Article Contributed by David Burton
Published on 2026-06-03
Rick Mitarotonda | Goose | Brussels, Belgium | Photos by David Burton
For the second stop of their 2026 Europe tour, Goose headed to Brussels, Belgium for 1 show after a weekend in London.
Sandwiched between two-night runs in Amsterdam and London, a Monday night show in Brussels, Belgium might have been an opportunity for the band to mail it in and focus on the rest of the tour.
However, Goose kept the pedal to the metal and put on a high-energy show filled with surprises.
Contrary to the hot, jam-packed environment of London (Electric Brixton) and Amsterdam (Melkweg), La Madeleine offered a refreshing change of atmosphere. The space was bigger than it needed to be, not packed wall to wall with people, and offered fans plenty of room to move around. There were few lines for concessions or bathrooms, and everyone had plenty of room to dance, if they so chose.
And Goose certainly encouraged that. Monday’s show was a party from the very beginning as the band descended from the spiral staircases above the stage to greet the fans and open with “Yeti” to get the party started. While “Yeti” is a crowd-pleaser, this was a particularly tone-setting version that kicked off the show with a 17-minute journey through a more gritty, evil-toned rendition of the song.
From there, Goose explored into new territory in several ways. Perhaps to use the smaller show to try something new, or to give back a little to the fans who made it out for a Monday show in Belgium. Either way, it was Goose going to foreign territory while in a foreign country.
For the first time ever, they jammed out “Hot Love and the Lazy Poet” with a 16-minute version that was their longest performance of the song to date. Some rhythmic interplay led to a blissful peak before returning to the “Hot Love” ending, marking a new era for this song.
Another highlight of Set 1 included an “All I Need” that featured some more impressive improv work. The band slowly let this jam build as it reached its peak with blistering guitar work from Mitarotonda layered on top of punchy piano playing from Peter Anspach.
Set 1 closed with a cover of Prince’s “I Would Die 4 U” which included another surprise extension. The band let the song develop longer than they typically do with a groovy jam segment that had the crowd dancing into the set break.
Set 2 included some heavy hitters, starting off with “Wysteria Lane,” which was the longest and most prominent jam of the show.
The party took a brief pause as Goose dropped into the notes of “Jed Stone”, a slower but powerful song which continues to get better with each time played. This version included a little extra oomph from Rick as the crowd sang along and roared in celebration. Perhaps a result of the smaller room, but this version of “Jed Stone” felt particularly powerful.
“Into the Myst” picked things back up, including the song’s signature “When the Saints Go Marching In” teases from Rick.
With two major jam vehicles already in the books, Goose continued to pour on with “Everything Must Go” and “Thatch” to end the night.
Due to curfew times, the European shows have been a bit shorter and have ended 3 hours from the start of show time. As a result, the Set 2 songs were a bit shortened from some of the typical run time they usually give it. No song from the show exceeded the 18-minute mark, despite Set 2 featuring a few of their biggest vehicles for longer-form improv.
However, the band made the most of their remaining time as the final two songs closed out the show with a force.
While the shortened set times probably did affect Goose’s ability to go a bit deeper on some of these jams, the energy from this show was my favorite of the tour. It was some of the most fun I’ve had at a show.
For a band that’s about to play back-to-back nights at Madison Square Garden, getting to experience a show like this in such a small, comfortable venue was unforgettable. The comfort was felt throughout, as the crowd seemed to have a positive energy from the very beginning.
While most fans were Americans who had flown over for the tour, there was also a host of locals and other European fans who had traveled for this show. Regardless, those that came out to La Madeleine on a Monday needed to make an effort to be there, and they were rewarded with a special performance. In many ways, this show felt like a private event for some of Goose’s biggest fans.
Goose themselves made quite an effort to be there too. While the main motive of the European Tour is likely to help expand their fanbase more worldwide, it’s hard to believe the juice is fully worth the squeeze for them with that single goal in mind, seeing as most of the audience was Americans or already established fans. With that said, it’s even more impressive that the band was able to deliver such a performance considering all of the effort it took to get there while the payout might not be what they could have made from doing a few more stops at arenas in the US.
But I know myself and many others are thankful that they did it. It was an experience I will never forget. Across the Europe Tour, I attended 5 shows in 3 different countries. I was accompanied by my Dad making it an even more special event.
Thank you Goose!
If the Brussels show left you wanting more, there’s plenty on the horizon.
Goose’s upcoming studio album Big Modern! will be released on June 12th.
Shortly after, they will head back on tour stateside for shows throughout June and July, highlighted by 2 headline nights at MSG on June 19th and 20th.
The band recently announced their fall schedule with shows throughout the Midwest and Northeast later in the year. For more, visit https://www.goosetheband.com/tour
