The el Goose Times: Volume Six

EditorialStaff

Pages2-6

Pages7-9,12

SameOldShenanigans:InterviewwithD.JamesGoodwin

elGooseChicksInterview:CarinaImmer

Pages10-11 Centerfold:FredtheFestivalOne-YearAnniversaryArtworkbyRisingTideArtStudio

Pages13-14 DepthsofSpace: Dripfield SummerTourLegOne Pages14-15

TheVoiceBeneaththeQuill:The Dripfield Suite Page16 ItBurnsWithin:TinaVarner Page17 HotTeainRick’sKitchen:RedBirdTart Page18 Classifieds Page20 CrosswordPuzzle Page19

JonCaruso TEDitor-in-Chief

LisaGoverna

GooseChicksTEDitor &ClassifiedsQueen

TedtheGooseCartoon:TedonTourNo.4& TheAdventuresofStrangeManComic#2

MarcKomito ContributingWriter& ResidentDanceTeacher

RickGallego ResidentChefdeCuisine

RusSo OGFan&Historian PaigeCaruso IdeaEntrepreneur& GooseChicksAmbassador

(satellite)Team KyCousin After-PartyAdvisor&MozzarellaConsultant

RyanStorm MusicMaestro

AndrewDaRosa FeatureTEDitor

TamaraSastow Multi-Instrumentalist, Board-CertifiedMusicTherapist &GooseFanExtraordinaire

JoeJoseph CreativeGuru JackQuinn NumberOneNewsie

MarcChiavon MemeWizard KhaleeKay CreativeQueen SparkmanClark ComicArtist& StrangeManAccomplice SpecialThanksto: GregKnight&DaveDiCianni

2022 hasbeenasignificantyearforGoose: inadditiontoplayingvenueslikethe legendaryRadioCityMusicHall,NewportFolk FestivalandRedRocksforthefirsttime, they’vealsohadtheirfirstperformanceonTV (CBSSaturdayMorning)andalsoreleased theirthirdfull-lengthstudioLP, Dripfield. Dripfield, arguablytheirmostambitiousand musicallyvariedalbumyet,islikelightningin abottle.Itencapsulatesthisexcitingmoment intimewithintheband’shistory-inwhich fansareseeingtheirsoundevolveandmature inreal-time. Dripfield isatruerepresentation andexpressionoftheband’soverallsound, whichisameltingpotofindie/alternativeand jambandinfluences:fromthearenarock anthem“Hungersite”,totheafrobeatfunk of“Arrow”andtheearnestindie vibesof“Moonrise.”

Atitsveryessence,musicisoneofthe ultimateformsofself-expression.Artists subconsciouslypullfromtheirowninfluences andexperiences,whichculminateinto somethingcompletelyunique.Producers,ina lotofways,helpguideanartists’(orbands’) sound,seewhatworksandultimatelycraft theirvisionintoanalbumformat.They’rethe madscientiststhatunderstandthatthereis noroadmaptowhatcreatesmemorablemusic –rather,inordertobreakconventionsand createsomethingnewandexciting, experimentationis crucial

D.JamesGoodwin,aNew-Yorkbasedrecord producer,recordingengineer,musician,and filmmaker,isknownforhisexperimentaland eccentricapproachtorecording–having producedalbumsforanimpressivevarietyof artists,includingAmyHelm,TheHoldSteady, BonnyLightHorseman,TheNational,and evenBobWeirofTheGratefulDead. Theel GooseTimes hadanopportunitytositdown withGoodwintodiscusshisinfluences, Dripfield andmore.

Thedossieronyourwebsitementionsthat you’re“theson ofaperpetualtinkererand gadget-head.”WhatdidyourDaddofora living?WouldyouconsideryourDad(and/or Mom)asaninfluencewhenwantingto pursueacareerinproducing?

MydadworkedforNYTelephone(andthen Verizon)forhiswholeadultlife.Hewas actuallythefirstmaleoperatorintheNew Yorkstate!Ashiscareerprogressed,hewent ontobuildingandinstallingphonenetworksandeventuallyintocomputercontroller systemsforphonenetworks.

Iwouldsaythatbothofmyparentswere influences,unwittingly.WhenIwasakid,my parentshadahugerecordcollectionand werebigmusicfans.Neitherofthemplayed music,butmusicalwaysplayedinthehouse andinthecar.

Aftermyparentsdivorced,onewaymydad andIbondedwastolistentorecordstogether onheadphones.Hebuiltaboxwherewe couldbothlistenonheadphonestoarecord. WelistenedtomusiclikePinkFloyd,Genesis, LedZeppelin,TheBeatles,FrankZappa,etc… webondedalotoverthat.

Asafellowfilmbuff,Inoticed 2001:ASpaceOdyssey isoneofyour favoritefilms-evennamingoneofyourcats afterthelegendaryStanleyKubrick.Didthis movie(orfilmsoundtracksingeneral)also haveanimpactonyourrecordingstyle/ methodology?Inthecaseof 2001:ASpace Odyssey,thesoundtrackisbrilliant:it invokesatruefeelingofdesolationand darkness-butalsofeelingsofmajestyand wonder.Itreallypushedtheboundaries foritstime.

Filmshavedefinitelyhadabigimpactonmy methodology–probablyinthesensethatI enjoycompositionandlighting,bothofwhich Kubrickwasamasterof.Thesethingsdo translateintomywork,forsure.Ilike juxtaposition,boldcolorchoices,landscape… IthinkalotofitisthatwhenIlistenandwork onmusic,Iamalwaysseeingscenesinmy head.It’shardtoexplain,butit’sbasicallylike I’mmakingafilminmyheadaswework.

Canyouexpandabitonhowyousee "scenesinyourhead"asyouwork?There'sa perceptualphenomenonthathasalways beenextremelyinterestingtome, synesthesia,inwhichsomeoneseeseither colorsorshapeswhentheylistentomusic (essentiallyexperiencesoneofoursenses throughanother)-andwhatyou’re describingremindsmeofthat.

Infact,Ihavesynesthesia.Forme,it manifestslikeseeingcolorsaroundshapes whileIhearmusic,andtypicallygetsmore intensewithpercussioninstruments.Ithought itwasjustnormal,untilIwasinmylate 20’s!IntermsofhowIseescenesinmy head…it’slikeI’mwatchingafilminternally, asiftheimagesjustcomeandcoalesce. It’ssohardtoputintowords.

OneofthebiggesttakeawaysIhadafter readingyourbioandlisteningto TheGreat Beyond interviewisthatyou’reverymuch abouteschewingtraditionand deconstructingmaterialinordertopush forward.Tellusaboutthat–isthatalso somethingthattracesbacktoyour childhood/influences?Orisitsomething youlearnedovertime,basedoffof yourexperiences?

Idon’tknowwherethatcomesfrom.It’s probablymymother’sinfluence,asshehas alwaysbeenabitofacontrarian.IthinkIgetit fromher.Ihavealwaysbeenattractedto non-standard,non-mainstream,non-traditional choices,whateverformtheytake.

Iappreciatethemindfulnessitrequiresto makenon-conventionalart.Evenwhenitis donewithabandon,Ithinkitrequiresa cultivationofabandonment,ifthatmakes sense.Italwaysseemstofeelmorethoughtful thanthingsmadeusingtraditional methodologyorconstructs.

You’veworkedwitheveryonefromBobWeir oftheGratefulDeadtoAmyHelmtoBonny LightHorseman.Whichartistshavebeen yourfavoritetoworkwithsofar?Whatare someofthebiggestlessonsyou’velearned asaproducer?

Thereisnowaytochooseafavorite,honestly. Eachartistandprojecthasbroughtmedeep joyanddiscovery-soit’simpossibletosingle anyoneout.Veryrarely(ifever)doIworkwith someonewhohasn’tbecomeatruefriend.

ThebiggestlessonI’veeverlearnedproducing arecordisthateveryonehasadifferent definitionofgood,andwhatmovesthem.You havetofindtheir‘bodytemperature’,soto speak.Thatrequireslearningwhotheyare: learningtheirwayofcommunicatingandhow theyseetheworld.Intheend,Ithinkittaught metobemoreopenandempathetictoother perspectives,ingeneral.It’sabeautifulgift.

Telluswhatitwaslikeworkinginthe studiowithGoose.Youmentionedin TheGreatBeyond interviewthatyouhadto adjusttotheirstyleofworking,whichwas differentthanwhatyouwereusedto(i.e. slow,butmethodical).However,Goose seemedreceptiveandwillingtodeconstruct theirmaterialthatfanshaveknownforso long.Atwhatpointdidtheprocessreally clickwithyou?Didyouappreciatethatthe bandwasopentodifferentinterpretationsof songsthey’veplayedhundredsoftimes?

(Chuckles) Someofthatwasexaggeratedfor humor!It’smainlythatyouhavefivepeople,all potentiallydistractedbysomethingdifferentat thesametime,soit’sachallengetowrangle everyoneallthetime.Buthonestly,notheyweren’tthatbad!

Andyes-theyweresoopen,whichwasabig partIthink,ofwhytheychosetoworkwithme onthisrecord.Thatpartclickedfromthegetgo.Andfrankly,thoughIlikeworkingveryfast,

Iwasappreciativeoftheirpace,becauseitlet usfocusondetailsinawaythatIdoreally like.Iamforeverthankfulthattheytrustedme totakethesesongsindifferentdirections.I thinkitmadeastrongerrecord,andonethat willlastasastatementofart-ratherthanjust beapassingmoment.

Ithinkpeoplewilllistentothisrecordinten years,andunderstandthatthebandwas tryingtobreakdifferentgroundandexplore theirboundaries.Thatalwaysmakesgreatart, evenifittakesawhilefortheaudienceto findthattruth.

