Article Contributed by Jake Cudek
Published on 2026-09-18
The Mishawaka | August 31st, 2026 - photos by Jake Cudek
In 1916, a music man set out on a motorcycle ride to explore a newly accessed canyon in northern Colorado and came across a place that would forever change not only his life but the lives of thousands who would come after him. The man was Walter S. Thompson, and on that fateful February day, he found himself stopped along a bend in the road and immediately fell in love with a piece of land nestled along the banks of the Poudre River. His inexplicable connection soon had him figuring out how to purchase the property, and following its procurement within three days of first laying eyes on the landscape, he would dedicate the better part of three years to realizing a dream of creating a musical oasis where people could come to see live music and escape the goings-on of their daily lives. Spending as many as seven months a year away from his own wife and children to manifest his vision into the physical, the hard work led to the creation of Thompson’s Resort and included a dance hall alongside rental cabins that had many folks in the area imbibing in rest and relaxation born from Thompson’s toil.
Although not many people these days would recognize the name Thompson’s Resort, the vision turned reality still stands and continues to welcome families and music lovers day after day for most of the year. Today, the place carries a name synonymous with incredible performances in one of the most pristine settings, amid an intimacy that is nearly unrivaled. It seems almost mythical to imagine all the legendary musicians who have graced its stage. Having turned 110 years young this year, for those in the know in northern Colorado, we can only be referring to one of the world’s best-kept secrets: The Mishawaka Amphitheatre.
“The Mish,” as locals affectionately refer to it, touts a capacity of just under 1,000 patrons, and certainly part of its draw, besides the concert of the hour, is its history. The number of performers from almost every genre who have played its tiny stage overhanging the Poudre waterway rivals that of some of the most famous sites in the country and includes names that anyone would give their left eye to see in a place this small. It is certainly not as grandiose or famous—thank God—as the neighboring Red Rocks Amphitheatre, but the product it produces is often nothing short of magical. Because of its size, when people come here to see performances in the modern era, especially by bands with a large draw, the guarantee becomes evident early on that what happens here among those towering pine trees and canyon walls is so incredibly special for player and partaker alike that it quickly becomes legend.
On August 31, 2026, the four-man band with a plan known collectively as Goose found out for themselves just what it means to channel the energy of this place for the first time. For those lucky fans who ended up with the golden ticket, what they got was that special something that fans everywhere chase and that keeps them coming back to the auditory well—the musical connection that illustrates there is so much more to this experience than just notes and words.
Arriving at the venue around 4 p.m., the sky was hung with gray clouds and intermittent blue, the threat of precipitation hanging tangibly in the air. Most of the early arrivals were decked in colorful arrays and summertime threads, conversing in the line held along the state highway that runs parallel to the venue. With fewer than 200 heads amassed, it was easy to see that those already there had their sights on being as close to the stage as possible, the venue being mostly general admission outside the two elevated VIP decks outfitted with seating and drink service.
These faces lined up the length of the venue and restaurant were the ones who traveled to Europe on the spring tour or are often seen on the rail of webcasts from the couch or other venues across the country. They are the die-hards but not pretentious. They are welcoming and accepting and aren’t too concerned with stats. Instead, their focus is on dancing and being in the best-sounding spot they can get their ears into. Like so many other lines in the scene, hugs, smiles and sharing abounded as anyone and everyone found their place waiting to be let into the garden hidden behind the planked picket.
When the wooden gate finally swung wide at the advertised door time of 6 p.m., the mass at the road quickly drained into the venue, the collective executing their well-made plans to save spots and secure merch as more shuttles and passenger cars continued to deposit soul after soul along the road. As the place filled, the forecasted rain came in waves, inviting many to don their ponchos, rain jackets and even the last-minute grab of a makeshift trash bag. The rain was light and refreshing for most and never resulted in misery or musical delay.
With time ticking by, we all found ourselves ready to get this night started. Watching the perimeter, one could see the band emerge from “the green room” log cabin abutting one of the VIP sections, setting off a number of cries that brought everyone to attention and eliciting the respective “Gooooooooose!” call even before the band got to the stage. Per usual, keyboard kid and guitar gent Peter Anspach, with his camera in hand and a grin as big as his heart, got into place and addressed the crowd as the rest of the band hunkered down and tuned.
“What’s up, Mishawaka? How we doing? You guys look fantastic! More than a few of you wearing raincoats tonight. I like to see it! Embracing it—the rain! I love it, let’s go!” Snapping a quick picture to mark the moment, Anspach continued, “It’s an intimate show. I can see everyone’s face. Thanks, everyone, for coming up here. This is really cool. We are finally getting to play this place!”
