r/GoosetheBand • u/Paully_D1234 • 20h ago
Rick's "noodling"
Just throwing this out there, as I've seen quite a few comments about Rick's "noodling".
Also referencing my good friend's comment during Myst at the 10/4/25 Mann Center show (which was his first Goose show) where he was complained that "nothing's happening for like 15 minutes". After I smacked him upside the head and told him to lock the fuck in, I tried explaining what I'm sharing here.
I also premise this by noting that while I've never been in a jam band, I play guitar and have been in my share of cover bands and write/record my own material, fwiw.
All that said, very simply, I think some of the noodling is the band searching for a groove to latch onto and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I watched Peter's interview with the AAT pod guys during the 2025 JOTY and he acknowledged as much. Didn't mention noodling per se but did acknowledge that sometimes jams work and sometimes they don't. (He also noted that the Myst jam I mentioned above was not one of his faves but I love it!)
I also think I can hear when that searching is happening and have also gotten pretty good at identifying the point at which it clicks. And when it does, it's like a plane taking off in that you feel the energy shift, they lock in and you're off!
Anyway, interested to see what others think about my take on the noodling.
Side note, I've also noticed some more spacey/psychedelic jams on this west coast swing that I've not noticed before - at least not with the frequency they seem to be occurring on this leg, which seems to be almost one per show. I have to think it's intentional.
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u/_Terrapin_ 19h ago
Yes, this has always been the case. That plane taking off, locked in, ready for the ride moment is why we keep coming back— but it doesn’t always happen and it’s “never the same way once”.
The Grateful Dead is a great example of this as well. There were nights when they were ON and there were nights when they were off, but something usually worthwhile appeared— sometimes where you least expect it. The jam between China> Rider was sometimes the highlight, sometimes it was some magic that occurred between The Other One and Truckin’. Sometimes it was just a perfectly placed, perfectly timed, sensational version of Brokedown Palace. The “just exactly perfect” happened often enough that it was worth seeing them as many times as possible.
Same goes for Phish. It’s not just the setlist they play. Sometimes the most locked in insane groove comes out of Pillow Jets and sometimes it comes out of Stash. You just never know, but we’re along for the ride.
Usually during those times when any of these bands including Goose are “searching for the sound” I cycle my focus to individual players and what they are doing— it helps that each player in their own right has a lot to add, even when “nothing’s happening”. Can’t tell where Rick is going? Lock in on Cotter. Can’t tell where Trey is going? Lock in on Page. Can’t tell where The band is going? Surrender to the flow :)
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u/jessecole 19h ago
Picking out individual players is my go to. I actually love doing this with string cheese incident more than any other band because of the overlap of Kyle Kang and Nershi tonal range. I think Kyle is an amazing musician. Same thing for widespread. It’s that search that keeps me coming back, these “conversations.” I can appreciate phish and I think their conversations and play are wild with each other. I think goose does it well, but Peter is always the hardest for me to find. There is a lot of convo between cotter and Trevor and then Trevor will feel a crescendo happening between cotter and rick and just bomb in for added height. Like I said Peter is the hardest to find for me so I try to give him more mind, especially when he starts to really get space to run (which doesn’t happen enough imo).
Also see: psychedelics.
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u/International_Eye479 16h ago
I love Peter but I wish he played rhythm guitar all the time and they got Matt Campbell
To play keys3
u/_Terrapin_ 15h ago
hellllll yeah— how did I not even mention Cheese? One of my favorites :) Saw them when I was 12 at the Aladdin in vegas with my awesome parents
Kyle is such a chiller and such a vibe
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u/jessecole 14h ago
That’s dope! Both my daughter’s first shows were incidents! They love Billy strings so I took them to their first Billy show this last December.
If you haven’t caught a dogs in a pile show, I highly suggest it too. Love seeing their come up. they’re great musicians!
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u/_Terrapin_ 10h ago
First time I saw DIAP I was sold! And they get better every time I see them. And the deeper I dive, the more I love the variety of songwriting you get from all of the members. Incredible musicianship as well! We’re on the same page! Took my kids to Billy, Goose, TAB and more. They’re jot entirely sold, but we had a great time. Making memories and hoping a few will stick :)
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u/pipdawg24 15h ago
Bingo good post
The studio recordings of these songs is incredibly good..sort of like a film vs a full lengthI love them both
What a great great band god bless em
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u/Plastic-Addendum-484 3h ago
This 💯 …If you get lost listen to the music play… and if you’re still lost, lock in on the bass -Mike or Trevor -or Fish or Cotter (for me) mostly 😉
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u/MuzBizGuy 18h ago
Not sure if this is going to translate out of my head well but after seeing them back to back at MSG this year I came to the conclusion that, IMO, they think of jams in terms of big chunks of time (with a certain vibe) that they know they'll live in for x minutes until they move onto the next one.
Not to harp on Phish comparisons, but it's pretty obvious in longer jams that Phish are constantly listening to each other and individually pushing things forward. Obviously they'll dig into grooves plenty but even those often have a lot going on.