Wasexperimentationabigthemewhen producing Dripfield?Alotofthesongson thealbumaremuchdifferentthantheirlive counterpartsinacoolway,challengingthe statusquoandpushingboundaries.

Oh,definitely.Oneofthebigthingswetalked aboutveryearlyonwasexperimenting,and notlettingarulebookguideus.Theband didn’twanttomakeanormaljamband record,andIwasonboardforthat. Wewantedtomakesomething timelessandexciting.

Ithinkthemorepeoplelivewiththerecord, themoretheywillfallinlove,evenwithsome ofthebolderchoices,like“Arrow”and “HotTea.”Ialsothinkit’sacaseofhaving falleninlovewiththefirstversiontheyheard… Ithinkifpeopleheardthestudio“Arrow”first, theycouldneverhearitanotherway.But, that’swhat’sfunabouttherecordandlive shows.They’redifferentexperiences-and that’sthewayitshouldbe.

Howlongdid Dripfield taketoproduce,in total?It'strulyalaboroflove,asevident fromtherecordingandthebehind-thescenesvideoGoosehadshownduring thelivebroadcastofoneofthe RadioCityMusicHallshows.

Ithinkalltold,itwasroughlyamonthof recording,andthenaweekorsotomixand master.Itwasspreadoutabit,andwealso recordedafewextrasongsthataren’tonthe record(butwillbereleased),soit’stoughto naildownforjust Dripfield alone…

Itwasdefinitelyalaboroflove.Weworked prettymuchononesongperday.Sometimes itwouldbleedabitintothenext,butgenerally wewouldstartwiththebasictrackingfora song,andthenmoveintooverdubsforthe remainderoftheday.

With Dripfield,didyoudeterminethe placementofeachsongorwasita collaborativeprocess?Thealbumhas agreatflowstylistically!

Itwasdefinitelycollaborative.Thebandknew thefirstthreetracksweregoingtobe“Borne,” “Hungersite,”“Dripfield”…Ithinkitwasalso decidedearlyonthat“726”wouldbelast. Fromthere,itwasexperimentingwithother placements.Ithinktheflowisfantastic!

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Peterplayingthekeysinstudio|PhotoCredit:D.JamesGoodwin

Picturedabove:

Ben&Jeffplayingdrumsinthestudio|PhotoCredit:D.JamesGoodwin

Trevorhangingoutin-betweenrecordingsessions|

PhotoCredit:PeterAnspach

D.JamesGoodwinlayingdownsomeguitartracksin-studio|PhotoCredit:PeterAnspach

Borne

“Borne”wasthefirstsongwebeganworking on.Itsetthetonefortheentirerecord,interms ofhowwedoveinandhowwecommunicated. Thissonglargelystayedtruetoform,meaning wedidn’tchangealotabouttheoverall structure-exceptforthefinalbridgebeforethe end.WewereshootingforasortofFleetwood Macfeelingthere,anditpaidoff.Afterthemain track:weoverdubbedsomepiano;Iplayed somekeyboards,andacoupleguitars-Rick andPetersangtheirvocals,andthatwasthat.

Thissongalsosetthestageforhowwesetup asabandinthemainliveroomofthestudio. BothJeffandBenweresetupneareachother: JeffhadahugepercussionensembleandBen usedarattyolddrumkitofmine,inlieuofhis usualTamadrumkit-mainlybecausewe werelookingtopushboundariesandgetout ofcomfortzones.Rick’sampswereisolatedin anotherroom,aswereTrevor’s.Peterhada stackofkeyboardsnexttohimbythepiano, andthatstackgrewasweworked.Thatmain setupishowwestartedandremainedforthe entiretyoftherecord.

Hungersite

Similarto“Borne”,“Hungersite”remained largelyunchangedintermsoftheoverall structure.Forthemostpart,myaimwasto capturetheband’sliveenergyonthistrackknowingitwouldonedaybecomeastaple.

However,Ibelieveweplayedwiththefinal chorusfeelalittlebitfromtheirusualwayof playingit:ratherthangoingbackintothemain grooveofthesong,wesetupareallycool,lowkey,spaced-outjamsection.Ilovedthat.The trackontherecordisaliveperformancenooverdubs.Wekeptthatspiritfor thewholething.

Jeffusedavarietyofshakersinthisone, includinganoldwhiskeytinwithbeansinit, andwemighthavealsousedasaltshaker (theysoundawesome).

Dripfield

“Dripfield”wasoneofthelastsongswedidfor therecord.Thesongitselfwasprimarilybased aroundPeter’ssyntharpeggio,whichwasa randomlyrepeatingsetofnotesataspecific tempo.Tothebestofmyknowledge,thisisthe onlytrackwebuiltasasortofpuzzle:Ibelieve westartedbyrecordingabout20minutes ofPeter’sarpeggio-followedbyBenonthe drumkit,playingdifferentpatternstothat recording.Followingthat,Icutupabunchof thosepatternsandcreatedabasedrum layertotrackto.

Oncewehadthebasedrumlayer,IhadRick, TrevorandPeterplaytowhatIhadbuilt-mainly togetasongformontopoftheskeleton.I sculptedthedrumtracksaroundtheformand haveBenplaysomefills,etc…Jeffthenwentin andplayedabout10differentpercussion passes,differenttompatterns,shakers, tambourines,etc.Ispentawhilecuttingallthat materialupandflyingitaroundthesongto createsomedramaanddepth.

Finally,RickandPeterre-trackedtheirguitarsto thisnewdrama,andwestartedtodevelopthe arcofthesong.Oncewehadthesongpretty muchinitsplace,Iplayedsomesynths,and someguitartextures,andthenwecutvocals.A lotofdifferentsoundsmadeitontothisoneandIcan’trememberthemall-butitwasgreat funtodevelopthisone.Ibelievethisisoneof theoneswespentmorethanadayon,mainly becausewewerehavingsomuchfun experimentingwithtextures.

SlowReady

“SlowReady”wasonethatobviouslyhasamuch differentlivearrangement.Iwascurioustohear itsloweddown,almostlikeanR&Btrack.Goose wasgame,sowewentinthatdirectionfromthe start.Iwantedabigfatsnaredrumsound,sowe changedthedrumkitaroundabit,andBen playedthisbigold15x8snaredrumthatIhave. TrevorplayedmyoldFenderPBass,Ibelieve.

Thisrecordingalsohasthatamazingguitar solo…oneofmyfavoritesactually.Atfirst,itwas afairlynormalsolo,butIwascurioustothrow Rickforaloopandchangeitup.So,Isethimup withaweirdrigandRickplayedthesolothrough anoldMutronenvelopefilterpedalthatIhadin mypossession.Whatweendedupplayingwas solyricalandgorgeous;ithasbecomeoneofthe bestsolosI’veeverheardonrecord.

TheWhales

“TheWhales”wasoneIhadafeelingaboutfrom thebeginning,intermsofwhereIwantedtotake thesong.Iwantedtomakeitfeelmore ramshackle,likeJ.J.Cale,orevenlikesomeof themorecookin’GratefulDeadstuff.Itwasn’t hard-“TheWhales”isagreattune.Thejam sectionattheendreallycapturesGooseattheir best,Ithink.Thatjamwasanotherlivetake,no edits,etc…justhowtheyplayeditintheroom.

Theguitarunpluggingnoiseintherecordingwas conscious,butafterthefact.Becauseitwasa livetakeandwithoutanyfixesoroverdubsonthe entireoutjam/solo,Ithoughtitwasnicetokeep thatenergyintactbyretainingwhatRickhad donenaturallyattheendofthetake.Itwasa specialmomentontherecord,becauseitwas oneofthefewspotswherethefellastookoff inanimprovisedjam.

Arrow

“Arrow”obviouslyisthebiggesttransformation ontherecord-andtome,it’salsothereal banger.Ilovethisrecording-Iknowsome hardcorefansarequiteupsetatthisversion,but Ithinkitshowshowabsolutelygeniustheseguys areandhowtheycanpivotonadime.

Ididn’tdisliketheoldversion,butIdidn’tthinkit translatedtotherecordquiteaswellinthat form.Thebandalsofeltlikethereadifferentway toapproachthesong,butwasn’texactlysure how.Iwascurioushowthiswouldsoundasa sortofafrobeattune.Ittookalotexperimenting withfeel,butonceIplayedabitofFelaKutifor Ben,hegotitimmediatelyanditdidn’ttake muchconvincing.Theywerestoked-aswasI. Wefoundaverycoolwayofplayingthistune.

Wecutdrumsoutofthechorusentirelyand madeitfeellikeitwasatotallydifferent place.Mygoalwastogetthatweightless feelinginthechorus,withthebigdeep soundscapes.Thebigvocalchoruswas Peter’sidea,anditwasfantastic. Ilovethatpart.

Ihadhornsinmindfromthebeginningtoo. IknewthatStuartBogiewouldslayit-andhe trulydid.Heplayedhispartsinthesong remotelyandwouldsendthemtome.From there,Iplacedtheminthesong,didsome minoreditsandtheyworkedlikeacharm. Afterthat,Iaddedsomechaoticguitarstuff andweaddedsomeothertextures-andthat wasthat.Andofcourse,asPeterhassaid,we addedabunchofpotsandpansinthe beginning-whichwasliterallyjustdropping thepotsandpansontheflooronthosehits. Thatwassomuchfun!

IrecordedRick’smainvocalsthroughanold radiomicandaguitaramponthisonetoget that“stressedout”sound.Ithinkit’sareally cooltextureagainstthepureanddeeptimbre ofthechoruses.

Tome,“Arrow”issuchabadasstrack.Ithink thepeoplewhodislikeitwouldLOVEthis versioniftheyheardthisfirst.Ithinkit’s purelyexperiential.I’veseentherare commentthatthisversionis‘atrocious’or somesuchthingandthat’sjustsilly.This songisabanger.Ifyourassdoesn’tmove whenyouhearthisversion- you’reacorpse!