With Anspach hoisting his Fender instead of sitting at the piano bench, he turned to the rest of the band, nodded and grinned. With that, the band acknowledged the moment and got the evening underway. Opening the set with “Iguana Song,” this one from the Everything Must Go album was warmly received. The sound from the get-go was bright and dialed in, and no one in that place wasted a moment standing still, the dance party ensuing from the opening chords.
The interplay between Anspach and guitarist Rick Mitarotonda was audibly and visually enticing, and this version came in at more than 15 minutes, making it the longest of the 18 times it has been performed since 2025. The middle section was beautiful and patient, and it was great to hear early on that the band’s intent was to take its time and not squander a single moment rushing through its first night ever at The Mish.
Moving on, the cover of John Phillips’ “Me and My Uncle,” made famous by the Grateful Dead, was the second choice and got a notable reception once everyone clued into what the band was playing. Certainly, the “I am as honest as a Denver man can be” line got an audible response from the audience. With Mitarotonda at the helm, the vocals were strong, and the upbeat swing played out consistently throughout the tune thanks to the drive of drummer Cotter Ellis. Although this version kept to a standard five-minute timing, it marked the first performance of the piece since September 2025, making for a 68-show hiatus.
Laying out another cover and bustout, Mitarotonda got rocksteady with The Wailers’ “Caution.” Originally penned by Bunny Wailer and released on the 1971 album The Best of the Wailers, this marked the first performance of the tune in 42 shows and certainly set off those in attendance, as this is one of those choices that only comes out once or twice a year. Mitarotonda was having a ton of fun, his vocals on point and his playing energetic and sharp. The backing harmonies handled by the rest of the band were spot-on.
Named after a close friend of the band’s, the scorching funk-heater apocalypse “Jeff Engborg” was up next, and this one set off the dance party that would continue throughout the set. Another relative rarity, this one gets let off the chain two or three times a year as well, which should be a sin, and this marked its second outing of 2026. Hitting on all cylinders for more than 13 minutes, this one had it all: funk and melodic bass from the stoic low end of Trevor Weekz, thundering drive from Ellis’ kit, clav nonsense for days pouring out of Anspach and that guitar that makes you giddy as Mitarotonda tickles every nerve in the body.
Out of the aftermath of the “Engborg” explosion, the crowd got a chance to breathe through a visceral reading of the Mitarotonda original “Not Alone.” At this point, it was becoming quite apparent that the band had its sights on sharing a show full of rarities to mark the specialness of the moment at hand. “Not Alone” had only been performed seven times since 2023, and this made for only the second appearance of the tune in 2026. With great guitar work by Mitarotonda and fulfilling organ swells from Anspach, this seven-minute gem certainly did not disappoint.
Getting down with the blues, “Turned Clouds” from the band’s first release, Moon Cabin, back in 2016 had the audience singing along with confidence and familiarity, Mitarotonda leading the way. This one was certainly full of the joy juice and had every band member feeling every moment. Weekz belted that bass while Ellis got furious from his throne, Mitarotonda poured out fire and Anspach bathed everyone in Leslie redemption. This piece has so many changes, and to hear the quartet hit them all as a unit was a beautiful reminder of the talent these gentlemen share.
The term mishawaka has been cited as a Seminole word meaning “big rapids” or “swift water,” so it was no coincidence that at some point the band would introduce “Indian River” into the evening’s setlist. This fan favorite was so tasty with its reggae groove and had everyone popping off in full dance mode. Weekz went deep into some great melodic playing, and Mitarotonda chose to share the Sanskrit verse, making it all that much better.
Following a transition out of “Indian River” with a brief “Interlude II,” the band chose to close out set one with the über-rare Jive-fecta. With solid takes on “Jive I,” “Jive II” and “Jive Lee” that encapsulated everything right in the worlds of funk, melody and the dark side, the 36-minute extravaganza not only unhinged the whole place but also put to rest any thought that what was being witnessed was subjective optimism. This was historic Goose at its finest. Statistically, the Jive-fecta has only been played in its entirety four times, the last being September 11, 2024.
Set two opened with a 10-minute “Drive” that put everyone back behind the wheel and out on the road. The last four minutes got angular and warped in effect between Mitarotonda and Anspach. The pulsating groove of Weekz and the steadfast beat of Ellis were hypnotic, especially in the close quarters with pristine sound washing over the audience.
