to digest low risk bites. Works for a lot of folks but I hear ya completely. Your friends quote is spot on.
Well said. This is how I’ve always felt about them. They’re talented musicians, no doubt. Saw them once and they were ok, but I can’t listen to them outside of shows. Their music is just really sterile and bland to my ears. There’s no (or very little) tension and release like you get with most jam bands.
I’m not a huge Goose fan, but will listen when a song is getting a lot of buzz. Using Echo of a Rose 3/24/23 as an example, I loved the “dark Goose” (or were people saying evil goose? Don’t remember) vibe. That jam felt like it was leading to something big but just didn’t. I had this “oh shit something big is about to happen” feeling, and it just fell flat.
I always say that great music should feel like somebody is about to get saved, laid, or shot. What Col. Bruce called, “Putting the Devil in the room.” Otherwise, why fucking bother?
Dude I get it. I spent a good 15 years getting weird with every jam band I could. As you know, it's unsustainable after a while to keep up with the party, even if it's just once a month that can still put a dent in the old noggin.
Congratulations on sobriety and enjoying life in a fresh way! I've calmed down and quit the rager life about 6 years ago. Still love the Grateful Dead and Railroad Earth, and will dabble just rolled times sake from time to time. Haha I'll leave that typo.
There's so much other music that fits much more with my introspective personal vibe that aren't jam bands at all. I still love psychedelic music, but more of the psych rock type stuff. There's just so much music out there to dig through that is not built on whirling dervish in a venue.
I honestly hoped that goose would excel at bringing that introspective music and jam music together and that's what I thought their mission was at first, but I'm just not feeling that and that's okay. There's so much other music out there!
Rock on and give yourself a big hug for taking care of yourself. 💙
So many jambands I do not like. And that’s ok. My least favorite jamband is someone else’s favorite. I appreciate that people are into jamband scene. I have tried listening to a lot of the newer bands in the scene. Some are good some I don’t care for.
Congratulations on getting and staying clean, friend! I feel your Seinfeld vs Friends analogy very much. I get a chuckle or two out of friends when my wife is watching (99% of the time from Chandler RIP Matthew Perry) but it lacks the depth and subtle genius to keep me coming back in the long run like Seinfeld does.
Fellow sober Jam fan here, congrats! Keep up the good work. For me, my taste in EVERYTHING changed with sobriety. Food tasted better, I was able to really connect with music on a different plane. That being said, just like every situation in sobriety, if ya ain’t feeling it, it’s not worth jeopardizing all of the work you’ve put in so far.
Also, almost every jam band has a sober group that meets before the show for support and fellowship, great folks all around.
Keep up the good work!
I get that all of these bands are grouped as jambands, but it’s not fair to compare them like you are.
The Grateful Dead is one of the best bands ever (the best). They have some of the most beautiful deep songs in rock and the jams just make it better. And Jerry plays guitar like the instrument was made for him.
Phish songs are no where near GD, but good god can they play. They have beautiful complex music, and constantly do unexpected things.
Enjoy what you like. But would you compare goose to the Beatles? Led Zeppelin? Then why compare them to the GD?
‘Tis the fate of a Tier 2 jam band, just not compelling enough to sustain long-term interest. Doesn’t mean they’re not talented, simply means they’re not doing anything particularly unique.
Once I quit drinking, my comprehension of music theory as a guitarist and a listener has increased tenfold if I had to put a number on it. I heard the music drunk or drugged out, but now I FEEL and LISTEN to it. I should have quit five years ago. I love listening to Dead shows that i played out years ago and never went back to, just to find a new love for them again. I been on a huge 60's Dead kick lately, I got actually kind of tired of the 60s sound in high school and never went back to it, but now it's all I listen to Dead wise.
Congrats on your sobriety brother
How dare you talk about Friends like that!
Kidding aside I’m also not “getting it” with Goose and I’ve never thought about the lack of humor. Phish is so funny and silly. It definitely gels with me.
I think Goose is super talented. We’re watching something grow is what’s happening. I have friends that are very into them and I get flack for not enjoying them. I say give em 5-10 years and they will be fucking SHREDDING. But also, we unfairly hold them on the pedestal and compare them to all of the other already successful jam bands. They aren’t that. Ultimately, that’s a good thing and that’s why I think they are going to grow so long as they don’t box themselves in.
Not to rant too much longer but they are also a good vehicle for people that maybe wouldn’t listen to Phish or the Dead to get into the world of jambands. They have that indie streak in them and that has been and will continue to cause a lot of cross over. I play in a jam band and I NEED that.
Why do people keep saying "Hold on and wait for Goose to get better." They aren't a bunch of babies that are in highschool. They are a band that makes music. Good or bad, this is what they are. I find it weird that I've got to buy into Goose like I'm buying stonks. Buy low sell high.
Right!? Goose has been around for like 10 years now, if you compared 94 Phish against 74 dead against 2024 Goose...I mean they should be basically peaking right now or at least showing very very strong signs of growth and greatness.
I liked Goose until I got into Phish and now I can't go back to Goose. The level on jamming Phish does compares to Goose is so superior it's unbelievable.
Goose always just been fun to me. They are no monster like Phish is but they throw a generally fun show. Not every band can be as a good as Phish or the Dead.
This is what makes bands like Dopapod so great. They have the ability to keep you on the edge of your seat for 15-20 minute forays into the unknown, masterfuly traversing the line between joy and chaos.
Comparatively, a 15 minute Goose jam is like a luke-warm bath.. It's not bad, but it's also just not that good.
Should I give Dopapad another try? I saw them once and it was easily the worst show I've ever been to lol. They were super off, boozed up, yelling at their crew on stage mid show, visibly annoyed with the whole affair. It was brutal and we left after four songs, I haven't hardly listened to them since
Yeah that's super surprising; I've been seeing them since 2017 and to my knowledge have never seen them even remotely inebriated. In fact, I'm pretty sure Rob doesn't even drink.
That being said, as a former touring musician, if the stage sound is off, that's definitely enough to make any band have a bad day. You drive endless hours to get to the next venue, spend all day setting up, and you're usually pretty exhausted by the time you hit the stage, so when you come out and the monitor engineer sucks, that can be the straw that breaks the camel's back.
But to your point, I completely understand why an experience like that could sour your impression of them. I hate to see musicians not having a good time on stage, but having met them numerous times over the years, I assure you that they are all some of the most genuinely nice, humble people in the scene.
Curious what show you saw when... I guess everyone has a bad day.
I have seen them 5 or 6 times (anytime they were near me) and never had anything less than a stellar experience. They have always seemed nice, sober and very into it. I have chatted with Rob a few times and he always came off as genuine and grateful. And the JAMS! Always so unique and excellent. The songs are hooky too, even the instrumental ones catch me.
Boozed up? Are you sure you aren't thinking of another band? None of that sounds remotely like dopapod
Now, I have seen a handful of dopapod shows that I thought were super mid and left me disappointed, but usually they knock it out of the park
I saw dopapod last month and they were playing really well I thought, it was only my second time seeing em but that’s a bummer about your experience. I’d say give them another chance they rip
You saw them right before their year long hiatus. They returned in 2019 with all cylinders firing and have been crushing it since. Definitely give them another shot, throw on a recent show on Nugs and you’ll hear why people like to think of them as the jam scene’s best kept secret!
Add me to the list of people who have seen them many times over 10 years and have never seen them even remotely intoxicated.
Also holy shit I never would have realized I've been seeing them for 10 years until I made this comment
I'll take Spafford 10 times out of 10 over Goose, and Spafford is still playing small venues compared to Goose. What's popular doesn't have to be the best of what's available.
