Goose Turned Up the “Goonz” During an Explosive Second Night at Viva El Gonzo

Viva El Gonzo returned to San José del Cabo, Baja California Sur on May 8, 2026 for a second day that leaned heavily into collaboration, stylistic variety, and extended jamming. While the festival already carried a relaxed atmosphere thanks to the beach-side surroundings and late night pacing, Day Two especially felt curated around contrast. Acoustic songwriting gave way to grunge tributes, jazz experimentation folded into psychedelic dance music, and Goose delivered two sets packed with high level improvisation and deep transitions.

The evening began with an unexpected tribute as Mihali teamed with Lespecial on the Main Stage for a full set dedicated to Nirvana. The collaboration avoided feeling gimmicky, largely because of how naturally the musicians fit the material. Mihali’s voice easily could have been mistaken for Kurt Cobain at points, while Lespecial captured the primal heaviness and chaotic energy that defined Nirvana’s live performances during the 1990s.

Torrin Daniels of the Kitchen Dwellers joined the ensemble on banjo for “The Man Who Sold the World,” “Heart-Shaped Box,” and “Territorial Pissings,” and added an earthy influence to the grunge framework. The contrast surprisingly worked well, especially during the more melodic moments. Regardless of whether attendees lived through Nirvana’s original heyday, the performance landed as one of the more memorable collaborations of the festival.

Elsewhere on the grounds, composer, performer, and woodwind specialist Stuart Bogie delivered two thirty minute performances on the Round Rocks Stage. The sets leaned experimental and atmospheric, where Bogie moved fluidly through layered textures and improvisational passages. Goose guitarist Rick Mitarotonda sat in during the first set, adding guitar work that blended naturally into Bogie’s adventurous arrangements.

Later in the evening, Jim James took the Main Stage for an intimate hour long acoustic performance featuring little more than his voice and guitar. The stripped down presentation stood in sharp contrast to many of the festival’s larger ensemble driven sets, and allowed the songwriting itself to take center stage. Mitarotonda joined James for “Love and Mercy,” adding subtle accompaniment that elevated the performance without disrupting its understated tone.

The Main Stage then shifted toward groove oriented psych-pop as Leisure delivered a laid back hour long performance. This self described psychedelic boy band from New Zealand, consisting of Djeisan Suskov, Jaden Parkes, Josh Fountain, Tom Young, and Jordan Arts, brought smooth rhythms, mellow vocals, and relaxed danceable textures. Their sound naturally fit into the tropical setting and provided a welcomed stylistic pivot before the evening’s larger improvisational performances.

When Goose finally took the stage, the band wasted no time launching into deep improvisation. They opened with a sixteen minute “Borne,” with Mitarotonda utilizing vocal echo effects throughout the melodic opening section. The jam gradually expanded through interesting keyboard textures from keyboardist Peter Anspach while bassist Trevor Weekz aggressively pushed the low end. Mitarotonda came out shredding early, immediately signaling that the band intended to stretch the material.

A masterful segue dropped the group into “Yeti,” where they dramatically increased the tempo and embraced what Goose fans coined “goonz,” a hybrid style combining Goose’s improvisational approach with rapid bass and drum driven passages inspired by EDM and jamtronica. Weekz continued to absolutely crush the low end while Anspach layered heavy textures over the accelerating rhythm section.

The band then welcomed Stuart Bogie back to the stage for a performance of Moving Out (Anthony's Song) by Billy Joel. The song had not appeared in a Goose set since November 10, 2021 in Houston, Texas, spanning 332 performances. Bogie’s saxophone work added extra energy and texture to the classic track, making the rare selection feel especially celebratory.

Goose followed with a fifteen minute “All I Need,” anchored heavily by Weekz and drummer Cotter Ellis. The rhythm section drove much of the improvisation before the band gracefully transitioned into the mellow “Jed Stone,” providing a needed comedown moment after the intensity of the preceding jams. Although the energy briefly rebuilt, the set ultimately closed in restrained fashion.

The second set began with a crowd-sung "Happy Birthday" for Goose Lighting Director Andrew Goedde, and then immediately reignited the momentum with a seventeen minute “Animal.” Weekz once again pushed the jam forward through layered funk grooves while the band gradually evolved toward a darker tension and release sequence guided by Mitarotonda. The improvisation developed patiently and organically, becoming one of the standout exploratory moments of the entire festival and certainly deserving of a proper re-listen.

A seamless transition then delivered the Constitution State Quartet into “Sinnerman,” a powerful cover originally performed by Nina Simone. The performance evolved into a dark and complex minor chord jam that felt both cinematic and raging. Goose fully leaned into the tension, allowing the improvisation to simmer before finally exploding outward.

“Arcadia” followed and quickly surpassed the eighteen minute mark with another soaring improvisational sequence. Midway through, the band cleverly drifted into “Peach” by Future Islands before smoothly sailing back into “Arcadia.” Mitarotonda’s face melting guitar work during the closing stretch elevated the entire sequence into arguably one of the defining highlights of the entire festival weekend.

Late night activity at Crania kept the momentum alive well after Goose concluded. LP Giobbi hosted a Dead House set that featured Mitarotonda as “Samurai Rick,” who appeared in a silk robe, and added guitar to one of her tracks. The playful sit in helped intensify the already energetic atmosphere and pushed the dance oriented late night crowd even further.

Finally, Dogs in a Pile closed out the evening at Crania with a fiery performance highlighted by “Spun” into “Freeze Dried Brain.” The band brought serious energy to the late night slot, sending the crowd home after another marathon day of music.

Check out more photos from Day Two! Also, view our photos and review from Day One at Viva El Gonzo.

Festival: Viva El Gonzo
Date: May 8, 2026
Location: El Gonzo Oasis

Band: Mihali and Lespecial
Set: Breed [1], School [1], Drain You [1], Come as You Are [1], Sliver [1], Lithium [1], The Man Who Sold the World [2, 3], Heart-Shaped Box [1, 3], Aneurysm [1], Lounge Act [1], Polly [1], Stay Away [1], Smells Like Teen Spirit [1], Territorial Pissings [1, 3]
Notes:
1. Nirvana
2. David Bowie
3. with Torrin Daniels on banjo

Band: Jim James Acoustic
Set: Wild Honey [1], Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) [2], I'm Amazed [3], Over and Over, Cool Water [4], Rainbow Power [5], The World's Smiling Now, A New Life, Get the Point [3], Why Can't We Live Together [5], Changing World [6], Here in Spirit, Never in the Real World / Homeward Bound, Hopefully [3], Peaceful Easy Feeling [7], Love and Mercy [8][9]
Notes:
1. Fruit Bats
2. George Harrison
3. My Morning Jacket
4. Sons of the Pioneers
5. Timmy Thomas
6. New Multitudes
7. Jack Tempchin
8. Brian Wilson
9. with Rick Mitarotonda

Band: Goose
Set One: Borne, Yeti, Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)[1], All I Need[2], Jed Stone
Set Two: Animal[3] -> Sinnerman[4], Arcadia > Peach[5] -> Arcadia
Notes:
[1] Billy Joel. With Stuart Bogie on woodwinds.
[2] Slow, melodic version. Unfinished.
[3] Unfinished.
[4] Nina Simone.
[5] Future Islands.

Band: Dogs in a Pile
Set: Appleseed, Nicolette-> Jack & Coke-> Weightless, Spun-> Freeze Dried Brain, Say Something