Goose at Riverbend 2023

In 2023, the Riverbend music festival here in Chattanooga, Tennessee, boasted a new 3-day format and a fresh lineup featuring artists such as Lucius, Indigo De Souza, Trombone Shorty, and Amanda Shires. One of the acts coming to the festival was the American jam band Goose. Formed in 2014 in Connecticut by guitarist and singer Rick Mitarotonda, drummer Ben Atkind, and bassist Trevor Weekz, Goose is a self-described “indie groove” band. While often compared to jam band greats like Phish and Umphrey’s McGee, Goose site indie rock and trance influences such as Vampire Weekend and Bon Iver as the source of their music that sets them apart. Their live shows promise clever covers and long improvised jams, which they absolutely delivered during Riverbend 2023. In addition to releasing studio albums, the band records all of their live performances and has mixed many of those into live albums. Just ahead of Goose’s set at Riverbend 2023, the now 5-piece band sat down with WUTC’s own Brent Stott to talk about their 2023 tour, the lessons they’ve learned over the years, and their philosophy for creating set lists.