HotTea

“HotTea”wasanotheronewechangedquitea bit,butmostlyintermsoftempo.Wehadto makesomeadjustmentstothesongform, mainlybecauseoftimeconsiderationsonavinyl LPandalsotokeepthetunemoving-sinceit’s notaliveperformance.Otherwise,theform stayedprettytrue-wejustsloweditdownsoit couldgroovemore.Thebandwasreallyintoit.

Wetrackedthisasusual,withthebandintheir usualplaces,playingthemainbody.Butthenwe overdubbedasawholeband-whereeveryone changedinstruments,orchangedwhatthey played.Thenwedidthatathirdtime,mainlyto createthefeelingofmanypeopleintheroom playingthistuneatadeepdrugparty.Thatwas alwaystheapproach.Rickplayedmylate60’s Stratocaster-wewentdirectintoatubepreamp, andpushedtheinputabit.Thisgavetheguitar thatclassicstringyStratsound.Andagain, StuartBogieplayedhornsonthistrackaswell, whichwasalwaystheplan-tome.

Moonrise

Ilove“Moonrise.”Iwantedthisonetobevery simpleandwekeptitthatway:Rickonacoustic, PeteronacousticandvocalsandJeffonupright bass.Wetrackeditjustlikethat,live.Only overdubbedaharmonyvocalbutthatwasit.It’s easilythehumblestrecordingontherecord,but alsooneofthemostbeautifulones.Petersang thissobeautifully,andIlovethatit’salivevocal -whichwasonlyasingletake.

Honeybee

“Honeybee”isoneofmyfavoritesontherecord. Idon’tremembertheoldversion,butIdo rememberthatIhadasomewhatclearideaof tryingthisassortofmoretumbling-wherethe drumswerepulsing,ratherthantheusualsort ofimpact.Ireallywantedittobespacious, layeredandevocative.

IbelieveIplayedsomesynthsonthistrack,as wellassomeotherminorbits.Wedidabunchof overdubbingofmultipleacousticguitars,and pianoaswell-andofcourselayersofRick’s mainguitarmelody.It’sabeautifulrecording.

726

“726”wasanotherwhereIdon’trecallthe originalversion-butthebandwasintenton exploringtheboundariesonthisone. SomewherebetweensoulmusicandPinkFloyd waswherewelanded.Wealsoknewitwould haveaverylongendvamp,whereitwouldsort ofspiralintopsychedelia,andwebuiltthatin fromthebeginning.

RickandIplayedthetradingguitarsattheend, whichwasreallycool.Webothsatinthecontrol room,monitorsblastingandtradedtheguitars backandforthtocreatethishugelandscapeas theendinggrewbigger.Thecoreofthistrack andthisversion,hisPeter’sbeautifulmuted pianothroughoutthetrack.Ithinkthatsingular partreallygavethisversionauniqueidentity.

GeneralProductionThoughts:

Vocals

Mostofthevocalswererecordedusinga NeumannU67.SometimesIusedsomething moreodd,liketheradiomicfor“Arrow.”Peter’s vocalswereanoldSovietLomotubemic.

Guitars

Onmostoftherecord,RickusedhisPRSguitar andhisMesaBoogiecombo.Weoften experimentedwithavarietyofpedals:oldtape echosanddelays-likemyWEMCopicat,and MultivoxTapeEcho,etc…MostofRick’sguitars wererecordedusinganoldShureSM7anda NeumannU67ontheamp.

Keys/Piano

ThepianoontherecordismyBaldwinHamilton, early1970’suprightpiano,inadditiontomy HammondB3,whichwaschoppedbyafuneral homeforlocationservices.Weuseda combinationofmyoldRhodes,andlaterPeter gothisnewRhodesmadebyVintageVibe,which soundsfantastic.Otherkeyboardsusedinclude: Wurlitzer200a,HohnerClavinet,MoogVoyager, KorgMicroPreset,CrumarOrchestrator,Korg MS10,BaldwinDiscoverer,CasioSK1.There mighthavebeenafewothersusedtoo, butI’mnotsure…

Bass

Trevorplayedabunchofdifferentbasseson therecord.Hewouldsometimesplayhismain bass,inadditiontomylate70’sFender Precisionwithflatwounds,myoldSovietbass calledaUral,aBaldwinVibraslimhollowbody fromthe1960’sandmyFenderBassIV baritoneguitar.

Weoccasionallyusedpedals,likeafuzzoran octavepedal.Wemainlyrecordedusinga customDI,whichismypreference,aswellas myoldAmpegB15amp.

Drums&Percussion

Jeffhadahugepercussionsetupinthestudio. Hehadcongas,bongos,shakers,tambourines, cowbells,etc…Wealsousedinterestingobjects likechains,garbagecansandtheirlids,a shakermadeoutofanoldtinandseeds-anda tribalpumpkinseedshaker.Anythingthatmade acoolsound,wewoulduseitfortexture. Iwouldalsooftenuseacontactmicon somethinghewasplaying,andthenrunitintoa guitarampwithpedals-creatingmore interestingtexturesandsounds.

Ben’ssetupchangedalittleforeverysong,but thecoreofhissetupwasalate60’s Slingerland22”kickdrum,andtwo60’sRogers toms(floorandracktoms).Healsohadhis piccolosnaresetup,aswellashiscymbals. SometimesitwasmyGMS6.5x14,ormyold RadioKing7x14,orhisTama.Weevenwent withmyoldLudwig8x15snareonsomethings. Thesnaresandcymbalsheusedchangedalot in-betweensongs.

Mydrummicsetupwouldchangeforevery song,butitwasalwaysacombinationofmyold SovieteraLomotubemics,andoldGerman mics,likeanAKGD12.Iwouldalsousecontact micsthroughampstoalterthetexturesa bunch.Ialwaysexperimentalotwithdrum sounds,dependingonthesong.

Wewouldalsosometimesuseteatowelsonthe headsforamoremutedeffectanditwas inspiredbyTheBeatles,really.ItwasaRingo/ Paultricktodeadenthedrumsabitforthat late60’s/70’ssound.Itkillsalltheringofthe drum,andleadstosomereallyinteresting sounds,andplaying.Becauseitaffectsthe reboundofthestick,italmostmakesyouplay moresimply,andinBen’scase-morefunky. Weendedupusingthattrick,oravariationof it,onalotofsongs,actually.

myfavoritethingswedidtogether.Ibelieve theyreallycaptureboththeliveelementand thestudioexperimentalmindset,togetherin one.I’msuperexcitedforpeopletohearthat stuff,butIhavenoideawhenitwillbe released.Ithinkpeoplewillhavetheir mindsblown!

TellusabouthowtheRadioCitysit-in unfolded:didthebandapproachyouwith theideatobringthesereworkedversions of “HotTea”and “Arrow”?Whatwasitlike playingtheminfrontoftheaudience, especiallywithStuartBogie?

Yes,thebandhadmentioneditatsome pointandIwastotallyintoit.Itwas incrediblenotonlytoplayinfrontofthat insanecrowd,ataplaceaslegendaryas RadioCity,buttoseethecrowdmovingand dancingtotheseguysdoingtheirthing…that wasmagic.Itreallymademefeelsomething Ihaven’tfeltataconcertinalongtime.

PlayingwithStuartandDavewasjust awesome.Thoseguysarelikeattackdogs, yougivethemamissionandtheyslayit. Daveplayedaridiculouslygoodtrombone soloforlike5minutesonHotTea!And seeingthecrowdeatitupandwarmupto thesenewversionswasverycool.

What’snextforyou?Iknowthatyou recentlymovedtoanewstudioinKingston –how’sthatbeengoing?Howdoesthe newstudiodifferfromtheIsokon?Will Gooserecordtheirnextalbumthere?

Themoveisgoingokay!Itisamuchdifferent vibethantheoldIsokon,butstillmyvibeand stillcool.Itfeelscozy,anditdoesallthe thingsIneedmystudiotodo.Wehaven’t settledonwheretodothenextrecord,butI imagineitwillbeacombinationoftheIsokon andperhapsanotherlocation!

“Elmeg”and“Travelers”areprobablytwoof

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CarinaImmer:TheGreatShift

Disclaimer: ThisisnotaboutRick’sgirlfriend.No,thisisaboutamovingcamera operator,musicvideowriterandproducer,coffeeconnoisseur,naturelover, communitybuilder,andGreatShiftfounder CarinaImmer (akaKekeFosterorDolly). Let’sgettoknowthisveryspeciallady.

LittleCarinahasalotincommonwithher grownupversion—asupersillyclassclown makingupdancesandsongsforhome videos,who’soutspokenandopinionated.

“Icomefromaverymusicalfamily.Iwas alwaystheoddoneoutbecauseIneverreally wantedtoprofessionallypursuemusic.Itook somepianolessonsandIwasinchorus, orchestra,andband,butIneverreallyloved it.Mytwobrotherswerelikemusical prodigies.Mymiddlebrother(Gavin)isa wonderfulclassicalviolistandmyeldest brother(Reed)playedjazztromboneand bass.Mymomisasculptorandartist.Mydad wasabigmusician.Hewasinvariousbands growingupinOregon.Whenhewas16,he wentontouraroundthecountrywithanolder bandofguysintheir20sandplayedarock organ.Hehadabiginfluenceonmytastein musicgrowingup.Hewasreallyintojazzand rock&roll.Afunnylittleclaimtofameisthat helatergotintojinglewritingandwrotesome iconicjingles,andgottowriteasongonthe Ghostbusters soundtrack!”