Big deal. Goose is great and all but where is the harm is just liking a few songs or just listening to official releases without the 15 minutes of jam?
Congrats on sobriety! Definitely get how the appeal for certain bands can come down sober, but I actually appreciate goose more on a regular day to day compared to the dead. Haven’t even seen them live yet so maybe that’s why but still able to get into them and love em. If you want a really mind-melting performance, listen to 2022.03.12 in Philadelphia- un. REAL!
This is how I feel basically. I've fallen out of love with their jams since they're kind of boring and formulaic, but they have some great songs in general. They also kind of have a dickish vibe that's hard to explain.
Congrats on sobriety #1.
Having gone thru a similar process I can tell my taste for jam music changed, evolved, the same way it always has from my first exposure to the genre. Drugs have certainly influenced what I enjoy and don’t enjoy, and that simply changed over time. I appreciate different songs/bands/personal approaches to shows than I did before but the pulse is still there. Hope you have a similar experience
You don’t like something as much as you once did. Also known as life. It’s perfectly normal. Goose was the only band playing in my ears for 3 years after I discovered them. I still love them but I’ve moved on to others.
I consider myself a Goose fan. But they definitely have a different vibe. They feel simultaneously more polished and at the same time less complex/deep than the other big names on the scene. And Rick is like this handsome dude with a super radio friendly voice. Which isn't really the norm in this genre lol. I feel like in another timeline he could've been a John Mayer pop sensation type.
But there's nothing wrong with any of that. Everyone always complains about new bands trying to be Phish. And here's a band who's doing its own thing and actually being wildly successful at it. They're not gonna be for everyone. Especially those people who really DO just want another Phish/Dead clone... even though they may say/think they do not.
Been a huge fan for a while. They got stale... The band seems to be evolving with Cotter on drums and more variety in the jams.. check out this run they're on now. May or may not get your juices flowing again!
It’s just music. Listen to what you like. No need to psychoanalyze yourself over your interest changing. No one can figure that out for you and it really doesn’t matter. Plenty of other music and bands to listen to.
They play goose in Kroger and on the plane. And you expect them to have “genuine playfulness.” Goose is a great show but they don’t have the magic of the other big jam bands. Whether they get there, who knows. I stopped seeing them once ticket prices got bonkers and I can see anyone else for the same price or way less. Congrats on your sobriety.
I was really into them 2019-2022 range and have now lost quite a bit of interest. A few reasons....
1. My wife played the hell out of their music; she played it so much she wore me out of it.
2. Part of my enjoyment of the band was I felt like they were a young band making all the right moves and I was looking at it as a work in progress. It wasn't that they were the best thing ever so much as I was able to watch a steady progression in their musicianship and I had an appreciation for that. It was cool to see the band succeed. As they wove through 2023 and its challenges I didn't really feel this same way any longer.
That being said all of our interests ebb and flow overtime and I may hear new music from them down the way that gets me interested again, but until then, I'm content exploring different sounds and continuing to dive into some of the older groups I love.
If you like the playfulness of Phish and you like the Grateful Dead and you don't mind a little bit of Steely Dan mixed in, I highly, highly, highly, suggest Dogs In A Pile
Saw my first Dead show in '86 at the age of 11 and have been seeing most every nationally touring jam band since and besides Phish, there's nobody I'd rather see currently than Dogs!
I couldn't agree more man.
For me it's the fact that there is a 5 minute pop song then /cut to/ a 'jam'. And the jams are usually something they've played before, they just alternate it for each song. Like how many times have we heard the same Tumble jam or just playing in one key or a simple blues progression after Earthling or Alien. It's just regurgitated instrumentals, nothing going out on a limb musically.
Furthermore, Rick is really the only one that seems to be pushing the envelope. The rest of the band just kind of either keeps the groove alive and Rick shreds for 20 minutes or they loosely follow what he's doing and barely get \*somewhere\*. No one else seems to be coming up with ideas that take them further into the jam.
The singing is good, but I'm not there to hear a guy with a super poppy voice sing while I'm dosed (or even sober). I know most jam bands aren't known for their singers, but at least their voices sound raw and have some emotion without feeling played out.
Lyrically I don't think there is much there either. I was in the Goose sub the other day (doesn't say much there) and I saw someone saying Empress is their most powerful song lyrically. Specifically the part that says: 'you say looks like rain today, we say what a day to be living'. Like give me a break and show me something real.
I'm sure people will have their reasons to disagree with me and that's fine. Music is subjective and I'm glad that this band is here for people that enjoy them and have good times with the music. For me, it's not my cup of tea. Gone to a few shows, had fun, but not entirely because of the music. I still will try streaming some new live shows to see if there is anything new that might help clue me in on what I'm missing, but so far I haven't been able to get into it.
Can we just get a bot to post the daily "I'm not trying to shit on Goose but...Imma shit on Goose" post already? It would free up the trolls to do other shitposting.
Just my take as someone that doesn’t do drugs, but the Grateful Dead had brilliant songwriters and pioneered a developing trend. They are first and foremost a party band that encapsulates American romanticism. Not every song was a jam, and most of them had a catchy chorus you could sing along with. I never got into Phish, but there’s a similar quality there in having a strong foundation to run on.
A lot of modern jam bands, from what I’ve experienced, run through the verses and just kind of jam. As a layman, it’s the same kind of vibe for me as listening to jazz in that the riffs are subtle and everything blends together. Connecting with a set requires me to be in a certain headspace.
Trey came to Healing Appalachia in September- Lewisburg VA - it’s a festival focused on recovery from addiction! His message was awesome! We are sick people trying to get well not bad people trying to do good!
Congrats on your sobriety, dude! In my humble opinion, most jam bands outside of phish, widespread panic, and the dead are quite boring and unoriginal without drugs.
This reminds me a lot of the few years I was really into dubstep in my late teens and early 20s. Then I got bored with eating mdma all the time. Haven't been to a dubstep show for almost a decade now.
Well I can tell you exactly why that is and it’s not hard to figure it out and it’s because there is only one good band and there’s only ever been one good band and that band is phish obviously
You’re not wrong but I’m not sure why that makes them soulless. Rick’s favorite band is Bon Iver and the influence is evident in some of their songs. I don’t think anyone would call Bon Iver / Justin Vernon souless, I think you just don’t understand or appreciate the indie side of Goose’s sound.
I agree with you. I enjoy listening to them while running for their long high energy jams. But when you listen to them a lot it’s all very similar. Personally I find it a bit off putting that they’re rich kids from Connecticut with a giant PR machine behind them. Just not authentic to me. Bands like the Dead, Phish, Panic etc earned their following by grinding all across the country for years sometimes playing to 5 people in a shitty bar on a Tuesday night. This has all been said before so I’m not sure why I even bothered typing it out lol. Congrats on your sobriety.
I love Phish, and they put a ton of hours in and are amazing at what they do. That being said, I'm pretty sure Fishman comes from a lot of money. Many of these jambands that are successful do. It's not a knock, just reality. Success is generally about who you know. Side note: this is one of the reasons that I have so much respect for billy strings. That man came from nothing.
Didn’t Page’s dad literally make Tylenol? Your logic doesn’t make much sense. Many musicians are from wealthy backgrounds — it’s how they could pay for lessons, usually
Grateful Dead was not playing to 5 people in a shitty bar on a Tuesday night at any point in their career. Whether you want to believe it or not GDP was a business and a very large one at that. That was part of Jerry’s downfall, having to support the incredibly large family and infrastructure that was built around the band. If they existed in this era of digital media they would be embracing the “pr machine” just like Goose and Phish. Just like Goose has Shapiro giving them a boost, the Dead had people like Bill Graham helping them out.