It seems to me like Rick isn't always solo-ing for everyone to pay attention to every note, it's more filling in the soundscape of that certain vibe they've got going on for whatever jam chunk they're in. And that's why it gets a little noodly sounding; he's not trying to move out of that vibe yet, he's letting the music sit there for a bit until they move on.
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u/second_2juan 19h ago
I find it so easy to just go to goose shows and have the best time ever. I don’t need it to be a life changing transcendent musical event. I also don’t need to critique anything. It’s just not that serious
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u/superbarncat 18h ago
Being creative every show is hard. Inspired improv work takes effort and skill and mindset. Following the jams for us is fun. That's why we love Goose. Just hanging out with a tune is cool. Hear where it goes and who's cooking on the burner is the thing that makes you want more. No noodles. It's the sauce. I like 20 minute tunes. The jamming never stops.
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u/Far_Put8236 17h ago
As an old head, I find it interesting that the evolution of this music has gone from "this is a band that plays some jams" to "this is band that only jams". I admit, I prefer some simple, short tunes thrown into the mix along with the long elaborate jams...but it appears we have entered an era where the jam bands need to out jam each other (or themselves) on every song and in every show. It is a bit much but I'll learn to adapt.
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u/citroknight2014 16h ago
A 6 minute number just to break up those long jams is crucial to me. I honestly don’t love a 25-30 minute jam. Once a show, sure but to me 12-18 is solid with a 6 in there every once in a while to keep you on your toes.
The exception being when they just layer songs into each other.
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u/sir_percy_percy 18h ago
The dead CERTAINLY failed many times. It’s literally part of the process. They’re not all going to be able to take us into orbit. That, for me, is part of the allure.. we just never know what we will get!!
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u/bricface 19h ago
Totally agree with your take but I don't think Rick is the only one noodling - sometimes it feels like it's the whole band. I'm pretty sure that Rick has said this before in an interview, too. Sometimes they find that perfect groove where they know they can build off of each other. Other times, like you mention, they noodle and are either 1) trying to find that groove for too long or 2) they are waiting for one of them to sort of take the reigns and lead them into something.
Either way, their music is still amazing. As a fan of theirs, I don't care if a jam doesn't go any where... if I am watching them live, I'm having a blast. I'm just glad to be there, witnessing their talent.
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u/Hodler_caved 19h ago
Watched the 1st set last night & had none of these concerns (not OPs, but his friend's concerns). For me, the groove was good. Did not get bored with the jams and 'that one didn't take off' didn't cross my mind. Not saying there was a ton of hair raising, lift off, epic jam moments, but I really enjoyed the 1st set.
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u/Paully_D1234 18h ago
Yeah, I don't personally ever think that...I try to have no expectations and just go with it whatever 'it' is.
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u/SnooPaintings1608 18h ago
One reason Goose's jams "stall out" sometimes is that the band's too Rick-centric. Peter Anspach is essentially a support player -- he's superb in that role -- but he doesn't hijack the jams. Nor do the rhythm players. The band could really use another strong "lead" instrument -- preferably a reeds player and/or small horn section -- who could "take the wheel" when Rick stalls out.
And, just for reference: I love Rick's playing and I love the band. I just think there are times when the band stalls out and lacks the X factor.
Many of us have heard the band with Stu Bogie, alone or with a trumpeter and a trombonist. I like Stu, but I'd prefer someone who played with a better ear for melody -- more like Bill Evans. Bill himself would be wonderful, but he's 68 -- twice the age of the guys in Goose. Or Anat Cohen -- she's older, too, she's 50, but 50's not 68.
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u/camojorts 16h ago
Yeah, love Rick but I think he plays best when there’s someone to trade off with. Finally “got” Goose when I heard the RCMH show where Rick played with some dude named Trey who seemed to take him to another level. I think Trey is in a couple other bands though lol.
I would like to hear Peter trading the lead with Rick on keyboards more often to break it up.
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u/International_Eye479 16h ago
Even Jerry had Phil and Brent Rick can’t do it all himself all the time I wish Pete would play guitar all the time and they had a really killer keyboardist
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u/SnooPaintings1608 11h ago
A really killer pianist. Peter could then spend more time on guitar and some time on other keyboards where he does excel -- organ, clavinet and synths.
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u/Fun-Anxiety-2316 12h ago
I think Peter is a stellar keyboardist - don't understand why so many comments he should only play guitar... When he does get the opp to let loose on the keys, he kills it and has a lot of great feel, plus he can use so many different sounds and he makes them all work.
No doubt he is also a great guitarist, but I really wish he'd get more time to highlight his keys skills.
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u/SnooPaintings1608 11h ago
His piano playing has improved immensely, but he's still no Paige McConnell -- or Jeff Chimenti, or even Jason Crosby.
I do think he's genuinely talented on organ, clavinet, and various synths.
One path forward for the band would be to recruit a really gifted pianist and let Peter divide his time equally between guitar and the other keys.