“Ihaveaverycreativefamily,butasIgrew olderIswungintheoppositedirection.I pursuedagriculturaleconomicsincollege, andthoughtit'dbemorerealisticformeto makealivingbydoingthingsotherthan musicorart.Butthesedays,I'mfinding myselfveeringmoretowardsthecreative outlets.SincedatingRickandbeingmore exposedtotheGooseandlivemusicscene, it'sapparentthatIreallydothrivearound artistsandoncreativecollaboration.”

“Beingaroundartists,Igetreallyinspired.It's serendipitousthatI'mnowinthiscommunity becauseit'sactuallybringingme backtomyroots.”

Insteadofmusicandart,Carina’screative outletwaspenandpaper. Herparentsencouragedhertoget alittleweirdsometimes.

“Iwouldfillouttonsofthosemarble notebooksasakid.Ijournaledmostnights fromfifthgradeuntilmysenioryearofhigh school.Ijusttorethroughthose,journaling andwritingpoetryandbeingintouchwithmy innermostperspectivesandbeingableto translatethemintocreativewriting.Iwas alwaysabletovividlyremembermydreams andIendedupwritingalotaboutthem. Havingartisticparentsandknowingthatit's okaytogetweirdandcreateoutsidethe boundariesofsocietalexpectationsreally contributedtomycreativeside.Inevertook officialwritingcourses,itwasalwaysjusta therapeuticthingforme.”

Carinagravitatedtowardsnatureinher formativeyears,sendingherdownapathway tothegreatoutdoorsandbeyond.

“Weweren'thyperoutdoorsypeople,butI wouldalwaysgoonhikesbymyselfandenjoy theforest.Therewasameditativethingabout thenaturalworldthatresonatedwithmeasa kid.Iwasreallyinspiredbymyhighschool biologyteacherandenvironmental scienceteacher.“

“Theybothhadareallyradicalperspectivein regardstoclimatechangeandtheagroindustrialcomplex.Igotinvolvedin extracurricularsinhighschoolthatwere focusedonthatandvolunteeredat Connecticut’sBeardsleyZooforaprogram called“ConservationDiscoveryCorps.”Aside fromthefuckerythatislikelygoingonin manyzoos,thisparticularprogramwas gearedtowardswildlifeconservation.Partof myjobwasstandinginfrontofexhibitsand talkingaboutdeforestation,extinction,and speciesreintroductionprograms.Ifeltso regal,butthinkingback,Imusthavelooked likesuchanoobat16wearingmyhiking bootsandzoosatchel.Butatthetime, Iwasreallyproudofmyself.Thatmayhave beenthefinaltriggerthatgotmeinto thiskindofthing.”

SheattendedUCONNwhereshecontinuedto exploreherpassionfortheenvironment, pursuingadegreeinagriculturaleconomics.

“IendedupminoringinLatinAmerican Studiesandhumanrights,whichledmeto workincoffee.Iattendedaseminarabout Fairtradeproducts,andmetthisbadass womanwhostartedacoffeeroasting companywithherhusbandwheretheytaught coffeefarmersinNicaraguahowtoroastthe coffeetheygrewinsteadofexportingtheraw product,whichallowsfarmerstocapturethe massivevalue-addthatweusuallycatchin thestates,eventhoughwearen’tdoingthe backbreakingworkofplanting,harvesting, sorting,milling.Thisiscrucialbecausethe internationalc-market,wherecoffeeistraded publiclyandfarmersoftenselltheircoffeeto, issoldatanalarminglylowprice.Whatthis roasterwasdoing(named“Vega”)seemed superrighteous,soIaskedherifIcould internforher.IendedupgoingtoNicaragua toexperienceacoffeeharvestandlearn everythingaboutcoffee—growing,roasting, meetingthefarmers.Itledmeonawild journeyofworkingforvariouscoffee importersforfouryearsandtravelingto coffeefarmsaroundCentraland SouthAmerica.”

with and

ImmerFamilyPhotos|PhotoCredit:CourtesyofCarinaImmer

“Morerecently,I’mdoingmarketingfor“Kiss theGround”whichisanonprofitorganization inspiringparticipationintheregenerative agriculturemovement.”

WhateventuallybroughtCarinatoour community?Justlikemanyofus,afriend said,‘HaveyouheardofGoose?!’andbrought hertoherfirstshow—Goosemas2018.Things havebeenprettymagicaleversince.

“MyconvergencewithRickandGooseheavily hadtodowiththisgirlKatie.AftercollegeI wasmanicallylookingforaplacetolivein ConnecticutbecauseIwasdyingtogetoutof NewYorkCity,whereIhadbeensublettingfor afewmonths.NotmanyyoungpeoplethatI knewwerelookingforaplacetolivein Connecticut-untilKatiecameintothe picture.IhadonlyknownKatiefromafar becauseshethrewsomewildpartiesat UCONN,andatthetimeshewasjustthis mythical,unicorngirlwithahuge,one-of-akindpersonality.Shereachedoutwhen Ipostedonsocialmediaaboutfinding aroommateforalittlecottagein EastNorwalk,andIwaslike,Ohmygosh, THEKatieSulzinskiwantstolivewithme.”

“Ithinkatthatpointshehadshavedoneside ofherhead,hadaneyebrowpiercing,and woreplatformswithhugefauxfurcoats.She hadheldmultiplejobsthroughoutcollegeand finishedhercoursesinlessthanfouryears. ShealsohappenedtobeabigGoosefan. Theyweresmallatthattime(2018)playing somelittlelocalgigs.Iwasn'tinthejamband sceneatall,andfromtheoutsidetheculture wassobizarretome.Katiekepttalkingabout thisthingcalled“Goosemas”atatacobar namedCantiki.IhadnoideawhatIwasgoing to,butwhenwearrived,itwaswild.Ihadn't seenascenelikethatinNorwalkyet— peopleofallagessmokingjoints,wearing crazyoutfits,dancingallnight.Iwashooked immediatelytotheirmusic.Eggyopenedup thatnighttoo!KatiewentuptoRickafterthe showandsaid‘Hey,welivedownthestreet! Let'sallhangout!’Thethreeofusstartedthis friendshipthatsoongrewintoalargerfriend group.Meetingthisgreatercommunity showedmethatConnecticutisn'tboring.”

CarinaandRickwerefriendsforaboutsix monthsbeforeheaskedherout.Forafew weeksofthattime,KatieandRickwere actuallyabitofaloveinterest!Talkabout HotTeainthekitchen!“WhenIfirstmetRick, Iwasinalongdistancerelationshipthatwas phasingout,soKatieandhimwerekindofa thing.RickisanintrovertandKatieisliterally themostextrovertedpersonI'veevermetin mylife,soalthoughthey’regreatfriends nothingendeduphappeningromantically, andweallcontinuedtoallbefriendsafter that.WhenRickandIstartedtoshowinterest ineachother,mainlyafterasuperlong conversationaboutthemovie TheBalladof BusterScruggs,Ithought‘OhmyGod,isthis bad?’butKatiesaid‘Youguyswerealways meanttobe!’That'showwestartedand wealwayslaughaboutthosedays. Itwasalotoffun.”

Aftertheyhadbeendatingforafewmonths, RickaskedCarinatobeapartofthe ShenanigansNiteClub teaservideo.“There wassomuchconfusioninthatteaser, becauseitwasnotatallrelatedtothefull lengthmoviewelatermade.Ithinkitalmost broughtjoytothebandthatpeoplewere confusedaboutthatpiece.”Thereyouhaveit, folks.Theboyslovetotrollusfans.

Thespicy,sassyKekeFosterwhoappearedin theShenanigansteaserwasalsotheleading ladyinthe“SoReady”musicvideo.“The animationteamwhomadethe“SoReady” videousedthatliveactionteaseras inspiration.Itwasalotoffunmakingthat littleclip!Rickgavemeacallandwaslike, ‘Canyouroundupfivegirlsby6pmtonightfor avideo?Bring80sattire,andwe'lltellyouthe restwhenyougethere.’That’sthemagic abouttheselittlelastminutecreativeprojects thattheseguysdo…thevibehasalwaysbeen ‘let'sjustgettogetherwithfriends,useprops wealreadyhave,andmakeithappen.’ It'salwaysanadventureinthatsense.”

Goosetrulythrivesinimprovisational scenariosincludingnavigatingtheglobal pandemicinMarch2020.Thebandjoined the‘LiveFromOutThere’broadcastand droppedtheintimateandnotorious livestreamfromT’sHouse,whereCarina triedherhandasmovingcameraoperator.

“MyaunthadgiftedmeanicecamerawhenI wasyoungandIplayedaroundonitalot.I've alwaysbeenintofilm,butIneverhadactual experienceinvideography.Peterpurchaseda gimbalduringquarantine,whichiswhatwe usedtofilmthe‘LiveFromOutThere’sets.He simplygavemeacrashcoursebeforeeach setonhowtouseit.Hesaidsomethinglike, ‘Justgocrazy!Dowhateverfeelsright!’Wegot intothisfunrhythmwhereIwasbeing experimentalwiththeshotsduringeachset.”

“Everyonewasathomemissingoutonshows somyapproachwas‘howdowemakethis vibereallyintimateandalotoffunvisually?’ TwoorthreesetswereatTrevor’sandtherest wereatourhouse(Rick,Peter,Jeffandme werealllivinginarentaltogether).Thefourof uswereaCOVIDpodandthat'sultimatelywhy theyhadmecomeontofilm.Idon'tthink thatwouldrealisticallyhappenotherwise, tobehonest.Idecoratedoursolariumwith tonsoflightsandtapestriesandfabricsand candlesandtriedtomakeitreallyhomey foreveryonetofeellikethey'reintheliving room.”YoucanevenhearCarinasingingon “CielitoLindo!”

