Article Contributed by Jamie Huenefeld
Published on 2026-07-08
Goose opened their Jersey Shore excursion in sweltering heat at PNC Bank Arts Center on July 1, 2026 for their second performance at the Holmdel, NJ venue. The temperature reached 104 degree in the surrounding area, and these conditions reshaped the room. Many fans abandoned their seats under the pavilion in favor of the tiny lawn, simply because the covered section had grown that oppressive.
The set began with a raging "Rockdale," a Dripfield staple that only raised the heat. Guitarist Rick Mitarotonda ran an echo delay across his vocals, while multi-instrumentalist Peter Anspach leaned on the clavinet early. The opening improvisation took flight before a quick pivot into "Hot Love & The Lazy Poet," off the newer Everything Must Go. A progressive passage surfaced, and drummer Cotter Ellis drove fast, insistent beats. Those rhythms carried the band into "Atlas Dogs," another cut from Dripfield. Once the singing ended, the quartet sank their teeth into the jam, and Ellis's playing stood out for its resonant quality. The exploration turned dark yet upbeat. The band was cooking, and so was the weather along the Jersey Shore.
The group soon slid into the vintage "A Western Sun," a track from the 2016 debut Moon Cabin that has stretched to greater lengths in recent months. A melodic passage surfaced, and bassist Trevor Weekz showed his range. The elegant section gave the sweltering crowd a welcome pocket of air. A stellar segue delivered the four-piece into the beautiful "Madalena," a fresher number from the 2025 record Chain Yer Dragon. This slow summer groove featured Weekz at his finest, and Mitarotonda eventually loosed melodic riffs that swelled into a mighty jam.
A short but sweet "Wake Up," an Arcade Fire cover, followed. An ominous transition delivered the group into a sixteen-minute "Pancakes," yet another Dripfield entry. Weekz kept crushing his low end while Mitarotonda located a savory pocket, and Anspach slipped a Magic School Bus theme tease into the fray. Out of nowhere, the band made its way back into "Hot Love & The Lazy Poet," which finished the song, and the set, with a bang. At roughly ninety-one minutes, that opening frame stood as the second-longest first set of the summer tour, tied with the June 28 Merriweather Post Pavilion stop, and trailing only the second night at Madison Square Garden.
The band returned with a twenty-minute "Hot Tea," a Shenanigans Nite Club track that felt fitting given the scorching atmosphere. Anspach turned it into a funky tea party by reaching for the clavinet early, and Weekz answered with thick bass thumps. As the number progressed, Mitarotonda climbed to a series of succulent peaks. The Constitution State quartet then soared into a nineteen-minute "Red Bird," pulled from Dripfield. The greasy groove carried over, with Anspach again on the clavinet and Weekz dominating the low end, before Mitarotonda resurfaced to bring the improvisation home, propelled by vibrant, steady work from Ellis.
A quick pivot found the boys in "Hungersite," the last of the night's Dripfield selections. Mitarotonda wasted no time and dove straight into a savory solo, while Ellis added cowbell. A melodic section followed, anchored by Weekz and colored by Ellis on the cymbals. Mitarotonda slipped back into Jedi mode for a memorable reading that turned edgy as the song wound down. Ellis kicked up the tempo, and the band crossed into "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)," a Dead or Alive cover. A disco dance party ensued. The quartet locked in to bring it home and close the fiery Jersey Shore second set.
The band returned for one more, though many had already fled the pavilion to escape the heat and avoid the notorious New Jersey traffic jam. A fourteen-minute "Arcadia," the Moon Cabin favorite that ranks as the band's most-played song, was no small parting gift, and it capped a night that ran just under three hours. The fans seeped up all the light while they could. Weekz took his customary solo before Mitarotonda drove the bus home along the Garden State Parkway.
Following a short midsummer break, Goose will return to the road with a West Coast swing beginning at Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre in San Diego, CA (Aug. 13). The run will continue through The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, CA (Aug. 14), Frost Amphitheater in Stanford, CA (Aug. 15), Grand Sierra Resort Theatre in Reno, NV (Aug. 16), and Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver, BC (Aug. 18). Goose will then make its way through Seattle, WA, Bend, OR, Bonner, MT, Morrison, CO, Salt Lake City, UT, Bellvue, CO, a return to Morrison, CO, and Dillon, CO before closing out the summer. The band's fall schedule picks up with an appearance at Bourbon & Beyond in Louisville, KY (Sept. 24-27), followed by a November headline tour that includes a two-night stand at The Midland Theatre in Kansas City, MO, two nights at The Truth in Nashville, TN, two nights at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT, and additional dates in Portland, ME and more. Visit Goose's tour page for the complete schedule and ticket information.
Check out more photos from the show! Also view our prior Goose 2026 Summer tour coverage from MSG night one (review/photos), MSG night two (photos/review), Central Park (review/photos), Charleston night one (review/photos), Charleston night two (review/photos), Raleigh night one (review/photos), Raleigh night two (review/photos), and Merriweather (review/photos).
Band: Goose
Location: Holmdel, NJ
Venue: PNC Bank Arts Center
Date: July 2, 2026
Set One: Rockdale, Hot Love & The Lazy Poet > Atlas Dogs > A Western Sun > Madalena, Wake Up [1], Pancakes [2] > Hot Love & The Lazy Poet
Set Two: Hot Tea, Red Bird > Hungersite > You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) [3]
Encore: Arcadia [4]
Notes:
[1] Arcade Fire.
[2] Unfinished.
[3] Dead or Alive.
[4] With Magic School Bus Theme tease from Peter.
