The first time I listened to a Geese song was on Monday, September 30th, only six days before Geese’s performance at Antone’s Nightclub. I was immediately struck by the thundering energy and insanely magnetic groove infused in every song off their second album “3D Country”, along with equally fascinating lyrics that were so fun to sing along to, even when I barely knew the words. I noticed they were doing an after-show at Antone’s following their show at ACL, and bought tickets on a whim.
Leading up to concert day, I ran all my errands and walked everywhere with Geese playing in my ears, hoping to absorb the songs. I quickly identified my favorites, which were “Crusades,” “Mysterious Love,” and “I See Myself.” Finally, that Saturday night, I walked into Antone’s expecting a good show, but what I got was one of the most electric musical experiences I’ve had to date.
After the opener, Marry Cherry, finished their show, my feet and knees were a mix of numb and aching (largely due to my poor decision to prioritize wearing stiff shoes that would go with my outfit) in anticipation of Geese’s performance. But as soon as Geese came on stage and launched into their first song, “Disco,” my brain suddenly forgot about pain. This band, I quickly discovered, has a dedicated and adoring fanbase. Although they have a relatively small number of Spotify monthly listeners, enough to play on KVRX (which I took full advantage of during my show), you would think they were America’s most beloved rock band based on the energy and excitement beaming from the crowd as they screamed, “voodoo balarama baba yaga,” and forcefully danced to the repeated line of “some people are alone forever.”
The musical chemistry within this group was palpable. Despite their tracks being riddled with twists, turns, breaks, and insanely dynamic melodies, the band showed how instinctual every beat of their performance had become, heavily playing with the tempos and grooves of their songs. Lead singer Cameron Winter’s voice, in particular, blew my mind as he belted out rich and explosive melodies with such ease, making the live experience of these tunes so memorable and cathartic.
Before the show started, I was already making plans in my head to leave a song or two early so as not to get back home too late, but by the time they reached their third song, “Gravity Blues,” I was eating my words (or thoughts?) and wondering how I had been living under a rock without their music for such a long time. And so I sang and sang to the songs I barely memorized the words to. I danced and danced to the bluesy tunes while I felt a stranger’s hair graze my face as she headbanged her way through almost all the show (good for her). By the end of their encore, as they finished their show with “Crusades,” I was hooked—Geese-pilled, if you will. I shimmied my way up to the front of the stage and, to my delight, managed to secure a setlist, which completely sealed the night.
Needless to say, the post-Geese concert depression is real, and I am clawing for the time to come when I get to see them live again. #geesed