Afterpositivefeedbackfromtheirfirstroundof livestreams,thegroupwonderedwhat’snext? “Weweretryingtofigureoutwhatthingsinour Goosecommunitywecanofferlocallyduring quarantine.”Theirrentalhome,fondlynamed Comstock,iswheretheBingoTouridea spawnedoverthekitchentableoneevening betweenPeterandRick.Carina’sofficialrole wasExecutiveAssistant.“Ijustwantedtobeat theirdisposalforanythingtheyneededhelp with.Itwasatonoffun,becausethetasks werealwaysdifferent.Iwasinvolvedinalotof precursorstufflikehelpingfilmthe commercialsandactivities.Ifilmedthehot oneschallenge.AfriendandIcookedmeals foreveryoneatBingoTour.Iwasinthis scrappykitchenbelowthebarnflingingup veganfoodtheentireweekend.Onedaywe madeatonofproducefromHorseshoeFarm. MattCampbellfromVasudohasabrotherPete who’sthisepicfarmer-wecallhimFarmer Pete.Hehadallthisawesomeproducehe donatedtous—everythingfromsaladgreens, topotatoestogarlicscapes…weincorporated anythingthatwasavailablefromhisfarminto adish.Peterevenwentthereonedaytofilm FarmerPetetakingcareofhisbeesandfarm. Bonnie(Coach’swife)hadanepicvegan cookingclass,andwedidaJazzerciseclass withRick’ssisterAmy.”

CarinaandRickintheMohaveDesert|PhotoCredit:PeterAnspach

“Idohavealongingtodosomethinglikethat again…hopefullyoverthenextyearortwo, we'llgetsometimetodomorehometown, organicfeaturesthatwillmakepeoplefeelthe samewaythatBingoTourdid.It’sinteresting, becauselockdownhadaspecialspicetoit.I don'tknowifwe’reevergonnareallybeableto recreatethatmagic,butIguessthatmakes itmorespecial.”

Podshowsbecamethenewnorm,producing someofGoose’sgreatestandmost memorableliveshows.Undoubtedly,Frederick, MDinMay2021,wasawildrunwithinclement weather.Whilewehunkereddowninourcars throughtornadowarningsanddancedinwater uptoourknees,Carinawaswithherdad.

“HepassedawaylastyearfromParkinson's, unfortunately…Thatwasahardtimeformy family.Iwasreallyclosewithmydad.I streameditfrommydad'shospicebedwhereI laidnexttohim.Ihaveaweirdnostalgiafor thattimebecauseIhadjustfinallymadepeace withthefactthatitwashistime.Iwasn’t fightingagainsttherealityofthematter anymore.IrememberSamantha(Ben’s fiancée)FaceTimedmeandincludedmeinthe pre-showpowerup,andeveryonededicatedit tomeandmydad.Itwasjustsosweet.Even thoughIwasn'tthere,Frederick2021is actuallyareallyspecialmemory.”Knowingthis contextmakesourmemoriesthat muchmorespecialtoo.

FastforwardtoJanuary2022,Carinais inLancaster,CAforthefilmingofthe “Borne”and“Dripfield”videos.Tappinginto hercreativewritingabilities,shetruly capturedtheessenceofthesesongsand translatedthemtofilm.

“IwasreallyluckytobewithRickashewas writingthesesongs.Hewassittinginourroom atComstockwritingdownlyricsandhumming melodies.Heoftenstartswiththemelody beforefindingthewords.Thatexpandsintoan entiresongfromthere…it'sareallycool processbecausethemeaningevolvesforhim. “Borne”and“Dripfield”arereallyloaded.Ifyou weretositRickdownandaskhimwhatthey're bothabout,hecouldgiveyouaone-word answeroranhour-longexplanation.Ithink they'reverydreamythemesthatarerelatedto alotofpersonalthingshe'sgonethrough.I thinkhewantedtokeepthemmetaphorical enoughsothatpeoplecouldrelatetothem.In “Borne,”he'sexhaustedfromthese componentsinlifelettinghimdownand steppinginhisway.Hehasaclearideaofwhat hispurposeis…butheneedstomakepeace withwhathe'sgonethroughandwherehe'sat beforehefulfillsit.Themoreliteralvehiclefor thisconceptinthemusicvideoishimtryingto writethenextalbum.Somethinghehas sufferedwithalotiswriter'sblock,whichevery goodartisthassufferedwithatvarioustimes intheirlife.Iwantedtoshowhimtryingtobea perfectionistandavoidingthedarkness withinhim.“Hefinallysuccumbsandaccepts thatheneedstolettheideasflowthroughhim ratherthanforcingthem.”

“That'swhen“Dripfield”begins.Heisgoing intothisslumberanddreamingofthis experience,wherehe'slettinggoofall expectationsandreleasingallthebarriers that'spreventinghimfromreallyreaching thiscreativeopennesswithinhimself.Being abletowritetheseconceptswassuper meaningfulforme.DylanHahn,whowasthe director,hadmadetheinitialtreatment.All Ididwasaddastory,afewcharacterarcs, andsomesupplementaryvisualideas. Withouthimandhisteam,itwouldn't havebecomethetangibleand beautifulpiecethatitis.”

A45minutedrivefromthecabin featuredin“Borne”providedthedesert backdropfor“Dripfield.”“Wereallywent crazythatdayinthedesertfor“Dripfield.” There'salotmoreactinginvolvedin“Borne,” soalotmoreshotshadtobetaken.In “Dripfield”alltheguysjusthadtonsoffun doingcrazyshit.Abigpartofitisdippinginto thatchild-likewildness,toreleasethese societalnormsandjudgmentswithin yourself…likeshamelesslyscreamingatthe topofyourlungsandbeatingyourchest inthesand.”

WhileCarinacontributedstorylinesfor “Borne”and“Dripfield,”Carinadrafted what’scalleda“treatment”forherwriting andproducingrolesinthe“Hungersite” musicvideo.Itbreaksdowneveryscene andoutlinesthestory—whoiseach character,whatarethethemes, wherearetheyandwhy.

“I'llmakeamoodboardonPinterestthat hascolors,patterns,outfitsandscenes.I’ll dothewholethinginoneshot.Iwon'tlook upfrommycomputerforafewhoursandI'll justblurtitallout…that’smycreative process.I'llwakeupwithanideaandknow thatIneedtostrikewhiletheironishot..”

Carinaistreatedlikeanyothercontractor whensubmittingherideas.

“Theygivemegreatfeedback.The opportunitiesthey'vegivenmeandtheway they'vetreatedmeduringtheseprocesses havebeenveryprofessionaland empowering,whichIlove.They’rebeing criticalwhenitmakessensetobecritical, andthencelebratingthingsthatturn outwell.”

Grouphuddle|PhotoCredit:CourtesyofCarinaImmer

Despiteenjoyingahealthytrolloftheirfans, thebanddidn’tintentionallysprinkleEaster eggsthroughoutthesevideos.Thetinycabin inthe“Borne”videoserendipitouslydonned apaintingofadarkhorseonthewall.“When wewerefilmingthere,wewerejokingaround likeoh,anEastereggforDarkHorse!“We alwaysbringthosethingsup—arefansgonna thinkthisisahintforXYZ?”Perhapsit’sjust anodfromtheuniverse.

Carinahadtodosomeconvincingtobring the“Hungersite”videotofruition.“Theysaid theywereonthefenceaboutmakinga musicvideo.Isaid“youabsolutelyneedto”, becauseit'ssuchamusicvideokindofsong. Icouldalreadyseethemusicvideo happeningandRicksaid,‘Sendmeyour idea!’Ipulledoveronthesideoftheroad, wrotedownanidea,sentittothem,andthey said,‘Let'sdoit.’Theconceptreliedheavily oncastingbelovedQualityNews3anchor KirstenWintergreenakaChrisReid(his actualname)akaJanWeed(hischaracterin thehilariousbattleofthebandsGoosemas teaserfrom2017).“ThisneedstobeJan.If hecan'tdoit,Idon'tthinkwecanmakethe video.Thisishim.”Janwasin,buthedidn’t realizewhathehadgottenhimselfinto.

“Itwaspouringrainand30degreestheday wefilmedhimoutsidejogginganddancing.It wassotreacherousandcoldandhiswife, Jen,whowaspregnantatthetime,was standingouttherewithanumbrellaand raincoat,blessherheart.IwascoachingJan whatdancemovestodoandtryingtoinspire him,soIwasjustgoingcrazy.Hewassoout ofbreathandittookagoodamountoftakes togetthedancingandtherunning.Hewas sotiredhewasabouttopukefrom exhaustion.Hewassuchagoodsport… Iwasproudofhimforpersevering throughthatwhiletherestofushad coatsandumbrellas.”

BruceRobinson,elGooseoverlordandgifted gabberon TheGreatBeyond Podcast,had hisbreakoutperformanceoftheyear. “Hewasgoingthroughhiscuesinanoffice withthedoorsclosedbeforewestarted shooting.Hetookitsoseriously.Itwas amazing.Herolledupinastarchedsuit,and weimmediatelyknewthattherewasgoing tobeatonofmemesproducedabout hischaracter.”

TheofficesceneswerefilmedattheFamily andChildren'sCenterinNorwalkoffice scenes,anorganizationGoosedonatedtofor Goosemas.TheNewtownForestAssociation, aconservationorganization,providedthe naturalbackdropfortheoutdoorscenes.

“Eventhoughwe'redoingthisreally hystericalmusicvideo,tworeallymeaningful organizationswerehelpingus.”Carina’s friendScottSweitzer,ayoungdirectorfrom Brooklyn,wasabletolendhiseditingtalents last-minute.Thewholevideowasshot intwodays. “Ilovetherush.There's definitelyalotofresponsibility.Youneedto makesureeveryoneisfollowingastrict schedulebecauseyouonlyhavethe locationsforacertainamountoftime…it's wildwhenyou’remakingthevideowithyour friendsandeveryoneisgettingdistracted, butIdefinitelywanttodomoreofit. There'ssomefunstuffinthepipeline.”

