Article Contributed by Jamie Huenefeld
Published on 2026-05-18
Night three of Viva El Gonzo unfolded on May 9, 2026 as a sun soaked marathon of acoustic intimacy, exploratory jams, surprise sit ins, and festival defining collaborations. From the sweltering afternoon sets at Round Rocks to Goose closing out the festival with towering improvisation on the Main Stage, the final day carried the kind of loose communal energy that made Viva El Gonzo feel less like a traditional festival and more like a gathering of musicians constantly drifting in and out of each other’s orbit.
The day began with Goose acoustic at the Round Rocks stage, where the band performed beneath the blazing afternoon heat alongside harpist Mikaela Davis, who contributed throughout the entire set. Guitarist Rick Mitarotonda played acoustic guitar, Trevor Weekz handled acoustic bass, Cotter Ellis worked from a minimal drum kit, and Peter Anspach alternated between a Nord keyboard and acoustic guitar. The stripped down setup gave the performance an especially relaxed feel, even as the temperatures climbed. “Atlantic City” by Bruce Springsteen appeared for the first time since November 10, 2024, while “True Love Waits” by Radiohead returned for the first time since June 10, 2025.
Next, The California Honeydrops brought a lively mid day dance party to the Main Stage. The retro soul outfit from Oakland, CA leaned heavily into groove and audience interaction behind front man Lech Wierzynski and percussionist Benjamin Malament. Their nine piece ensemble featured a vibrant horn section that gave the beachside performance a celebratory energy as fans continued pouring into the festival grounds.
Meanwhile, Eggy delivered their own acoustic performance at Round Rocks. The Connecticut based bird band traded amplification for a more intimate presentation that longtime fans clearly appreciated. During “Waiting Game,” guitarist Jake Brownstein teased “Shatter,” a theme that stayed with him throughout the afternoon as he revisited the tease during their cover of “Southern Cross” by Crosby, Stills & Nash.
As the sun began lowering over the grounds, My Morning Jacket took command of the Main Stage beneath a gloriously hazy late afternoon sky. They opened with the Jim James solo tune “State of the Art (A.E.I.O.U.),” inviting Mitarotonda on stage to help elevate the performance while Ellis contributed additional percussion. Goose regularly played the cover, making the collaboration especially rewarding to witness live. During “Touch Me I’m Going To Scream, Pt. 1,” James wore his Boss SP-404SX phrase sampler and effects unit around his neck, twisting and manipulating his vocals into swirling psychedelic textures. Throughout the remainder of the set, the band members repeatedly drifted toward one another across the stage, forming little musical circles as they locked into extended passages together.
Eggy later returned to Crania for an early evening beach set that leaned deeper into improvisation. Their seventh ever performance of “Subterranean Homesick Alien” by Radiohead featured a righteous sit in from woodwind specialist Stuart Bogie. The quartet closed strongly with a fiery sequence of “Falsities and Fire” > “Peace Upon Us” > “Voice of Them All,” sending fans spilling back toward the Main Stage for Goose’s final performance of the weekend.
Goose opened their final night with Ellis rallying the crowd by declaring, “This is the last night. Let’s go.” Stuart Bogie quickly reappeared and joined the band for “Hot Tea,” where Peter Anspach’s clavinet work added even more punch to the deep pocket funk. Ain’t no tea party like a Gonzo “Hot Tea” party.
A sprawling seventeen minute “Good2B” followed and once again reinforced why we previously called it the feel good song of the summer. From there, Goose eased into one of their classics, “Western Sun.” Typically a short tune, this version stretched beyond twenty minutes as Bogie contributed rich textures throughout. Trevor Weekz had particularly strong interplay with Bogie. The exchanges between Mitarotonda and Bogie were notable also, which affirmed the pure magic between the two musicians whenever they share the stage.
Bogie eventually exited and Goose moved into “MEDIA” before following it with the newer tune “Torrero,” which returned to the set-list for the first time since June 19, 2025 in Cleveland, OH. Ellis drove much of the tune’s momentum during the muscular twelve minute version.