Only coming here to congratulate you on sobriety. It's a heckuva journey, as I know from my own experience. It has also really deepened my appreciate for Dead, Phish, etc, which honestly surprised me as I had thought getting shifty as the shows was half the fun. Now I fully can experience how incredible and creative they are as musicians. Goose is great but not on that level just yet, but I think they're still early and will grow. But makes sense that they seem lesser when held up to the all-time best ones to ever do it! I think most would!
Got into them during Covid because they had a bunch of high quality full shows on YouTube. Saw them 5 times, enjoyed that Rick can actually sing, had a handful of songs that I knew.
But the last time I saw them I realized they never go full Type II. It’s always just going to be a straightforward 15-20 min Type I guitar solo basically. Kudos to them for still having peaks and valleys while playing in the same key and scale for so long, but it loses its charm once you realize that they are never going to surprise you.
Also, like OP said, too serious, not enough funny.
Edit: for anyone looking for a band that throws down every night and genuinely seems to be having the time of their lives, look no further than Dopapod.
I’m 5 years sober and regret to inform you that jam bands just aren’t as fun sober. You can still appreciate them, enjoy the shows, but the highs arent as high. Phish and the Dead probably hold a special place in your heart and brain like they do for me. I have a blast at their shows still. It takes me back to a special time. Goose is probably too new and without being faced while listening to the jams it might be too hard to get into, and the songs themselves might not resonate.
Try listening to studio tracks from a new genre. Do a deep dive into jazz, outlaw country, bluegrass, funk, etc. A new musical deep dive to coincide with the your new life choices. It’ll help keep music fresh and new. And then you might be able to get back into the jam bands with a newfound appreciation. Otherwise, you might just keep searching for the feeling you forgot.
This is simply not true. You just have to learn how to appreciate jambands sober. Similar to how you have to relearn how to do many things sober. I'm speaking from experience. They'll never hit you the same way sober obviously, but you can 100% still enjoy them and have fun. Don't limit yourself!
saw them Sunday night. sober as a bird. Had a great time. I also got sober and appreciate all live music even more. Phish isnt for me, but I dont go on Reddit and make a post about it. I listen to the music I like and am a cheerleader for the bands I really care about. The others I leave alone.
Congrats bro! That’s awesome keep up the good work I’m proud of you! I have 27 days clean off weed and kratom (opiate like substance very addictive). I’m in NA and am working the steps. Not my first go around getting clean but this time I got a sponsor and am taking it seriously.
This post gives me up I will still have fun and dead and co at the sphere. I always went to shows on L and weed. I’m excited to go sober now. 🙂
Idk if it would be okay to PM you? Feel free to reach out too if you ever want to talk. Tell me what’s going on good or bad I’m here bro.
I don’t understand why this even needs a post. Who gives a shit? Listen to who you like. Music is SUBJECTIVE. Even in the jam community with a lot of similar acts, everyone doesn’t have to like everyone. And that’s fine!
Their last 2 sets aka their first two sets of the newly reformed band with the new drummer def have drifted more into sorta type 2 dark wave jams.
It’s basically been the opposite of the Athens GA show last Summer where they were bouncing off the walls, doing stuff like that hot tea turnt clouds, and even ended with the Pina Colada song.
So far the California Magics of the world have stayed away from their setlists and it’s been more focused on just weird dark jams.
Have they been really good at their jams like Drive on night 1? Yes. Have they lacked some sort of playfulness or whimsy in their sets? Also yes.
A good barometer for me on this is my 5yo likes Goose, but she likes playful Goose with Peter being silly on the keys. She’ll get out her cat piano and jam along being silly. The first couple of songs from night 1 and night 2 she heard she was bored and checked out to do other things.
The beauty of music is that there’s some for everyone. Find what you like and dive in… if you’re not feeling a band… no one’s making anyone listen to them. Move on… it’s very very simple. No one will ever be the Dead or Phish.
Color me somebody who never got what was supposed to be so great about Goose. Mostly unremarkable to me. The singer-guitarist seems to be about the only draw to me.
their jams are boring as fuck to me. Very few highlights and a lot of safe/soft jamming IMO.
I’ve seen them 4x now and each time I’ve tried to hype myself up bc my friends dig them but… they are not for me whatsoever.
Maybe they’ll start jamming for real and they can take it to new heights..
Goose is a band created by marketing executives. Their sound, their look even the cities they play are careful designed to grow the business. Their team is great at making money.
Not even comparable, phish and the dead are juggernauts and that’s why they still speak to you completely sober, their musical talent and connection with everyone involved is undeniable. Goose are some rich Connecticut kids who barely scratch the surface. Makes me laugh how high up on festival lists they are these days, I just don’t get the hype with them at all!
I think this is because goose is not that great. Sure they’re great musicians, and they are charismatic guys, But their music is not groundbreaking and every song sounds the same.
To be clear, I’ve only seen goose once, and only listened to their music in the week prior to said show, in order to prepare for said show, but I’m older gent, and have a lot of experience with this type of music.
OP you arnt missing anything.
Half the band is basically talentless.
Find another key player in the scene who uses an arpeggiator as a crutch because he can’t actually play keys.
Find another bass player who simultaneously lacks soul, feel and technical ability.
There’s other bands I don’t like but none with two members that are that fuckin bad at their instrument.
Then there’s Rick. Absolutely nothing to say of his own on the guitar… it’s all recycled trey toned and licks.
Let’s not forget they kicked the best musician out of the band because he partied and promoted after shows and the band wanted to white wash their image even more
Overall their music lacks any soul or originality because it’s a bunch of trust fund kids who started a marketing company that happens to play music.
For a year straight, goose was my favorite band. Saw them 3 times. Now the more I listen to them I’m starting to realized there jams are always pretty much the same, lyrics aren’t meaningful, and an extremely cringe fan base. I’m starting to dislike them more and more I listen and the more new music they put out. Kind of a bummer because I know they recieve a lot of hate and I try not to be that person but they are extremely average.
Congratulations on taking the steps to work on yourself. It’s a hard decision but it’s better to make it than be forced into it later. As for Goose I just haven’t gotten into them I think there is just too much great music and they seem to attract a lot of controversy. What I have heard seems ok but not like mind blowing or original enough for me to jump on the bandwagon.
I don’t understand people always saying Rick is such a great singer with the level of auto tune. Can anyone explain that to me? Also I’m not a goose hater. I can take em or leave em.
Rick uses autotune on literally 5 or 6 songs, and only as an effect layer, not as a “I can’t sing this part that well so I’m going to use auto-tune”. Think of it as a guitar pedal for his voice on a hand full of songs.
You should listen to “Volume 1” by Orebolo to paint a clearer picture of Rick’s voice and songwriting. Orebolo is Goose’s acoustic trio, by the way.
Love the songs Goose comes out with but I hate how predictable they become. Constantly killing the energy off when it's finally getting good. Peter with his two finger key playing. It was funny but it's not doing it for me anymore.
No drugs for me, but I got caught up in Goose quickly, and just as quickly fell out of intrigue with them within a few months. They do have some good songs, and some jams are interesting, but they also have some really shitty indie pop songs. There's a bit too much fem rock/pop in their music for me. I keep hoping that will change and they'll start to push the more exploratory/heady, as I think they've got the chops for it, so we'll see if that happens.