Aswelookforwardtothesefunprojects inthefuture,CarinasharedthatRickand MattCampbellhavebeenhardatwork writingmanyofthenewsongsdebuted thisyear—“Animal,”“SilverRising,” “AtlasDogs”and“CaliforniaMagic” werecollaborations.

“Matthasbeencomingoveralotinthelast sixtoeightmonths.HeandRickjusthang outonourdeckandwritetogether.It's incredible.Mattissuchapoet.”

“It'sareallyfunnydichotomybecauseIwant togivethemspacetobeinthezonewhile they’replayingandwriting.Ithink,‘Okay,I'm notgonnagoonthedeck.I'mgonnaclose thewindows,makethemfeelreallysafein thissongwritingenvironment.Sometimes they'relike,‘Whyareyoubeingweird?Just comeandhangout.’Ijustdidn'twantto ruinthevibe.Theysay,‘You'reruiningitby beingawkward…justcomesitwithus!’I'm alwaystryingtomakesurethespaceis sacred!”(Chuckles)

Perhapsthemostremarkablethingabout Carinaishowshehascombinedher passionsandtalentstoserveher communitythroughfounding GreatShift, aneventplatformthathostsimmersive workshopsforthecreative-curiousand curatedmarketplaceswhereyoucan shopforartwork,handmadegoods,and locallygrownprovisions.

“GreatShiftisforalltypesofcreative people—maybeyou’reaprofessionalartist oranaspiringcreative.Ormaybeyou're neitherofthoseandyoujustwanttoexpose yourselftoacreativecommunityand observeotherartist’sprocesses.That’sthe missionoftheGreatShift—toopenupthe doorforpeoplewhoaresearchingforthese energiesandcreativeconnectivities.”

Theworkshopsfeatureartistswhoare excitedtosharetheircreativeprocesswith aneageraudience.Pastworkshopshave includedpottery,songwriting,forestbathing, andsoundhealing.

“Mymissionisforeachattendeeto‘walk awaywithanewskillandare-emergence intocreativeconfidence.’Overthelastfew yearsI'vemetsomanyartists,collectors, healers,foragers,andfarmerswhoare doingreallybold,crucialservicesforour community.Iwantedtocreateacentralized placeforthosepeopletoofferthose services,andhelpthemgrowtheir businesses.I'mjustreallyexcitedtobe buildingthiscommunity,becauseitseems likepeoplearereallyhungryforit.They're reallyhungrytogettogether,meetone another,buildcommunityandlearnanew pieceofcreativeexpression,It'smypassion projectandI'mreallyexcitedtosee whereitgoes.”

Carinaon-setduringoneofthe Dripfield musicvideos|PhotoCredit:CourtesyofCarinaImmer

The Dripfield SummerTourbeganinearnest withatwo-nighthometownstandat NewHaven’sWestvilleMusicBowl.Diving rightintotheexpansivejams,Goosedelivered aslick,laid-backtakeon“Atlas”aheadof “Flodown,”“Dr.Darkness,”“Pancakes,” “SeekersontheRidge”and“HotTea”to roundoutthefirstset.Openingthesecond setwithaninstantclassic“Madhuvan,”the bandwouldrevisit“Pancakes”outofthe ensuing“Creatures”aswellasdrop afiery“SOS.”

ThesecondnightatWestvillewasyetanother high-energyaffairfeaturingastandout “RedBird,”thefirst“EmpressofOrganos”to featurePeteronguitar,andanencorespanning“Dripfield”jamthatletPetershow offhisnewsynthesizer.

Afterafestivalappearanceat BostonCalling highlightedbythesecond pairingof“Hungersite”>“Moby”andthe debutofthenewstudioarrangementof “SlowReady,”thequintetmovedontoEssex Junction, Vermont (siteofthe10/2/20show featuringDaveGrippo).

Anincendiary“EarthlingorAlien?”> “IndianRiver”comboelevatedthefirstset alongwiththedebutof“AtlasDogs’”slow arrangement,whilethesecondframewas dominatedbyanearly27-minute “WysteriaLane”-addingtothesong’salready incredibleyearandcatapultingtogreat heightsonmanypeople’sjamrankings. Continuingthetrendof“dronejams”through theencorebreak,Goosepickedupthe unfinished“Yeti”withacoverofTheBeatles’ “TomorrowNeverKnows”sandwichedinside toclosetheshow.

At Artpark, justoutsideBuffalo,theband deliveredanothergreatshow,continuingtheir upwardtrajectoryfromthepreviousweekend. Aheavyandchurning“RosewoodHeart”in thefirstsetgavewaytoadeepandoutsidethe-box“JiveLee”setcloser,whilethesecond setof“Madhuvan”>“Hungersite”>“Intothe Myst”>“YourOcean”>“ButterRum”was aseamlessstringofsongsevenasitbegan torainonthecrowd.Araucouscoverof TheBand’s“Don’tDoIt”tookthemnicelyinto curfewandsentthecrowdhomeoverjoyed.

LegendValley quicklybecameacan’t-miss spotforGooseafterastandoutshowin2020 andanincredibletwo-nightstandin2021.

2022’sofferingwouldbenodifferent,as thebandtookadvantageofthelackofcurfew andincredibleenergyofthecrowdtothrow downtwoabsoluteheaters. Debutingtwo newside-projectsongsinthefirstnight’s firstset(“Butterflies”fromPeter’sGreatBlue and“Turbulence&TheNightRays”from Goose-predecessorVasudo)alongwitha churningandsynth-drenchedcoverofthe GratefulDead’s“MississippiHalf-Step,”

thequintetgotintotheflowofthingsbefore droppingintoaGOAT-contender“Creatures.” Hittingonblissthemesonenormallyonly dreamsof,this25-minuteexcursionwouldbe thefirstoftwolegendaryjamsplayedduring thisshow.“AllINeed”isoneofGoose’smost reliablejamvehicles,soitwasonlynatural thatitshouldearnaspotamongthelongest jamsthebandhaseverplayed,cominginonly afewminutesbehindthe3/9/22“Rosewood Heart.”Thefirstjamsegmentwoulddissolve intoaheavyevilthemereminiscentofthe 1/30/22“WysteriaLane,”butgivena differentdimensionwithPeteronkeys. Peakingviciouslyandreturningtothesong’s finalchorus,Goosethensetoffona drivenandupbeatsecondjam,stretching pastthe35-minutemarkbeforedissolving intoacoverofTheMoodyBlues’ “NightsinWhiteSatin.”Agroovy“RedBird” thengavewaytothereturnof“Spiritofthe DarkHorse’s”originalarrangement(FTP since11/16/21OKC)thatledinto TedTapes cut“Dragonfly’s”firstoutingsinceJanuary andapowerful“JiveII”encore-markingthe song’slongestgapsince2018 (lastplayed3/5/22).

ThesecondnightatLegendValleyfeatured standoutperformancesof“Borne”and “Arrow”inthefirstsetaheadofthedebutof earwormanddancepartyanthem“Animal”to openthesecondframe.“Animal”wouldhead offathree-songsecondsetthatwouldflow through“AWesternSun”and“Dripfield” beforeaunique“Rockdale”completewith heavy“FactoryFiction”teasesclosedthe showandrun.

In Indianapolis,ahometownshowfor AndrewandMartaGoedde,thebandinvited theformeronstagetowhistleduring “MeandJulioDownbytheSchoolyard”and offeredadance-yandtrippy“Pancakes”> “Can’tGetYouOutOfMyHead”>“Pancakes” inthesecondset,whiletherestoftheshow wasroundedoutbyfantasticplayingand energy–don’tmissthecreepyarpeggiator between“SlowReady”and“HotTea!”

HeadingdowntotheintimateGreenfieldLake Amphitheatrein Wilmington,NorthCarolina, Goosedeliveredaphenomenal“TimetoFlee” openeraswellasanothersecondsetwith perfectflowbeforeclosingthe“leg”oftourin Raleigh thenextnight.

TheRaleigh“Madhuvan”willstandasoneof Goose’sfinestmoments–inayearpopulated withendlessversionsofthesongreaching pastthe20-minutemarkanddeliveringsome incredibleimprovisation.Switchinggearsfrom soaringbliss,tomechanicalanddriving darkness,thequintetcraftedasoundscape thatinvitedstankfacesandheadbangingas Peter’sincredibletexturalguitarworkwasput onfulldisplayandtherhythmsection

DripfieldSummerTour LegOneReview

absolutelylockedinandhammeredaway. Comingupforairafterrepeatedpeaks,Peter hitthekeyboardsforaphenomenalbliss jamaheadofapowerfulconclusiontothe song.Therestoftheshowwasjustacherry ontop,featuringmoregreatjamming in“Arrow”and“Drive.”

AbriefstopontheroadtoRadioCitywas madeat Bonnaroo,whereGooseplayedthe “ThisTent”from1-3am,throwingdowna partysetwithabevyofclassictunes.

OnJune24th,alongwiththereleaseof Dripfield,GoosetookoverRadioCityMusic Hallin NewYorkCity fortwonightsandthree setseach:whichfeaturedthefirst-everfullbandacousticsetsinfrontofaliveaudience andsometrulymind-blowingmoments.The firstnight’sacousticsetcontainedbeautiful renditionsofGooseclassics,aswellasa uniquetakeonnewersong“CaliforniaMagic,” whichhasshownitselftobeabandand crowd-favorite.