Leaving behind the void, the band transitioned seamlessly into a great cover of Bob Seger’s “Hollywood Nights.” Hitting 11 minutes and ranking among the three longest versions of the 18 played since 2018, this one contained a great ending with six minutes of incendiary explosion led by Mitarotonda’s agility and ferocity, the man shedding line after line while his compadres pushed him on.
Fragmenting and dissolving, the classic cover disintegrated, and from its remnants rose a remarkable version of “Into The Myst.” With Anspach back on guitar, he and Mitarotonda wove this one for more than 15 minutes and wrapped its warmth around a grateful audience. The final seven minutes revealed more dark Goose slinking and shifting under deep lights and smoke, a perfect balance to the first half of this slot. The ending got especially heavy and was only relieved by the sweet serenade of a segueing “Rosewood Heart.” Although this choice often presents with all those glory chords that raise the soul to a higher level, the last 10 minutes of this 16-minute majesty seemed to tune everyone into the universal collective as many swayed in silence with no need for words.
Keeping the flow going and the rarities coming, “The Labyrinth” was the next selection and was met with a chorus of screams, growls and whistles at the unleashing of this complex instrumental. Hitting in all the right ways for nearly 11 minutes, this was its first outing since 2025, with a 90-show gap.
What was also impressive was the cohesive, spot-on reading of this intricate piece, especially since it has only been played 12 times since 2021, leaving most to assume there would be some fumbles and missteps. Even on the relisten, this one met the mark as much as it did in real time, leaving this listener still scratching his head in delight and wondering how something this rare could be played so flawlessly.
A joint venture by Anspach and Mitarotonda, “White Lights” was up next and continued the theme that this show at The Mish was what live music dreams are made of. This choice hadn’t been played since Paris on this year’s European tour, and although it got a lot of stage time when it was first introduced, in recent years it has become increasingly scarce on the setlists. Hitting nine minutes in length, this one had a handful of slow builds that would lead one to believe it would close out this amazing set, but these players had more in store for everyone who was still very, very tuned in.
Instead of turning out a big finish, the band revised and returned to the unfinished portion of “Into The Myst.” This marked only the fourth time the band had ever broken the song up in this fashion since 2019, and between the two portions, this version’s sum of parts totaled nearly 26 minutes. When Mitarotonda hit the final stanza, the whole place blew its top. This version could easily be renamed “Into The Mish.” At the close of this powerhouse ending, the band walked off without a word, leaving the audience calling out its appreciation.
Returning to a crowd still calling for more, Mitarotonda walked out wearing a cowboy hat that only set the crowd off even more. He paused for a few moments, spoke into the onstage mics and laughed alongside his bandmates at whatever joke he had shared. Turning to face the masses, he donned a serious look and launched into Elvis Presley’s “Trouble.”
As you might expect, this too was another rarity and the biggest bustout of the night. Coming in with a whopping 212-show gap and an absence since October 2023, this choice was no afterthought or slouch. It had the punch and fire that even The King would be proud of. With seven minutes of unbridled enthusiasm, this one finally brought the house down. With modest waves and nary a word, the band slipped into shadow and left the audience once more reeling from a delivery that exceeded all guesses and conjecture.
In the end, the band performed for nearly three and a half hours and made good not only on its own name but also on the legendary status of The Mishawaka Amphitheatre. Looking over the context of what was shared during those hours, a few things are apparent. The band made a multitude of choices outside the normal setlist formula and dug deep to bring in rarities and tunes that die-hard Goose fans only dream of getting in one show.
Secondly, the band played its first album, Moon Cabin, almost in its entirety, with the exception of two tracks. That seems to speak directly to the fact that this show was about more than just another “tough-ticket show.” It was one that was meaningful for the musicians as well as the multitude of family and friends in attendance.
Goose is now in its 12th year of bringing its brand of jam music to audiences everywhere, and the band shows no signs of slowing down. This show in particular defined again how well the musicians are functioning as individuals as well as a sum of parts. Whatever they have figured out, it is working to the nth degree.
Listening back on the show on the eve of the video release, I sit here smiling and wondering, “Will I ever see a show produced by these gentlemen that will top what was witnessed along the banks of the Poudre River?” The Magic 8 Ball says, “All signs point to yes!”
Thank you to the band and its management for making this evening possible. Thank you to the band’s publicist for allowing me to photograph this incredible event. Thank you to the good people of The Mish who facilitate the magic that happens there on the regular. Finally, thank you to all the fans who make these experiences worth sharing.