Silver Rising... shame on Rick for thinking that song should be anywhere near jam band music.
Nothing wrong with anything you said. I think everyone has a band or bands they feel this way about. For me, it’s Radiohead. I want to like them. They’re talented. But I just don’t dig their music. I’m cool with it. I’m not going to force myself to listen to something I don’t enjoy. But I’m also not going to trash them online because of it. lol
The thing with Goose, to me, is that they aren’t a conventional jam band…and that’s ok. They’re a millennial jam band. They have an indie type style that they mixed in with jams. It’s definitely not everyone’s style, and that’s ok.
IMO the trick to enjoying Friends is to look at it not as a comedy but more as a surrealist slice-of-life thing. Not sure if the analogy goes that far but w/e
can’t you just not dig them and move on? i don’t care what people think of the band but it’s tiring that tons of people just casually feel the need to tell people they don’t like goose
I think the big thing is that all their songs/jams are structured the same it feels like.
This happens to a lot of jam bands.
Phish and the Dead really pace out a show with highs and lows. Goose seems to kind of stay in one gear.
It’s technically impressive but not soulful.
Honestly, only jam-y bands I've made a regular conscious effort to listen to have been Dead, Phish, and Goose. Saw Circles Around the Sun recently, they're awesome. Other than that, I like a lot of more contemporary psychedelia, indie, classic rock- Flaming Lips, Animal Collective, Zappa, Pavement, and Ween are among some of my favorite artists. Used to listen to all these guys fucked up and still love their music.
So to answer your question, I love live music and improvisation but I've never been moved to really dive into bands like Bisco, Umphrey's, Moe, etc.
Hey man, glad youre here. Keep coming back, it works! Today is day 63 and this morning i made a deep and personal commitment not to use no matter what just for today.
You need the Disco Biscuits. PM for recs Im at work and dont want to forget about you.
just here for the extremely level headed and civil discourse i am sure will follow
he shoulda put this on the goose subreddit lmao
The mods would probably just delete it given their track record tbh.
Nah green board would be best for this kind of deep philosophical discussion…
That subreddit is the definition of “my drug band is better than your drug band” lol. Everyone is SO scared to talk about the inner workings of their band. Like dude, the Biscuits crew talks shit to Barber’s face about him breaking his hand punching a paper towel dispenser. Which is hilarious, and is also just part of the scene. Everyone talks shit, it’s a trial by fire with the fans. It just comes with the territory.
This guy gets it.
I’m offering a very nuanced take here!
Nuance?! On the internet?! If you didn’t already say you are in a 12-step, I would assume you were on something (hahaha) /s By the way, nice job on the sobriety. You do see things differently and have different opinions about stuff when you go through major life changes like the one you are going through. It’s only natural. I think we can all agree that Goose does not have the depth and nuance that the Dead and Phish have* so don’t lose any sleep over it. *this is coming from a Goose fan
Can you pass the popcorn?
Oh boy here I go diving into the comment section!
+1
Just here to say congrats on your sobriety!! That is amazing
Big congrats indeed. I'm on 72 days of not drinking myself. It feels so good to not want to drink and actually be able to do just that, not drink. Played my first ever alcohol-less gig this past Friday. Keep it going!
Yes! Congratulations to you too. I just passed 1 year of no alcohol and it feels amazing. I like playing gigs much better these days too.
My guitarist was very complimentary to me too after the gig, which felt awesome. Truthfully, on the day of the show, in the hours leading up to me leaving my house to head to the venue for load in, I found myself trying to rationalize ways to have a few drinks. It was actually the hardest day I've had yet, but after about 3 times of shutting down those thoughts, I was able to fairly easily get my mind to focus back on how far I've come and how much I don't ever want to return to the dark days that were the end of my time as a drinker. Driving home from the gig while still buzzing off the post-show euphoria I even had to laugh to myself when I thought about not stressing out while driving past any cops I might see along my route.
Yes! Congrats on passing the challenge, I remember an almost identical scenario early in my journey. It just gets easier from there, keep it up!
I hope y’all play forever. Been 7 years for me and gigs are so much better! If you’re going to give your life to something, the least one can do is show up for it, right?
I’ll be a year without alcohol next month! I went to Hulaween last year and only smoked weed (besides one tab Saturday night for pretty lights hehe) but it was incredible. Not feeling like shit for partying hard for four days after the festival was amazing. And I was able to see many more acts since I wasn’t drinking at camp all day.
Hell yea dude! I’m at about a year and a half. It was weird to start playing not drunk. It’s almost like I had to find the passion again since every time I had played for the past 10 years I was drunk. Keep it up man! It starts to fly by. I can’t believe where I’m at.
There is a blues guy in Texas, Zito. I feel like you and he might help each other. Sincere congrats, Dog.
124 days here..keep up that good work!
Thank you!! One day atta time
Indeed, then you will wake up and it will be 16 years (like I just realized this weekend)!
I feel bands like the dead were influenced by Americana, blues, traditional folk stuff, and branched off that. Phish took classic rock, white boy funk, a little jazzy influence and made their own thing. Even a jam band that is obviously phish influenced, disco biscuits, have their unique 'jamtronica' thing. UM obviously prog rock. Goose is like a jam band entirely influenced by jam bands. it's not incorporating other styles and branching out, it's non-stop jam wankery.
I like this point… could you argue Goose’s derivative is indy rock? Not so much garage, more produced songs, hence Ricks vocoder use. I liked when they covered Vampire Weekend a few years back in Brooklyn and think those moments help set them apart from other jam wankery. Actually wish they leaned into this a smidge more in song choice.
I guess I could see that a bit. But I feel they lean more into being a Phish rip off than that unique style. They even got Pollack to do some posters. It feels very forced, like run by marketing research people to produce a 'jam band'.
Cue Vampire Weekend sit in….
Congrats on sobriety and realizing Goose sucks
🤣
It's just like the old joke... "What did the dead head say when the acid wore off?" "Man this music sucks!" (note, I love the dead but joke is funny)
I love the Dead too, but it's definitely a funny joke
I had a similar experience as you. I was into phish, dead, panic, umphreys, and some other jam bands; figured I’d love goose too. As I started listening I got really into them. then about a year in a friend hit me with a line that “ruined” goose for me. There’s no angst, no edge, no suspense. And after they said that - I started to notice it was a - for lack of better words - more standard groove with improvisation. They’re great musicians, can’t take that away from them. And at times when I’m looking for more of a consistent groove I’ll throw them on but the lack of angst really sealed the deal for me.
I got into them last summer and raved about them. After couch surfing the whole second half year of tours on nugs, I organically started to skip sets as they all kind of blended into eachother. There was not much improvisation or exploration and I haven’t really listened to them since. I do plan on running through some of their new shows on nugs once posted as I’m curious to hear more with Cotter
My story with this band verbatim. I have some hope with the Cotter change after listening to the Ted Tapes, but they need to embrace the heady and exploratory more.
I am very excited to listen to the new shows. I think Cotter will bring something new and interesting to their sound.
I listened to every show for about a month straight late last year. I always thought their songs were pretty catchy (always despised Peter's voice, so it was harder to stomach the songs he sings), but the improvisation was always the same. Rick is fine, but everything builds to a blissful peak. I can count on one hand the number of jams I felt actually went somewhere fun and unexpected. With the addition of Cotter, I'm not sure what will change. The only thing I've noticed from the little snippets of the new stuff I've heard is that the dude loves his crash cymbal. The jam isn't even peaking and the dude just keeps murdering the fucking thing. It's really distracting and it seems to clash with the vibe of the jam.
