Article Contributed by Jamie Huenefeld
Published on 2026-11-14
Goose | November 13, 2026 | Photos by Jamie Huenefeld/Killahwave
When Goose last played Mohegan Sun Arena, the band shared the bill with Trey Anastasio Band on the "TABoose" tour in November 2022. Exactly four years and a day later, on Friday, November 13, 2026, the Connecticut quartet returned to the Uncasville, CT arena for night one of a two-night home-state stand. What unfolded was a stellar homecoming stacked with the goonz, those heavy, swirling, bass and drum driven jams that Goose fans live for. The band delivered a first set of more than ninety minutes, the longest "Jeff Engborg" on record, and a second set that barely let up.
The band emerged with drummer Cotter Ellis wearing a third eye robe, an UNO card earring, and board shorts. Keyboardist Peter Anspach thanked the crowd before the boys dove into "SOS" ("Same Old Shenanigans") from Shenanigans Nite Club (2021). Guitarist Rick Mitarotonda leaned on a vocal echo delay effect early in the night. As the band slipped into "(dawn)," the song within a song that follows "SOS" on the album, the crowd clapped in unison while Ellis lifted the energy on the drum pad. The band settled into a tight groove during this up-tempo original. No warm-up was needed, as they stretched this opening sequence past eighteen minutes.
"Bloodbuzz Ohio" by The National followed, the first appearance of the cover since August 19, twenty-one shows earlier. At eight minutes, this version ranked among the longest of the cover's fifteen performances. Bassist Trevor Weekz dropped a dark bass line that complemented this indie groove tune well.
A short but sweet "Interlude II" arrived next. Weekz dialed up the funk as the band segued into "Jive I," both pulled from the 2016 debut album Moon Cabin. Anspach rocked the Hammond B3, giving the music a gospel feel. Mitarotonda brought the heat on guitar as Weekz continued to dominate on bass.
Andrew Bird's "Capsized," a newer cover, resurfaced for the first time since the band debuted the song in San Diego on August 13. A slow-simmer pocket emerged during this eleven-minute take with Anspach on the clav. The cover fit the band well, leading to a layered jam driven by Weekz and Ellis and closed out by Mitarotonda.
A wild jungle jam led to "Into the Myst," with Anspach on electric guitar and Ellis triggering claps from the drum pad. This partial goonz jam foreshadowed what was yet to come. Mitarotonda was in Jedi-mode, while Anspach shifted to the Hammond, and Weekz added a nice bass jam of his own. The sixteen-minute version mellowed before moving into an arguably Type II jam that left the Moon Cabin staple unfinished. The first set had already run an hour and five minutes by this point.
"Turned Clouds," another Moon Cabin tune and the first since August 31, came next. Anspach used both the Nord and the Hammond. On the Hammond, he toggled the Leslie speaker to heighten the Doppler effect, building a killer organ jam out of all that switching. Ellis worked the resonant floor tom, while Mitarotonda played with the precision fans know and love.
The music flipped into a rare, fifteen-minute "Jeff Engborg," just the fifteenth performance of this original, which has never appeared on a studio album. Anspach started on the clav and kept things very funky before switching to the Nord. Mitarotonda raged like a maniac as Ellis drove the train through a crushing, extended stretch of jazz and blues rock fusion. Hopefully the legendary Connecticut musician Jeff Engborg was in the crowd for this epic rendition of the tune named for him. Tasty peaks from Mitarotonda brought this ripping set closer home, with Anspach finishing on the Hammond. The song closed the first set for just the fourth time ever, and at fifteen minutes, this version edged past the 14:52 take from November 9, 2024, setting a new high-water mark for the tune. The first set ran more than ninety minutes in total.
After a short break, the Constitution State quartet returned to dish out a fifteen-minute "Good Times // End Times," the current single from the band's sixth studio album, Big Modern! (2026). The dark and light mix of blues rock, prog rock, and funk highlighted this new tune that the band loves to play, which also opened the second set in Milwaukee on November 8. Weekz was front and center during the jam.
