THRILL OF THE HUNT

On Dripfield, jam-band breakouts Goose let their muse lead them outside their comfort zone. Says guitarist Rick Mitarotonda, "We chase what we hear."

- JOE BOSSO

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED to Goose over the past two years. Following the release of their second album, A 2021's Shenanigan's Nite Club, the Connecticut-based quintet transitioned from underground darlings to something close to mainstream stars, headlining major venues like Red Rocks and Radio City Music Hall while appearing on network shows such as Jimmy Kimmel Live and The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon.

Since their formation in 2014, Goose have described themselves as an "indie-groove" outfit, but to their loyal - and rapidly growing - legion of fans, the group's inventive mix of folk, jazz, trance and progressive rock has placed them firmly in the lineage of premier jam bands like Umphrey's McGee and Phish.

So which is it? Are Goose a jam band, or are they something else? Guitarist singer and founding member Rick Mitarotonda is of two minds. "I don't try to hold any idea that we're not a jam band," he says. "We are most certainly a jam band. We improvise a whole lot, so yeah, we're a jam band. On the other hand, I don't feel qualified to render an opinion, because when you make something, your perspective is skewed."

He pauses and laughs. "We're just doing what we do, and we chase what we hear."

If playing long songs with lots of solos was the only qualifier for jam-band status, then Goose which includes bassist Trevor Weeks, drummer Ben Atkind, percussionist Jeff Arevalo, and guitarist-keyboardist Peter Anspach - have all the right stuff. From the start, however, they made it clear that they were interested in something more. As an instrumentalist, Mitarotonda can spin a sprawling yarn like nobody's business, but his solos - lyrical, emotive, fleet without being mathy - have an accessible flair. And the band also has a distinctive and welcome knack for writing strong, hook-filled songs carried by Mitarotonda's hearty vocals.