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Thesecondsetflowednicelyaheadof thesecondthree-songsetofthetour, thisonefeaturingthedebutsofthe Dripfield arrangementsof“HotTea” and“Arrow”featuringspecialguests D.JamesGoodwin,StuartBogie,and DaveNelson.Don’tmisstheseunique takesonwell-wornliveclassics!

I’mstillkindofindisbeliefthatthe secondnightofRadioCityreally happened.

AnacousticsethighlightedbyTHE “ELMEG”ledtheshowbeforea secondsetdominatedbythe “RedBird”>“I’mWritingaNovel” combination.Anunexpected,butvery welcomesurprisecamewhenGoose broughtoutNovel’soriginalcomposer FatherJohnMistytojoinonvocalsfor thetune,whichaddednewflavorto theband’salready-stellarcover.

“SilverRising”openedupthethirdset, andtheearlierphotoleaksofcertain gearbeingloadedintothevenuewere foremostoneveryone’smindsbothin thevenueandwebcastingasPeter introducedtheirnextspecial guest…TreyAnastasio

WhilenoteveryoneintheGoose communityisahugePhishfan,many ofusabsolutelyloveandadoreboth bandsandIhavetoadmitthathearing thefirstnotesof“Hungersite”with Trey’sdistinctiveguitartone intertwiningwithRick’sbroughttears ofhappinesstomyeyes.

Acrowderuptionunlikeanythingheard beforecamewhenTreyrippedintohis firstsoloofthenight,andtheenergy onlygrewhigherasthejam progressedintoahard-charginggroove absolutelyanchoredbyTrevor’s insistentplayingasTreyandRick dancedbackandforthtoseveral screamingpeaks.

Once“Hungersite”diedaway,the bandsmoothlywentinto“Arcadia.” Treyaddedhisownflavortothefirst verse’svocalsandbegantradinghot lickswithRickimmediatelyasthejam progressed.Ajoyousandblissyfirst peakledtothe“slow”endingasTrey smoothlyandmelodicallybeganto playover“Arcadia’s”incredibleending chordprogression.Apatient,patient buildthathadeachbandmember’s smilesshiningthroughledtosome seriousshreddingasRicktookthe reinstobringthesongtoitsfinalpeak andending.

WhileTrey’sguestspotnodoubtwas supposedtoendafterthosetwo songs,thebandwashavingtoomuch funandletthecrowdknowthathe wouldbestayingbeforeeasing into“Dripfield.”

Atriple-guitarattackforthejamwith Peterenteringthefraywasan absolutedelighttoallthoselistening, anditgraduallytransitionedfromthe poundingandprimalmotifofthesong intoanupbeatgroovethatledtothe first“LooseEnds”sinceFebruary.

“He’sgoingtostay,”rangoutinside RadioCityyetagainasGoose launchedintoaset-closing “EmpressofOrganos.”

Afterahard-hittingpianosolofrom Peter,displayingthedepthofsound onlyagrandcanoffer,thequintet droppeddownquietlyandhandedTrey thespotlightforsomeofhisfinest playingofthenight.

DoNOTmissaNOTEof thisthirdset.

Theencore,featuringFatherJohn MistyandTreyonacoverof TheBeatles’“TomorrowNeverKnows,” justelevatedtheshow’sstatus evenmore.

Tocloseouttheirearlysummertouring schedule,Goosemadeincredible appearancesatHighSierraMusic Festival,PeachMusicFestival,and NewportFolkFestival-increasingtheir reachevenwiderandbringingmore andmorefansintothefold.

Thebandreturnstotheroad thismonthandwillnodoubt continuetoblowmindsand deepentheirimprovisational pathways.Weallknowthat Gooseisjustgettingstarted…

“LordoftheRings.”“TheGodfather.” “AustinPowers.”

Someofthebestthingscomeintrios,andthatof courseincludesGoose’s Dripfield trio.

“Borne,”“Hungersite,”and“Dripfield,”thefirstthree tracksoffofGoose’slatestrelease,comprisewhatis knownasthe Dripfield trio.Featuringsoaring harmonies,illustriousguitarworkandnuancedjams, thetrioistheamalgamationofGoosegrowingintotheir ownwithinthestudiowhilecontinuingtoprove themselvesasabonafideforcewithinthe jambandcommunity.

Thethreesongsdebutedtogetherasthe“Dripfield”trio duringthethirdsetofGoosemasatMoheganSunin February,despite“Borne”havingbeenplayedtwice beforeitsConnecticutdebut.Whilethesongshave beenplayedinthesameshowasoneanothersince then,theMoheganshowiscurrentlythelasttimethat thesongswereplayedtogetherintheexact Dripfield trioorder. OkayAndrew, wegetit.They’rethefirstthreesongsof the Dripfield album.Whatelseistheimportanceof thesesongs?

Thebandrecordedthesesongsin March2021—inthemiddleofthe winterlock-downwithaninsatiable fanbasethatonlykeptincreasingas theband’spopularityskyrocketed duringthepandemic.Thebandisalso atamajorcrossroadsintheircareer wheretheynowhadthetimetofocus onallofthebehind-the-sceneswork associatedwithrecordingmusic. “Borne”isthesongthatisthe amalgamationofthatprocess.

“I'mnottired/I'mnotwornatall/I've juststarted/NowI'mshownaround/ Justwhat/Wewereborntobe,” Rick continuesinthechorus,showingthat thebandisheretoshowyoutheir potential,whichisonly startingtobegin.

If“Borne”isreassuringthelistener thatthebandisjustrealizingits potential,than “Hungersite” isthat potentialcomingtofruition.

“Hope/It'sbentlikerope/Oh,I'm growingtired/Ofhaulingonyesterday” istheperfectlinetobeginthesong.It isthebandshowingcautiousoptimism whilealsosheddingitsskinof preconceivednotions.

Whetherit'sbeingslappedwiththe labelofanindie-grooveband,the constantcomparisonstoPhishoreven torchtalk,thebandislookingat dispellingallofthosemythsthathave weigheddowntheirpast.

Theline “Butbrother,I'mheretostay” islikeanauditoryfist-bumpinthenext verseandlow-keythebestlineofthe songdespiteitssimplicity.

Butinallactuality,thechorusisa beautifullycraftedpieceofpoetry: “Isittimetoshedourweaponsyetmy friend?/Isitlovewe'vedrawnawayin ourgroundlesslow?/Canwestepout ofthewreckageyetmyfriend?/ Runningallagainsttheirhungrysight/ Hangingon/They'vetakenall/ Butwewon'tlaythatdown.”

Inthatchorus,weseeabandthat emergesfromthe“wreckage”ofall preconceivednotionsanddoubton theircurrenttrajectory,andbecomes therelentlessspiritthatcomesto definetheGoosewehavetoday.

Thinkofthesongasclimbinga mountainwithmultiplepeaksandthe finalchorusthatfadesoutbeingthe highestpeak.

Thisideacanbereinforcedwiththis lineinoneofthechorus: “There/It'sonlyair/Nothingtetheredto thegarment/We'reclimbingthrough.”

Trevor.Ben.Jeff.Rick.Peter.Alldeckedoutin hikinggear(courtesyofREIofcourse,right Peter?).Readytofindthatnextpeak.

On “Dripfield,” wearelongpastthepeaksof “Hungersite”andoperatingonanethereal plain.

“Howdidheletdown/Howdidhegetdownin it/Howdidheshowthem/Howdidhehold theminit” soundslikeanotherentity remarkingonRickashebreaksthroughinto theStratosphere.

Whatwasconsideredimpossibleisnow possibleandGoosehasdoneit.Bythetime thelistenergetstothechorus,realityhitsand wearesentbacktotheground-orratherthe oceaninthiscase.Thefirstchorusreally bringsthebandbackdownbutnotwithout someknowledgeofwhat’sahead.

“ThereIhearhimstepping/Overheadin heaven/OceansstillI'mtreading/Turnedout totheretting/Caughtunderthecrescent/ UndertowIfellin/WaterIkeeppressing/ WaterIkeeppressing/Down.”

Moreastralimageryisprojectedinthe followinglinesaswellassomeprettyfar-out picturessuchas “Holyone/Constellatedsum/ Separatedfrom/Allabove” and “Howlingout theprism/Callingfortherhythm/ Time'smyonlyprison.”

Bytheendofthesong,thebandhas awakenedwithwhatfeelslikeforbidden knowledge.Theyhaveascendedandreached theirpotentialbutrealizethatthereisstilla longwaytogotoyet.

“Seasonwide/Everlastingtide/It'scoming backjustlike/Always” readsthelastlineof “Dripfield”—ceremoniouslyclosingthe Dripfield triowiththeassurancethatyes, Gooseisontherightpathandstonks-as theysay,canonlygoupfromhere.

Sincetherearen’ttoomanyversionsavailable ofthethreesongs,hereiswhatIbelieveare thebestcurrentversionsplayedsofar:

“Borne” 3/9/22

RoyalOakMusicTheatre,RoyalOak,MI

Comingoutofthegateswingingtobeginthis show,“Borne”isoneamongthemany highlightsofthisoutrageouslygreatshow. Thejamisthetruecenterpieceofthis version,soundingasthoughitcouldeasily transitioninto“AlsoSprachZarathustra''(the themefrom 2001:ASpaceOdyssey).The bandtrulyexploresthenebulousofspace beforedescendingintoaniceoutrojamthat leadsinto“SOS.”

“Hungersite” 6/25/22

RadioCityMusicHall,NewYork,NY

Thesit-inofGoose’scareersofarbeganwith theguitarstylingsofPhish’sTreyAnastasioon “Hungersite.”Whiletherearemore comprehensiveversions(suchasthe blisteringversionfromthesecondnightatthe FillmoreinPhiladelphia),nothingevokessuch blissmorethanlisteningtoRickandoneof hisguitarheroestradelicksallwhilecreating arobustjam.

