For the first time since 2018, Goose made their way back to the Motor City. Someone must have reminded them that there ain't no party like a Detroit party, because they showed up, took names, and kicked asses! There was a lot of excitement leading up to this show, which was apparent by the buzz around downtown all afternoon, and all the out-of-state license plates I saw. The weather was also fantastic, and everyone at the bars and restaurants surrounding the venue, as well as those in line in front of the Masonic Temple, just knew the stage was set for something very special to go down! 

 

The show kicked-off with Turbulence and the Night Rays, and The Whales… both of which  fit well into those opening slots. At around 10 minutes each, they were just long enough to build some excitement and tease the jamming that would come later in the show, but short enough to keep the show moving along. It didn’t take long for them to bust into the first big number of the night… a 24-minute version of Wysteria Lane in spot three. This wouldn’t be the longest of the four big jams this evening (surprisingly)… but it was wonderful to get so early in the show. This effortlessly transitioned into Electric Avenue, which the crowd absolutely loved (I was happy to hear it as well, as it had been on my “wish list” for years). A solid, underrated, 17-minute Red Bird followed, and closed out the first set. The jam had those hints of Reba in it, got a little dirty, and then wound down gently to close the set in a way that I don’t see them do often (talking about taking set break while they’re still finishing the song… Rick called it the “transitioning into set break music”). Jeff must have had to pee or something, because he bailed from behind his drum kit before the band actually finished the song… leading to some jokes and teasing from Peter and Rick. “Have a great set break everyone”. “Apparently Jeff’s already having a great set break”. :)

 

Yeti was a great, high-energy way to kick off set two… followed up by fairly short (original/slow-style) Borne. Hungersite was up next, and would prove to be the third big jam number of the night. For whatever reason, this seems to be the overlooked gem of the evening, so do yourself a favor and give this one a listen. As Hungersite approached the 20-minute mark, the band segued into The Clash’s Rock the Casbah (for the first time in over 40 shows), with Jeff on vocals. On a side note, I totally called this song a few days before, and even had it on my bingo card and my Fantasy Goose list (yes… I am that nerd). I was listening to an earlier version and caught a line that goes something like  “the temple band took fire…”, which I felt was just too fitting for them not to play at the Masonic Temple. Anyway… Casbah was short and sweet, followed by a 10-minute 726… which was the perfect “breather” before the set-closing Arrow, which went over 28 minutes, and would turn out to be what I feel was the best jam of the night. The band left the stage for a minute or two, and returned to play Silver Rising in the encore sport, which I do not believe they had ever played as an encore. The perfect opportunity to exhale, regroup, and pull myself together before leaving the venue.

 

Overall, a magical night in Detroit! I ran into old Phish friends and new Goose friends, got to visit a bunch of my favorite hangout spots downtown, snagged a great event poster from Naveed, and added another amazing show to my resume. Thank you Goose. You showed us you know why we call it Detroit Rock City!