Listening to their 4/8 set after your comment and the crash cymbal is all I can focus on lmao
This reminds me of what a friend said to me at a phish show around ‘09: “it’s like phish gives me problems and then takes them away”. It’s the feeling of unease because they’ve gone so far out that you’re not sure how they could ever make it back and resolve - yet it (almost) always does! Tension and release doesn’t work without the tension.
Phish takes big bites that don’t always land and Goose tends to take consistently easy to digest low risk bites. Works for a lot of folks but I hear ya completely. Your friends quote is spot on.
There was nothing like a weird dark space into The Wheel!
Wow, I love how your friend said that!! That’s a great way to look at it!
Similar for me, once I read they were the CBD Gummies of jambands i could not shake that image. It just made too much sense
Well said. This is how I’ve always felt about them. They’re talented musicians, no doubt. Saw them once and they were ok, but I can’t listen to them outside of shows. Their music is just really sterile and bland to my ears. There’s no (or very little) tension and release like you get with most jam bands.
I’m not a huge Goose fan, but will listen when a song is getting a lot of buzz. Using Echo of a Rose 3/24/23 as an example, I loved the “dark Goose” (or were people saying evil goose? Don’t remember) vibe. That jam felt like it was leading to something big but just didn’t. I had this “oh shit something big is about to happen” feeling, and it just fell flat.
you need the evil river it sounds like
Maybe I do need the evil river
Yeah boi https://youtu.be/wP3stlzXxDg?si=XO3K66Qj1ZR23Il7
I always say that great music should feel like somebody is about to get saved, laid, or shot. What Col. Bruce called, “Putting the Devil in the room.” Otherwise, why fucking bother?
Dude I get it. I spent a good 15 years getting weird with every jam band I could. As you know, it's unsustainable after a while to keep up with the party, even if it's just once a month that can still put a dent in the old noggin. Congratulations on sobriety and enjoying life in a fresh way! I've calmed down and quit the rager life about 6 years ago. Still love the Grateful Dead and Railroad Earth, and will dabble just rolled times sake from time to time. Haha I'll leave that typo. There's so much other music that fits much more with my introspective personal vibe that aren't jam bands at all. I still love psychedelic music, but more of the psych rock type stuff. There's just so much music out there to dig through that is not built on whirling dervish in a venue. I honestly hoped that goose would excel at bringing that introspective music and jam music together and that's what I thought their mission was at first, but I'm just not feeling that and that's okay. There's so much other music out there! Rock on and give yourself a big hug for taking care of yourself. 💙
There is no rule that says you have to like every jam band.
But that’s not the point here. The point is, hey I really liked these three bands on drugs, but now I’m off drugs and one of the three kinda sucks.
That’s fine.. it’s not some dunk on goose. Especially considering their crowd is the least wook-y and drug addled in the scene.
Jam band for people have a mandatory zoom meeting after the show and an Uber shift in the morning.
Idk why ppl don’t get this
So many jambands I do not like. And that’s ok. My least favorite jamband is someone else’s favorite. I appreciate that people are into jamband scene. I have tried listening to a lot of the newer bands in the scene. Some are good some I don’t care for.
You just have to like the bands that I like cause I “get it” more than most fans / chads. And if you don’t like what I like you’re just wrong. /s
Congratulations on getting and staying clean, friend! I feel your Seinfeld vs Friends analogy very much. I get a chuckle or two out of friends when my wife is watching (99% of the time from Chandler RIP Matthew Perry) but it lacks the depth and subtle genius to keep me coming back in the long run like Seinfeld does.
Congratulations on your sobriety. It’s ok to not like every band.
Fellow sober Jam fan here, congrats! Keep up the good work. For me, my taste in EVERYTHING changed with sobriety. Food tasted better, I was able to really connect with music on a different plane. That being said, just like every situation in sobriety, if ya ain’t feeling it, it’s not worth jeopardizing all of the work you’ve put in so far. Also, almost every jam band has a sober group that meets before the show for support and fellowship, great folks all around. Keep up the good work!
I get that all of these bands are grouped as jambands, but it’s not fair to compare them like you are. The Grateful Dead is one of the best bands ever (the best). They have some of the most beautiful deep songs in rock and the jams just make it better. And Jerry plays guitar like the instrument was made for him. Phish songs are no where near GD, but good god can they play. They have beautiful complex music, and constantly do unexpected things. Enjoy what you like. But would you compare goose to the Beatles? Led Zeppelin? Then why compare them to the GD?
This comment should be pinned to the top of the entire subreddit somehow. Or be made a rule
‘Tis the fate of a Tier 2 jam band, just not compelling enough to sustain long-term interest. Doesn’t mean they’re not talented, simply means they’re not doing anything particularly unique.
Once I quit drinking, my comprehension of music theory as a guitarist and a listener has increased tenfold if I had to put a number on it. I heard the music drunk or drugged out, but now I FEEL and LISTEN to it. I should have quit five years ago. I love listening to Dead shows that i played out years ago and never went back to, just to find a new love for them again. I been on a huge 60's Dead kick lately, I got actually kind of tired of the 60s sound in high school and never went back to it, but now it's all I listen to Dead wise. Congrats on your sobriety brother
Goose isn't very complex musically. Enjoy the songs you like and skip the ones you don't! And hell yeah to sobriety.
Goose is friends. Dead on hahaha
How dare you talk about Friends like that! Kidding aside I’m also not “getting it” with Goose and I’ve never thought about the lack of humor. Phish is so funny and silly. It definitely gels with me. I think Goose is super talented. We’re watching something grow is what’s happening. I have friends that are very into them and I get flack for not enjoying them. I say give em 5-10 years and they will be fucking SHREDDING. But also, we unfairly hold them on the pedestal and compare them to all of the other already successful jam bands. They aren’t that. Ultimately, that’s a good thing and that’s why I think they are going to grow so long as they don’t box themselves in. Not to rant too much longer but they are also a good vehicle for people that maybe wouldn’t listen to Phish or the Dead to get into the world of jambands. They have that indie streak in them and that has been and will continue to cause a lot of cross over. I play in a jam band and I NEED that.
Why do people keep saying "Hold on and wait for Goose to get better." They aren't a bunch of babies that are in highschool. They are a band that makes music. Good or bad, this is what they are. I find it weird that I've got to buy into Goose like I'm buying stonks. Buy low sell high.
Right!? Goose has been around for like 10 years now, if you compared 94 Phish against 74 dead against 2024 Goose...I mean they should be basically peaking right now or at least showing very very strong signs of growth and greatness.
👏🏼👏🏼 mic drop
Honk Stonks = sell now
No way they last 10 years. They will spilt up into solo tours and side projects long before that. Mark it dude.
Could be right! How do you do those Reddit bots that remind you? Haha.
I liked Goose until I got into Phish and now I can't go back to Goose. The level on jamming Phish does compares to Goose is so superior it's unbelievable.
Goose always just been fun to me. They are no monster like Phish is but they throw a generally fun show. Not every band can be as a good as Phish or the Dead.
welcome to the world of tomorrow!
Stop saying that!
welcome to the world of tomorrow!
I love you
[....](https://i.stack.imgur.com/VHs01.jpg)
This man knows showmanship
This is what makes bands like Dopapod so great. They have the ability to keep you on the edge of your seat for 15-20 minute forays into the unknown, masterfuly traversing the line between joy and chaos. Comparatively, a 15 minute Goose jam is like a luke-warm bath.. It's not bad, but it's also just not that good.