Set two immediately came out swinging. Knowing this marked Goose’s final set of the festival, the band launched directly into a massive twenty four minute “Creatures.” Bogie returned yet again, layering delightful clarinet accents before eventually pivoting back toward saxophone. Trevor Weekz steered much of the improvisation early as the jam descended into dark, dirty EDM influenced territory filled with murky textures and pulsing rhythms along with jazzy feels. Bogie absolutely crushed it throughout the sequence.
The intensity gradually dissolved into a mellow “This Old Sea,” which provided a much needed emotional breather after the chaos that preceded it. Bogie’s clarinet floated gently through the arrangement and helped soften the mood across the crowd.
Goose then sank their teeth into “Madhuvan.” The twenty one minute version quickly entered deep type two territory and eventually erupted into one of the edgiest jams of the entire weekend. Midway through the performance, Jim James suddenly appeared on guitar and helped carry the tune toward its explosive finish.
James remained on stage for Goose’s first ever performance of “Cortez the Killer” by Neil Young. The rendition carried a powerful blues rock feel, elevated further by James’ unmistakable voice soaring above the slow burning arrangement. He stayed aboard for a vibrant “Rockdale,” which ultimately brought Goose’s Viva El Gonzo run to a triumphant conclusion.
Finally, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong kept the celebration going late into the night. The Baltimore quartet dialed up the funk with keyboardist Jon Brady sitting in for the entire set. This literally high flying bird band brought plenty of energy to the closing hours of the festival, including a funked out take on Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir.” They eventually wrapped things up with the quintessential “F.U.,” sending the remaining crowd out into the Cabo night sweaty, exhausted, and still buzzing from one final marathon day of music.
Check out more photos from Day 3 at Viva El Gonzo! Also, view our prior coverage from Day One (photos, review) and Day Two (photos, review).
Band: Goose Acoustic
Stage: Round Rocks
Set: Atlas Dogs [1], Christmas Card From A Hooker In Minneapolis [2], California Magic [3], Atlantic City [4], Master & A Hound [5] -> True Love Waits [6], Drive [7], Give It Time [7]
Notes:
[1] Indie-Groove version. with Mikaela Davis on harp.
[2] Tom Waits. with Mikaela Davis on harp.
[3] with Mikaela Davis on harp.
[4] Bruce Springsteen. with Mikaela Davis on harp.
[5] Gregory Alan Isakov. With Mikaela Davis on harp.
[6] Radiohead. With Mikaela Davis on harp.
[7] With Mikaela Davis on harp.
Band: Eggy Acoustic
Stage: Round Rocks
Set: Reflections, Shallow Rivers > Waiting Game [1], Agatha, Southern Cross [2], Thorns
Notes:
[1] with Shatter tease from Jake
[2] Crosby, Stills, and Nash cover, with Shatter tease from Jake
Band: My Morning Jacket
Stage: Main Stage
Set: State of the Art (A.E.I.O.U.) [1], Touch Me I'm Going To Scream, Pt. 1, Off The Record, Gideon, Feel You, Lay Low, Circuital, Least Expected, Spring (Among The Living), Die For It, Touch Me I'm Going To Scream, Pt. 2, Squid Ink, Wordless Chorus
Notes:
[1] With Rick on guitar and vocals and Cotter on percussion.
Band: Eggy
Stage: Crania
Set: Breaking the Horse > Rampage > Parceled Serotonin, Subterranean Homesick Alien [1], Falsities and Fire > Peace Upon Us -> Voice of Them All
Notes:
[1] Radiohead cover, with Stuart Bogie on woodwinds
Band: Goose
Stage: Main Stage
Set One: Hot Tea [1], Good2B [1] > A Western Sun [1], MEDIA, Torero [2]
Set Two: Creatures [1], This Old Sea [1], Madhuvan [3], Cortez The Killer [4], Rockdale [5]
Notes:
[1] With Stuart Bogie on woodwinds.
[2] Album version.
[3] With Jim James on guitar.
[4] Neil Young. FTP. With Jim James on guitar and vocals.
[5] With Jim James on guitar and vocals.
Band: Pigeons Playing Ping Pong
Stage: Crania
Set: Melting Lights, Twitch, Poseidon, Avalanche, Kashmir [1], F.U.
Notes:
[1] Led Zeppelin
Jon Brady on keys for entire set