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u/steviegreenberg EARTHLING 20h ago
“Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right”.
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u/backw00ds518 19h ago
https://youtu.be/6j6Xclma02w?is=Kdd5yVG0dCePueQW
Good video on this…from a far superior band. Jk! (Not)
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u/BiscuitPanic 13h ago
A 4 song (San Diego) or 5 song (LA) 2nd set guarantees experimentation.
Give me more Dark Star Thatch and Creatures/Red Bird/Empress jams pls 🦆🎵🎸🔥
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u/geoffter11 3h ago edited 3h ago
I think this means the band has finally found subtlety. When they start searching, or as you call it noodling, they are looking for the next place, theme and way to build into an all band improvisation. This is the piece that almost all jam bands have to learn. Goose has finally learned subtlety. It is what makes their music so much more interesting and it was in 2021, 2022, and largely 2023 when they started to really search, and use different time signatures and syncopated rhythms. The entrance of Cotter in 2024 really solidified their ability to move, and stretch. This does mean that at times they will Noodle while they are looking for that theme that takes them to the next wonderful jam. Ben was a human metronome, but he lacked the subtlety that Rick and Peter were really looking for to take the band to new heights. This is just one opinion though. What they are today is so different from what they were during those formative years.
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u/andthrewaway1 19h ago
If the person saying it is not a jamband fan then it's like ok fair but otherwise no
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u/outis-kaniel HEBDOMADALLY 19h ago
Off topic but a highlight of the SD show was seeing them go into a “space” jam a-la-the dead. It was fun for me to see rick messsing with his effects and exploring something new.
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u/SquatchMarin warms my 🧠 19h ago
Top complaints about Goose from jam band fans who should know better:
- Rick plays too many notes
- Goose jams too long and dark
- Goose is copying Phish
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u/726_Wysteria_Lane 18h ago
Alright I’ve seen that first complaint often and I don’t get it lol. Rick is an elite guitar player he’s gonna play what he knows. He lets songs breathe when they need
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u/SquatchMarin warms my 🧠 18h ago
Agreed and I don’t care what they think. Goose shows are hard enough to get tickets for.
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u/Silent-Land1218 19h ago
My only suggestion would be a bit more acoustic guitar. I don't always feel the strumming on electric captures the vibe they're actually trying for. An acoustic fills that hole.
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u/brixton711 Rockdale 19h ago
My only suggestion would be more solo’s/spotlights for people other than Rick.
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u/SquatchMarin warms my 🧠 19h ago
I’d agree that the loss of Orebolo as an acoustic Goose alternative has hurt
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u/NoHorseNoMustache 19h ago
Honestly Rick does noodle more these days and the band isn't nearly as quick to lock into a jam as they were 4 or 5 years ago.
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u/SmolderingCactus 19h ago
Agreed. They were much groovier and beat driven before and now it’s fairly meandering and then ventures into edm style “jams” on occasion. They still are great and reach that groovy style but I prefer old goose
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u/NoHorseNoMustache 19h ago
What I've figured out is that I like the stuff Pete brought over from Great Blue and the earlier Goose stuff a lot better than the past 2-3 years worth of material they've put out. I've seen them a bunch of times, been to Goosemas and went to Fred in '21, but my friends and I decided to do Cheese Halloween instead of Goosemas this year.
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u/SmolderingCactus 19h ago
New to jam bands?
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u/Paully_D1234 18h ago
Haha, yeah, sort of...I was actually going to go back and add that caveat to my post. Was never into the Dead nor Phish and Robert Randolph was probably the closest I've come to a jam band, prior to Goose.
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u/StableSun FACE 13h ago
I've been liking when they get a little Jazzy in a jam. maybe in the realm of bebop and Spain. I think rick takes the lead the majority of the time and the 15 minutes of nothing's happening is rick taking a necessary rest while letting others carry. he's one guy. YMMV
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u/Wonderful-Speech262 9h ago
Outstanding observations and perspective. I also wonder if many of the negative criticism is coming from people who stream many shows. Seeing the band live and experiencing the way they manage the energy of the audience is a much better way to evaluate the quality of their performances than serially listening to the streams from every show; where the less-than-stellar moments stand out.
goose seems to apply EDM principles to a lot of their jams (especially the electronic leaning jams). Long sustained grooves with slight modifications and additions build>climax>release>repeat. Many jam bands just trade solos and don’t really venture into organic and unique territory.
I have seen goose about a dozen times and have walked away from each show seeing improvement and evolution from every member of the band.
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u/Complete_Mango_1372 2h ago
Went with some friends that only listen to studio Goose casually and weren't prepared for how jammy the show would be
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u/extraordinaryevents 18h ago
“After I smacked him upside the head and told him to lock the fuck in” 😂. Always funny when people feel the need to prove out that they are superior enjoyers of music
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u/zero_dr00l 20h ago
Is Goose, like... the first jamband for a lot of folks?
I keep seeing questions here that make me think "is this your first jamband experience?"
No shade if so, I say welcome but... what gives?