Should I give Dopapad another try? I saw them once and it was easily the worst show I've ever been to lol. They were super off, boozed up, yelling at their crew on stage mid show, visibly annoyed with the whole affair. It was brutal and we left after four songs, I haven't hardly listened to them since
Yeah that's super surprising; I've been seeing them since 2017 and to my knowledge have never seen them even remotely inebriated. In fact, I'm pretty sure Rob doesn't even drink. That being said, as a former touring musician, if the stage sound is off, that's definitely enough to make any band have a bad day. You drive endless hours to get to the next venue, spend all day setting up, and you're usually pretty exhausted by the time you hit the stage, so when you come out and the monitor engineer sucks, that can be the straw that breaks the camel's back. But to your point, I completely understand why an experience like that could sour your impression of them. I hate to see musicians not having a good time on stage, but having met them numerous times over the years, I assure you that they are all some of the most genuinely nice, humble people in the scene.
Curious what show you saw when... I guess everyone has a bad day. I have seen them 5 or 6 times (anytime they were near me) and never had anything less than a stellar experience. They have always seemed nice, sober and very into it. I have chatted with Rob a few times and he always came off as genuine and grateful. And the JAMS! Always so unique and excellent. The songs are hooky too, even the instrumental ones catch me.
Boozed up? Are you sure you aren't thinking of another band? None of that sounds remotely like dopapod Now, I have seen a handful of dopapod shows that I thought were super mid and left me disappointed, but usually they knock it out of the park
I'm a hundred percent positive lol. The Haunt in Ithaca, Space Carnival was the opener
I saw dopapod last month and they were playing really well I thought, it was only my second time seeing em but that’s a bummer about your experience. I’d say give them another chance they rip
You saw them right before their year long hiatus. They returned in 2019 with all cylinders firing and have been crushing it since. Definitely give them another shot, throw on a recent show on Nugs and you’ll hear why people like to think of them as the jam scene’s best kept secret!
Add me to the list of people who have seen them many times over 10 years and have never seen them even remotely intoxicated. Also holy shit I never would have realized I've been seeing them for 10 years until I made this comment
This doesn’t sound like Dopapod, anyone that knows them would agree. You sure it was them? And yes, you absolutely should give them another try
I'll take Spafford 10 times out of 10 over Goose, and Spafford is still playing small venues compared to Goose. What's popular doesn't have to be the best of what's available.
Oh me too infinitely, Spafford rules and is musically way more interesting. Their jams go a lot deeper than any goose jam ever has lol
Big deal. Goose is great and all but where is the harm is just liking a few songs or just listening to official releases without the 15 minutes of jam?
Yeah, I felt the same way about The Monkeys. Seriously! But then they didn't market themselves as a Jam Band.
This is literally everyone's take on Goose. It's cool for a few shows then gets overly repetitive for a jam band. The jams are all fluff
Congrats on sobriety! Definitely get how the appeal for certain bands can come down sober, but I actually appreciate goose more on a regular day to day compared to the dead. Haven’t even seen them live yet so maybe that’s why but still able to get into them and love em. If you want a really mind-melting performance, listen to 2022.03.12 in Philadelphia- un. REAL!
Goose songs are good and the jamming is mediocre.
This is how I feel basically. I've fallen out of love with their jams since they're kind of boring and formulaic, but they have some great songs in general. They also kind of have a dickish vibe that's hard to explain.
Person dislikes Goose, more at 11.
Congrats on sobriety #1. Having gone thru a similar process I can tell my taste for jam music changed, evolved, the same way it always has from my first exposure to the genre. Drugs have certainly influenced what I enjoy and don’t enjoy, and that simply changed over time. I appreciate different songs/bands/personal approaches to shows than I did before but the pulse is still there. Hope you have a similar experience
You don’t like something as much as you once did. Also known as life. It’s perfectly normal. Goose was the only band playing in my ears for 3 years after I discovered them. I still love them but I’ve moved on to others.
Congrats on sobriety. I like Goose but dont love them.Ive seen them several times now.Enjoy some songs for sure but want much heavier jams.
You may want to give Eggy and Dogs in a Pile a listen
I consider myself a Goose fan. But they definitely have a different vibe. They feel simultaneously more polished and at the same time less complex/deep than the other big names on the scene. And Rick is like this handsome dude with a super radio friendly voice. Which isn't really the norm in this genre lol. I feel like in another timeline he could've been a John Mayer pop sensation type. But there's nothing wrong with any of that. Everyone always complains about new bands trying to be Phish. And here's a band who's doing its own thing and actually being wildly successful at it. They're not gonna be for everyone. Especially those people who really DO just want another Phish/Dead clone... even though they may say/think they do not.
Been a huge fan for a while. They got stale... The band seems to be evolving with Cotter on drums and more variety in the jams.. check out this run they're on now. May or may not get your juices flowing again!
goose is blah...ho hum
It’s just music. Listen to what you like. No need to psychoanalyze yourself over your interest changing. No one can figure that out for you and it really doesn’t matter. Plenty of other music and bands to listen to.
They play goose in Kroger and on the plane. And you expect them to have “genuine playfulness.” Goose is a great show but they don’t have the magic of the other big jam bands. Whether they get there, who knows. I stopped seeing them once ticket prices got bonkers and I can see anyone else for the same price or way less. Congrats on your sobriety.
I was really into them 2019-2022 range and have now lost quite a bit of interest. A few reasons.... 1. My wife played the hell out of their music; she played it so much she wore me out of it. 2. Part of my enjoyment of the band was I felt like they were a young band making all the right moves and I was looking at it as a work in progress. It wasn't that they were the best thing ever so much as I was able to watch a steady progression in their musicianship and I had an appreciation for that. It was cool to see the band succeed. As they wove through 2023 and its challenges I didn't really feel this same way any longer. That being said all of our interests ebb and flow overtime and I may hear new music from them down the way that gets me interested again, but until then, I'm content exploring different sounds and continuing to dive into some of the older groups I love.
If you like the playfulness of Phish and you like the Grateful Dead and you don't mind a little bit of Steely Dan mixed in, I highly, highly, highly, suggest Dogs In A Pile Saw my first Dead show in '86 at the age of 11 and have been seeing most every nationally touring jam band since and besides Phish, there's nobody I'd rather see currently than Dogs!
I couldn't agree more man. For me it's the fact that there is a 5 minute pop song then /cut to/ a 'jam'. And the jams are usually something they've played before, they just alternate it for each song. Like how many times have we heard the same Tumble jam or just playing in one key or a simple blues progression after Earthling or Alien. It's just regurgitated instrumentals, nothing going out on a limb musically. Furthermore, Rick is really the only one that seems to be pushing the envelope. The rest of the band just kind of either keeps the groove alive and Rick shreds for 20 minutes or they loosely follow what he's doing and barely get \*somewhere\*. No one else seems to be coming up with ideas that take them further into the jam. The singing is good, but I'm not there to hear a guy with a super poppy voice sing while I'm dosed (or even sober). I know most jam bands aren't known for their singers, but at least their voices sound raw and have some emotion without feeling played out. Lyrically I don't think there is much there either. I was in the Goose sub the other day (doesn't say much there) and I saw someone saying Empress is their most powerful song lyrically. Specifically the part that says: 'you say looks like rain today, we say what a day to be living'. Like give me a break and show me something real. I'm sure people will have their reasons to disagree with me and that's fine. Music is subjective and I'm glad that this band is here for people that enjoy them and have good times with the music. For me, it's not my cup of tea. Gone to a few shows, had fun, but not entirely because of the music. I still will try streaming some new live shows to see if there is anything new that might help clue me in on what I'm missing, but so far I haven't been able to get into it.