"Red Bird," from Everything Must Go (2025), was up next with Anspach on the electric piano. Anspach was very formal that night, wearing a tie. He certainly looked set for school picture day as the band sailed into this nineteen-minute heater. Weekz went into full beast mode as the tune progressed.
A menacing segue rolled the vibe into a fast, nineteen-minute version of "Echo of a Rose" from Chain Yer Dragon (2025), running well beyond the song's average of roughly eleven minutes. More delicious grooves ensued with Anspach back on the clav. The jam was quite brisk and presented Goose at their finest before the band left the song unfinished.
The music continued to climb until the band reached "So Ready," the opening track of Shenanigans Nite Club. Anspach invited raucous clapping, then pivoted to the clav and then to electric guitar. Mitarotonda dialed in an interesting effect as the band transitioned into a bass and drum heavy goonz. Anspach layered synth over electric piano to make laser sounds, while lighting director Andrew Goedde filled the arena with pattern lights. Weekz kept driving, and Anspach hopped back on the Nord, then to the synth.
This slid straight into "Tomorrow Never Knows" by The Beatles, the first time Goose had ever segued "So Ready" into the cover. Murky and mesmerizing, the cover featured Ellis pounding away, with a feel reminiscent of STS9. Weekz thundered while providing space for Mitarotonda, and Anspach slipped in a "Good Times // End Times" tease. The crowd was dancing like no one was watching. The cover closed the second set for just the second time and provided a super goonzy end to a scorching set that ran seventy-six minutes.
The band returned for the encore. Before they started playing, Anspach asked if he "got the job," referencing his tie. He also wished a happy birthday to everyone celebrating that night. He didn't mention blogger Ryan Storm specifically, but the day was Storm's birthday. We'd like to give this legend a belated shout-out.
"All I Need" kicked off the encore, marking just the second time the original has landed in the encore slot. Despite the slow, melodic version of the song, the jam was real lively. Ellis fired up the resonant floor tom. The band went back into goonz mode, which took the crowd on one last ride. The show came to a rip-roaring conclusion with a slick segue back into "So Ready" as Mohegan Sun Arena achieved liftoff. The return of "So Ready" marked just the third Goose show ever to feature the song twice.
Check out more photos from the show! Also, check out our coverage from Milwaukee night one (photos/review), night two (photos/review), and night three (photos/review).
Goose will close out the Connecticut arena stand with night two at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT (Nov. 14) before heading north to Cross Insurance Arena in Portland, ME (Nov. 15). The band will then swing back to the home state for a sold-out stop at the intimate Ridgefield Playhouse in Ridgefield, CT (Nov. 16). From there, the tour will roll south to John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, VA (Nov. 18), followed by two nights at Citizens Live at The Wylie in Pittsburgh, PA (Nov. 19-20), with the second night already sold out. Fall Tour 2026 will wrap at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, NY (Nov. 21).
December will bring the 13th annual GOOSEMAS to Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ (Dec. 11-12), the band's first shows in the resort city. In the new year, Goose will head to Mexico for Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds: 10 Years on the Beach at Moon Palace Cancún (Jan. 20-23). A spring run through the Southeast will follow, with stops in Alpharetta, GA (Apr. 9-10), Hollywood, FL (Apr. 13), St. Augustine, FL (Apr. 15-17), and Clearwater, FL (Apr. 18). Hop on over to the band's tour page for more details on these dates.
Band: Goose
Location: Uncasville, CT
Venue: Mohegan Sun Arena
Date: November 13, 2026
Set One: Same Old Shenanigans[1], Bloodbuzz Ohio[2], Interlude II > Jive I, Capsized[3], Into the Myst[4], Turned Clouds, Jeff Engborg
Set Two: Good Times // End Times, Red Bird > Echo of a Rose[5] > So Ready > Tomorrow Never Knows[6]
Encore: All I Need[7] > So Ready
Notes:
[1] With (dawn).
[2] The National.
[3] Andrew Bird.
[4] Unfinished.
[5] Fast version. Unfinished.
[6] The Beatles. With Good Times // End Times tease from Peter.
[7] Slow, melodic version.
