Article Contributed by Jamie Huenefeld
Published on 2026-11-08
Goose | November 7, 2026 | Photos by Jamie Huenefeld/Killahwave
Goose set a high bar on night one at the Miller High Life Theatre, then topped that effort on Saturday, November 7, 2026, with a performance that was nothing but fuego. The first set ran nearly eighty-five minutes, and a reversed "Slow Ready" tied the night together, with the jam landing in set two and the opening held for the encore.
The show began with a sixteen-minute, funk-fueled "Dustin Hoffman," only the second time the Everything Must Go (2025) track had opened a first set. The opening was a bit foreboding, thanks to the eerie sounds keyboardist Peter Anspach coaxed from the Nord. Guitarist Rick Mitarotonda used an echo delay on vocals. The jam launched into a prog and blues rock-inspired sequence with Mitarotonda leading the charge.
David Byrne and Brian Eno's "Strange Overtones" followed. Drummer Cotter Ellis provided resonant drums while Anspach was on the electric piano. About eight minutes in, the mood changed, along with a slightly ominous bassline from bassist Trevor Weekz. At just over ten minutes, this version stood as the longest of the seven times Goose had played the cover.
That pivot morphed into "Earthling or Alien?," a first-ever segue between the two songs. Anspach played electric piano as he sang this slow-simmer funk tune. Weekz dialed up the slaps on bass as Ellis kept the beats steady.
About fifteen minutes in, the band shifted gears, cranked up the tempo, and raced into the vintage "Spirit Of The Dark Horse" from Shenanigans Nite Club (2021). Anspach remained on the electric piano as Mitarotonda launched into a wicked, face-melting sequence. The music mellowed and found Anspach back on the Nord with Weekz matching him. Mitarotonda joined in to bring this tune to a raging conclusion, with lighting director Andrew Goedde supplying shadowy, patterned lights. Anspach kicked off the euphonious "Madalena" on the Nord, giving the band and crowd a much-needed cool-down moment.
The fast version of heavy hitter "Echo of a Rose" followed, much to the crowd's delight. Anspach started out on the clav and switched partway back to the Nord. Goedde's lights were next level, alternating between rainbows and patterns. Weekz springboarded this bubbly jam, and Anspach snuck in a "Low Rider" tease. Mitarotonda lifted the vibe into the stratosphere with those tasty peaks as this jam from Chain Yer Dragon (2025) clocked in around seventeen minutes and was left unfinished.
A wild segue, the first ever between the two songs, found the band in the ballad "Jed Stone," which closed the first set. The song may have started slow, but Mitarotonda continued to rip, which kept the energy up. Ellis finished strong, ending this stellar set on a high note.
The boys returned for round two, with Anspach unleashing a "Charge!" tease and Ellis triggering the air horn sound. The music began with the heartfelt doo-wop-inspired cover "Shama Lama Ding Dong" by Otis Day & The Knights, the first time the song had ever opened a second set. Anspach was back on the Nord with a huge grin as Weekz unfurled a driving bassline.
A layered jam built with increasing tempo. Weekz continued to dominate on bass as Anspach dropped a familiar synth sound that translated into the elevated "Slow Ready" jam from Dripfield (2022). Ellis summoned the drum pad machine as Mitarotonda let the melody fly. The crowd was bouncing and fired up. Anspach moved to electric guitar for the fiery finish.
The blues rock heater "Thatch" was up next, and this nearly twenty-one-minute run ranked as the tenth longest of the seventy-two versions with a recorded time. Weekz kept up his bass domination as Mitarotonda ripped. The jam settled into a slower but satisfying funk. Anspach toggled between the clav and Sequential Prophet synth. Mitarotonda was a beast during this jam, which ultimately left "Thatch" unfinished.
An eerie transition found this Constitution State quartet in "Dripfield," the title track of the 2022 album. The stage was drenched in green, blue and pink as the crowd jumped. Weekz and Mitarotonda delivered a one-two punch during this electric, up-tempo, sixteen-minute jam. Anspach hopped on electric guitar to provide rhythm again. Ellis' drumming was perhaps the MVP.
The music shifted once again into a lull as Goedde bathed the stage in red. Anspach kicked off ambient synth effects while playing the Nord as the band landed in Nina Simone's "Sinnerman," played for the first time in twenty shows. A dark feel emerged from Weekz with Mitarotonda slaying. This fifteen-minute version, the fifth longest of the twenty-two the band had played, closed the set in style.
The band returned with Anspach thanking the crowd before diving into the beginning of "Slow Ready," finally supplying the opening to the jam played earlier in the night. Goose had split the song across consecutive nights before, in June 2021 and September 2025, and had looped back into the song around other tunes, but in each of those cases the top of the song came first.
Mitarotonda soared through this short sequence before a mindful switch into "SALT," a pairing that had also closed the September 23, 2025, encore in Louisville. The beat picked up considerably before dipping into a furrow, followed by an electrifying relaunch. Mitarotonda was out of his mind this evening, and this encore was no exception. The band brought the song home, ending night two in Milwaukee with a bang.
The Milwaukee stand will conclude on Sunday with one final night at the Miller High Life Theatre in Milwaukee, WI (Nov. 8). The finale sold out, but more tickets have been released, and as the old adage goes, never miss a Sunday show. Goose will then head south for two nights at The Truth in Nashville, TN (Nov. 10–11) before returning to the Northeast for a pair of shows at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT (Nov. 13–14), a stop at Cross Insurance Arena in Portland, ME (Nov. 15), and a members-only homecoming at The Ridgefield Playhouse in Ridgefield, CT (Nov. 16).
The fall run will wind through Charlottesville, VA (Nov. 18) and Pittsburgh, PA (Nov. 19–20) before wrapping up in Rochester, NY (Nov. 21). Next, the band will celebrate Goosemas 2026 at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ (Dec. 11–12).
Looking ahead to 2027, Goose will travel to Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds' 10 Years on the Beach in Riviera Maya, Mexico (Jan. 20–23), then launch a spring swing through Alpharetta, GA (April 9–10), Hollywood, FL (April 13), St. Augustine, FL (April 15–17), and Clearwater, FL (April 18). Visit the band's tour page for the complete itinerary, ticket information, and additional dates.
Check out more photos from the show! Also, view our prior gallery and review from night one at from Goose at Miller High Life Theatre.
Band: Goose
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Venue: Miller High Life Theatre
Date: November 7, 2026
Set One: Dustin Hoffman, Strange Overtones[1] > Earthling or Alien? > Spirit Of The Dark Horse, Madalena, Echo of a Rose[2] > Jed Stone
Set Two: Shama Lama Ding Dong[3] > Slow Ready[4], Thatch[5] > Dripfield[5] > Sinnerman[6]
Encore: Slow Ready > SALT
Notes:
[1] David Byrne & Brian Eno cover.
[2] Fast version; unfinished; with "Low Rider" tease from Anspach.
[3] Otis Day & The Knights cover; unfinished; Anspach teased "Charge!" before the start of the set.
[4] Jam only.
[5] Unfinished.
[6] Nina Simone cover.