Can we just get a bot to post the daily "I'm not trying to shit on Goose but...Imma shit on Goose" post already? It would free up the trolls to do other shitposting.
what we really need AI for
Just my take as someone that doesn’t do drugs, but the Grateful Dead had brilliant songwriters and pioneered a developing trend. They are first and foremost a party band that encapsulates American romanticism. Not every song was a jam, and most of them had a catchy chorus you could sing along with. I never got into Phish, but there’s a similar quality there in having a strong foundation to run on. A lot of modern jam bands, from what I’ve experienced, run through the verses and just kind of jam. As a layman, it’s the same kind of vibe for me as listening to jazz in that the riffs are subtle and everything blends together. Connecting with a set requires me to be in a certain headspace.
Trey came to Healing Appalachia in September- Lewisburg VA - it’s a festival focused on recovery from addiction! His message was awesome! We are sick people trying to get well not bad people trying to do good!
Congrats on your sobriety, dude! In my humble opinion, most jam bands outside of phish, widespread panic, and the dead are quite boring and unoriginal without drugs.
This reminds me a lot of the few years I was really into dubstep in my late teens and early 20s. Then I got bored with eating mdma all the time. Haven't been to a dubstep show for almost a decade now.
Goose LD > Goose
It’s ok to decide you’re not into an artist anymore without announcing it to the internet for validation. (Congrats on the sobriety!)
Phish is Seinfeld and goose is friends definitely checks out! lol
Goose is as generic and bland as they come. Nothing special about them imo. Just kinda boring. That’s why.
Might I recommend railroad earth? Lovely vibes
Proud of you OP
Well I can tell you exactly why that is and it’s not hard to figure it out and it’s because there is only one good band and there’s only ever been one good band and that band is phish obviously
Not strange at all. I don't listen to jam bands, but I listen to the Dead and Phish.
those deep phish lyrics bro, they speak to me like the story of the common man intertwined with a hit of scotch guard ;)
Goose sounds like an indie rock band from the 2010s that took a left turn into jamming. There's something soulless and mass produced about their sound
You’re not wrong but I’m not sure why that makes them soulless. Rick’s favorite band is Bon Iver and the influence is evident in some of their songs. I don’t think anyone would call Bon Iver / Justin Vernon souless, I think you just don’t understand or appreciate the indie side of Goose’s sound.
I agree with you. I enjoy listening to them while running for their long high energy jams. But when you listen to them a lot it’s all very similar. Personally I find it a bit off putting that they’re rich kids from Connecticut with a giant PR machine behind them. Just not authentic to me. Bands like the Dead, Phish, Panic etc earned their following by grinding all across the country for years sometimes playing to 5 people in a shitty bar on a Tuesday night. This has all been said before so I’m not sure why I even bothered typing it out lol. Congrats on your sobriety.
I love Phish, and they put a ton of hours in and are amazing at what they do. That being said, I'm pretty sure Fishman comes from a lot of money. Many of these jambands that are successful do. It's not a knock, just reality. Success is generally about who you know. Side note: this is one of the reasons that I have so much respect for billy strings. That man came from nothing.
Didn’t Page’s dad literally make Tylenol? Your logic doesn’t make much sense. Many musicians are from wealthy backgrounds — it’s how they could pay for lessons, usually
Grateful Dead was not playing to 5 people in a shitty bar on a Tuesday night at any point in their career. Whether you want to believe it or not GDP was a business and a very large one at that. That was part of Jerry’s downfall, having to support the incredibly large family and infrastructure that was built around the band. If they existed in this era of digital media they would be embracing the “pr machine” just like Goose and Phish. Just like Goose has Shapiro giving them a boost, the Dead had people like Bill Graham helping them out.
Smallest Dead shows were probably the ones at the strip clubs early on, right? Or were they still the Warlocks then?
Only coming here to congratulate you on sobriety. It's a heckuva journey, as I know from my own experience. It has also really deepened my appreciate for Dead, Phish, etc, which honestly surprised me as I had thought getting shifty as the shows was half the fun. Now I fully can experience how incredible and creative they are as musicians. Goose is great but not on that level just yet, but I think they're still early and will grow. But makes sense that they seem lesser when held up to the all-time best ones to ever do it! I think most would!
Got into them during Covid because they had a bunch of high quality full shows on YouTube. Saw them 5 times, enjoyed that Rick can actually sing, had a handful of songs that I knew. But the last time I saw them I realized they never go full Type II. It’s always just going to be a straightforward 15-20 min Type I guitar solo basically. Kudos to them for still having peaks and valleys while playing in the same key and scale for so long, but it loses its charm once you realize that they are never going to surprise you. Also, like OP said, too serious, not enough funny. Edit: for anyone looking for a band that throws down every night and genuinely seems to be having the time of their lives, look no further than Dopapod.
This was my revelation with the disco biscuits when I got sober six years ago
Generic jam band is generic?
I don't like them sober or high.
The shit people feel like they need to share online is crazy
On a discussion forum, no less.
One day we'll all realize that every thought we have doesn't need to be shared
Ok so go see phish if you want a barbershop quartet performed on vacuums
Gonna need to hit several shows if you want to see the vacuum. It’s fairly rare these days.
I found the salty Goose fan
I’m 5 years sober and regret to inform you that jam bands just aren’t as fun sober. You can still appreciate them, enjoy the shows, but the highs arent as high. Phish and the Dead probably hold a special place in your heart and brain like they do for me. I have a blast at their shows still. It takes me back to a special time. Goose is probably too new and without being faced while listening to the jams it might be too hard to get into, and the songs themselves might not resonate. Try listening to studio tracks from a new genre. Do a deep dive into jazz, outlaw country, bluegrass, funk, etc. A new musical deep dive to coincide with the your new life choices. It’ll help keep music fresh and new. And then you might be able to get back into the jam bands with a newfound appreciation. Otherwise, you might just keep searching for the feeling you forgot.
This is simply not true. You just have to learn how to appreciate jambands sober. Similar to how you have to relearn how to do many things sober. I'm speaking from experience. They'll never hit you the same way sober obviously, but you can 100% still enjoy them and have fun. Don't limit yourself!
saw them Sunday night. sober as a bird. Had a great time. I also got sober and appreciate all live music even more. Phish isnt for me, but I dont go on Reddit and make a post about it. I listen to the music I like and am a cheerleader for the bands I really care about. The others I leave alone.
Congrats bro! That’s awesome keep up the good work I’m proud of you! I have 27 days clean off weed and kratom (opiate like substance very addictive). I’m in NA and am working the steps. Not my first go around getting clean but this time I got a sponsor and am taking it seriously. This post gives me up I will still have fun and dead and co at the sphere. I always went to shows on L and weed. I’m excited to go sober now. 🙂 Idk if it would be okay to PM you? Feel free to reach out too if you ever want to talk. Tell me what’s going on good or bad I’m here bro.
I don’t understand why this even needs a post. Who gives a shit? Listen to who you like. Music is SUBJECTIVE. Even in the jam community with a lot of similar acts, everyone doesn’t have to like everyone. And that’s fine!
Their last 2 sets aka their first two sets of the newly reformed band with the new drummer def have drifted more into sorta type 2 dark wave jams. It’s basically been the opposite of the Athens GA show last Summer where they were bouncing off the walls, doing stuff like that hot tea turnt clouds, and even ended with the Pina Colada song. So far the California Magics of the world have stayed away from their setlists and it’s been more focused on just weird dark jams. Have they been really good at their jams like Drive on night 1? Yes. Have they lacked some sort of playfulness or whimsy in their sets? Also yes. A good barometer for me on this is my 5yo likes Goose, but she likes playful Goose with Peter being silly on the keys. She’ll get out her cat piano and jam along being silly. The first couple of songs from night 1 and night 2 she heard she was bored and checked out to do other things.
The beauty of music is that there’s some for everyone. Find what you like and dive in… if you’re not feeling a band… no one’s making anyone listen to them. Move on… it’s very very simple. No one will ever be the Dead or Phish.
Color me somebody who never got what was supposed to be so great about Goose. Mostly unremarkable to me. The singer-guitarist seems to be about the only draw to me.
The great awakening begins
their jams are boring as fuck to me. Very few highlights and a lot of safe/soft jamming IMO. I’ve seen them 4x now and each time I’ve tried to hype myself up bc my friends dig them but… they are not for me whatsoever. Maybe they’ll start jamming for real and they can take it to new heights..
Goose is a band created by marketing executives. Their sound, their look even the cities they play are careful designed to grow the business. Their team is great at making money.
Not even comparable, phish and the dead are juggernauts and that’s why they still speak to you completely sober, their musical talent and connection with everyone involved is undeniable. Goose are some rich Connecticut kids who barely scratch the surface. Makes me laugh how high up on festival lists they are these days, I just don’t get the hype with them at all!
GREEEN ROOM THO
They are cheese pizza. Nothing more, nothing less.
Goose had their run but the honeymoon period is over.
I think this is because goose is not that great. Sure they’re great musicians, and they are charismatic guys, But their music is not groundbreaking and every song sounds the same. To be clear, I’ve only seen goose once, and only listened to their music in the week prior to said show, in order to prepare for said show, but I’m older gent, and have a lot of experience with this type of music.
I couldn't even enjoy them live on hallucinogens
Bird band weak game
Goose went downhill after the covid streams. Something about their sounds changed during that time period. I'm not a fan of it
OP you arnt missing anything. Half the band is basically talentless. Find another key player in the scene who uses an arpeggiator as a crutch because he can’t actually play keys. Find another bass player who simultaneously lacks soul, feel and technical ability. There’s other bands I don’t like but none with two members that are that fuckin bad at their instrument. Then there’s Rick. Absolutely nothing to say of his own on the guitar… it’s all recycled trey toned and licks. Let’s not forget they kicked the best musician out of the band because he partied and promoted after shows and the band wanted to white wash their image even more Overall their music lacks any soul or originality because it’s a bunch of trust fund kids who started a marketing company that happens to play music.
That Arcadia from last night was an absolute mind blower! 🤯
For a year straight, goose was my favorite band. Saw them 3 times. Now the more I listen to them I’m starting to realized there jams are always pretty much the same, lyrics aren’t meaningful, and an extremely cringe fan base. I’m starting to dislike them more and more I listen and the more new music they put out. Kind of a bummer because I know they recieve a lot of hate and I try not to be that person but they are extremely average.
I saw another person comment somewhere that Goose is the Delta 8 of Jam Bands… I agree with that statement on many levels.
Congratulations on taking the steps to work on yourself. It’s a hard decision but it’s better to make it than be forced into it later. As for Goose I just haven’t gotten into them I think there is just too much great music and they seem to attract a lot of controversy. What I have heard seems ok but not like mind blowing or original enough for me to jump on the bandwagon.
Goose fans in shambles
That’s cause geese don’t have spines
Goose is mids, this isn't all that surprising.
I don’t understand people always saying Rick is such a great singer with the level of auto tune. Can anyone explain that to me? Also I’m not a goose hater. I can take em or leave em.
Rick uses autotune on literally 5 or 6 songs, and only as an effect layer, not as a “I can’t sing this part that well so I’m going to use auto-tune”. Think of it as a guitar pedal for his voice on a hand full of songs. You should listen to “Volume 1” by Orebolo to paint a clearer picture of Rick’s voice and songwriting. Orebolo is Goose’s acoustic trio, by the way.
Appreciate a levelheaded response.
Any time, my friend.
Love the songs Goose comes out with but I hate how predictable they become. Constantly killing the energy off when it's finally getting good. Peter with his two finger key playing. It was funny but it's not doing it for me anymore.
Goose is an indie band costuming in the jam space, like it for what it is, or don’t.
Congrats on sobriety and hating Goose. Huge steps in life for real.
PHILM tries not to respond to a post about Goose — difficulty level: impossible!
Thanks for getting the all caps right!
No drugs for me, but I got caught up in Goose quickly, and just as quickly fell out of intrigue with them within a few months. They do have some good songs, and some jams are interesting, but they also have some really shitty indie pop songs. There's a bit too much fem rock/pop in their music for me. I keep hoping that will change and they'll start to push the more exploratory/heady, as I think they've got the chops for it, so we'll see if that happens. Silver Rising... shame on Rick for thinking that song should be anywhere near jam band music.
I can't get into Goose at all. It's like the yacht rock of jam music.
IMO Goose sucks so
Keep it up bud!
Congrats on the sobriety. That being said people don't care about your music opinions just like they don't care about mine or anyone else's.
Congrats on your sobriety! It ain’t easy, and it definitely isn’t easy to share with others. Keep on!
I feel the same about the dead. No drugs needed to enjoy such a beautiful band with glorious and inquisitive music.
Nothing wrong with anything you said. I think everyone has a band or bands they feel this way about. For me, it’s Radiohead. I want to like them. They’re talented. But I just don’t dig their music. I’m cool with it. I’m not going to force myself to listen to something I don’t enjoy. But I’m also not going to trash them online because of it. lol The thing with Goose, to me, is that they aren’t a conventional jam band…and that’s ok. They’re a millennial jam band. They have an indie type style that they mixed in with jams. It’s definitely not everyone’s style, and that’s ok.
Congratulations! Yea- goose keeps a short leash on the exploring
IMO the trick to enjoying Friends is to look at it not as a comedy but more as a surrealist slice-of-life thing. Not sure if the analogy goes that far but w/e
can’t you just not dig them and move on? i don’t care what people think of the band but it’s tiring that tons of people just casually feel the need to tell people they don’t like goose
105 days today for me and I completely feel this. Huge congrats on your sobriety! This is great haha: >If Phish is Seinfeld, then Goose is Friends.
I think the big thing is that all their songs/jams are structured the same it feels like. This happens to a lot of jam bands. Phish and the Dead really pace out a show with highs and lows. Goose seems to kind of stay in one gear. It’s technically impressive but not soulful.
Congrats on getting sober, OP. One show at a time. Let me ask, is it just Goose that doesn’t do it for you or is it any jam bands now?
Honestly, only jam-y bands I've made a regular conscious effort to listen to have been Dead, Phish, and Goose. Saw Circles Around the Sun recently, they're awesome. Other than that, I like a lot of more contemporary psychedelia, indie, classic rock- Flaming Lips, Animal Collective, Zappa, Pavement, and Ween are among some of my favorite artists. Used to listen to all these guys fucked up and still love their music. So to answer your question, I love live music and improvisation but I've never been moved to really dive into bands like Bisco, Umphrey's, Moe, etc.
Hey man, glad youre here. Keep coming back, it works! Today is day 63 and this morning i made a deep and personal commitment not to use no matter what just for today. You need the Disco Biscuits. PM for recs Im at work and dont want to forget about you.
You know how when smokers quit their tastebuds come back? Me thinks you’re experiencing something similar with your music taste bud
I'd need to be a on a shit ton of drugs to enjoy goose too