“Dripfield” 2/26/22

MoheganSunArena,Uncasville,CT

Thelivedebutof“Dripfield”remainsoneof theundisputed,underratedjamsof2022. Thejamfeelslikeittellsthewholestoryof the Dripfield trio—completewiththathikeup tothepeak,swimmingintheetherealjam andthencomingbackdowntothecrescendo of“Goose”callsthateruptedfrom theaudience. GoosewithTreyAnastasioatRadioCityMusicHall|PhotoCredit:JonCaruso

with

Ifyou'vespenttimeinanyofthevariousGooserelatedFacebookgroups,thenyou’vemostlikely comeacrossthefollowingname: TinaVarner

HerFacebookpostsprovideuswitheverythingwe couldeverwant:fromshowrecaps,touropener countdowns,crewmemberappreciationposts,and memes,tojambandnewsupdates,holidaywishes, andthoughtfulconversationstarters.Herexplosive expressionsofloveandexcitementareinfectious, andshehasquicklybecomeapillarofour onlinecommunity.

Asamusictherapist,Iamconstantlythinkingabout peopleinthecontextoftheirrelationshipwith music,asthatishowIlearnthemostaboutthemin clinicalsettings.Sotobegiveninsightintotheinner musicalworldofmyfellowGoosecommunity membersisanabsolutejoy,andIcouldn’twaitto exploretheballofloveandlightthatisTinaVarner, andtheonlineGoosecommunityingeneral.

Astheyoungestofsevenchildren,Tinadidn’t spendtoomuchtimesearchingforwhatmusicto listento. “Therewasalwaysmusicplayinginmy house.MybrotherwasintoLedZeppelin,The GratefulDeadandallofthoseoldbands.Sothat’s whatIlistenedto...Andthengrowingupinthe’80s, mysisterwasallaboutAC/DC.” Andassomeone whowas“allaboutAC/DC,”Tina’ssisterwasn’t goingtoletbabysittinggetinthewayofanAC/DC concert. “Thatwasmyfirstconcertever.Shesnuck meoutofthehouseandtookmewithher.Iwas9 yearsold.HellsBellstourbaby!Icriedthewhole freakingtime.”

MusichadalwaysbeenabigpartofTina’slife,but itwasduringherhighschoolyearsthatitbecamea lifestyle. “WhenIwasafreshmanIendedup meetingacoupleofhippiegirlswhowereolder thanme,andboom.Justlikethat,Istartedhanging outwithallofthehippiesintown!AndwhenThe GratefulDeadcametoProvidencein’86,weall skippedschooltogoseethem,andthatwasit. Fromthatpointon,wewenttoeveryshowwe could.That’sallwedid.Tour.” Andhercollegeyears didn’tlooktoodifferent.

Afterfinishingschool,Tinafollowedherheartto SanFrancisco,whereshemadeherwayintothe worldofhospitality,workingforBillGraham. “Itwas suchhardwork.Butman,gettingtohangwithBob WeirandPhilallthetime…walkinginandoutof thebackdoorattheFillmore…Whatagift.I’mso happyItooktheplungeandwentforit.” Overthe years,Tinasawand/orworkedwithalmostevery bandinthescene,andthensome.Shebecame familywithMaxCreek,whichiswheresheended upputtingmostofhertimeandenergy afterJerrydied.

“I’vebeenfriendswiththoseguysforover30 years.Theyaremyheartandsoul!” AlthoughJerry’s deathgreatlyimpactedTina,itdidn’tstopherfrom “partyingleftandright,havingagoodoldtime.”

Buteventuallyashiftbegantotakeplace,and Tina’smusiclifedidn’tfeelascolorfultoher.The scenewasfullofamazingbands,bothestablished andup-and-coming,andTina’sdedicationtoMax Creekandtheotherbandssheloved,remained unwavering. “Butmusically,italljustgotkindof boring.” Andontopofthat,Tina’srelationshipwith alcoholhadgottenverycomplicatedovertheyears, anditseemedtobecomingtoaheadaroundthe sametime.ItbecamecleartoTinathatachange wasneeded,andknowingthatshecouldn’tdoit alone,shereachedoutforsupport.

–She’sbeensobereversince.–

“IactuallyfoundGoosealongsidemysobriety.And tobehonest,that’sbeenthebestpartaboutit!” ItwasjustbeforeBingoTourwhenTinaandher partnerJohnwerelisteningtosometuneson YouTube,andaGoosevideostartedplaying. “IrememberJohnandIjustlookedateachother andwerelike‘ohmygod…whatisthis!?’” Andthat wasallittook. “Wewereofftotheracesafterthat. Andboy,hasitchangedmylife.Thetwoofusdon’t shutupaboutit!Iswear,we’vetoldpeopleinthe supermarketaboutGoose…It’sjustsoexcitingto havesomethinglikethis,reallyforthefirsttime sinceJerrydied.AndI’msogratefulthatI’msober forit.I’mreadyforthisride.”

Duetothepandemic,TinaandJohnwerenotable toseeGooseliveforquiteawhile,andtheywerein desperateneedofaplaceintowhichtheycould pourallofthelove,passionandenergytheyhadfor theband.That’swhentheyfoundElGoose.

Theinternethasplayedasignificantroleinthe jambandscenefordecadesnow.Fromemaillists, archives,andopen-sourcesoftwareapplications,to discussionforums,socialmediaplatforms,andlive audioandvideostreamingsites,fanshavecreated avastnetworkofonlinecommunitiesand resourcesovertheyearsandarequicktoembrace newtechnologies.WithintheGoosecommunity alone,fansuseblogs,subreddits,Twitteraccounts, Instagramaccounts,YouTubechannels,Discord servers,videoandaudioarchives,showandsetlist trackingsites,chordandsonglyricsites,printsand pindatabases,podcasts,andover15different Facebookgroups(inadditiontoGoose’sofficial sitesandaccounts).Goosefansengagewithone anotheronadailybasis,acrossmultipleformsof communication,andareconstantlydiscoveringnew anddifferentwaystolearn,share,andexplorethe bandandtheirmusic.

WhiletheonlineGoosecommunityisagreat exampleofalltheshenanigansthatcomewith beingafamily,it’salsoagreatexampleofhow muchmoreafanbasecanbe,thanmerelyagroup ofpeoplesharingacommonloveforaparticular band.SeveraloftheexistingGoose-related Facebookgroupsseemtohavetranscendedtheir originalpurpose,andarebeingutilizedasspaces fordiscussionandsolidaritythatgofarbeyond justtalkingaboutGoose.Asanadminofthe GooseChicksgroup,Tina(alongwiththeother adminsandgroupmembers)devotesalotoftime andenergyintocreatingandmaintainingtheopen, warm,supportive,fun,understanding,andsafe environmentthatmanypeopleperceivethe GooseChicksgrouptobe.

ForTina,itallstartedwithherphoto-of-the-day posts,whichconsistofabandmemberpicture (chosenspecificallyforthatday)andawordoflove andencouragement. “Imagicallystartedhavingall ofthesecoolpicturesoftheband,andIneeded somewheretoputthem!AndIfiguredImightas wellsaysomethingwonderfultothepeoplewho mightseeit.” It’sbeenalmosttwoyearsnow,and shehasn’tmissedasingleday. “There’snowayI’d beabletodoanythingconsistentlikethisifIwas stilldrinking.Soitallowsmetoreflecton mylifeaswell.”

Shegoestheextramiletoincludeeveryoneshe can,andwhetherit’ssomebody’sbirthday,wedding day,firstGooseshow,orlastroundofchemotherapy,sheissuretomakethegroupawareof whatthereistocelebrate.Shehasorganizedand contributedtovariouseventsandfundraisers,and sheisquicktobringthecommunity’sattentionto someoneinneedofsupport.Andwhat’smore,Tina isn'tafraidtobevulnerable.Oftentimes,herposts arefullofloveandexcitement,andothertimes,her postsarefilledwithfearandgrief,andhave absolutelynothingtodowithGoose.Andwhenany adminorgroupmemberfindsthecouragetopost soopenlyandauthentically,ittendstosetoffa chainreaction. “Igetalotofmessagesfrompeople askingmetopostsomethingforthemsothatthey canreceivefeedbackandsupportfromthe community.Ialsogetmessagesfrompeoplejust expressinghowmuchthegroupmeanstothem. GooseChicksgroupmembersreallyvalueeach others’thoughts,andit’sbeautiful.”

Especiallyinthecontextofheavysubjectmatter, thewayinwhichGooseChicksgroupmembers tendtointeractandsupporteachotherresembles whathumanisticpsychologistsrefertoas “unconditionalpositiveregard.”Generallyspeaking, unconditionalpositiveregard istheacceptanceand supportofaperson,regardlessofwhattheysayor do.Notthatyouacceptorapproveofeveryaction thepersontakes,butthatyouacceptwhotheyare onadeeperlevel,andseethemasinherently human(andinturn,inherentlyworthyandlovable!). Inthecontextofclient-centeredtherapy,this attitudepromotesthedevelopmentofastrong, trusting,andusefulrelationshipbetweenthe therapistandtheindividualthey’reworkingwith. AndinGooseChicks,itencouragesmanygroup memberstonotonlysharemoreopenly,buttoalso shareaboutprofoundandpersonaltopicsthatthey mightnottypicallybecomfortable sharingotherwise.

Let’snotbesillythough.TheGooseChicksgroupis definitelynotshenanigan-free!Itisafamilyafterall. Butasawhole,thegrouphasgrownintoatruly uniqueandbeautifulcommunity,andTina’srolein thatdoesnotgounnoticed.

TinaandJohncurrentlyliveinConnecticut,where theyboughtahouseseveralyearsago.They’vegot ayard,amusicroom,alotofwallspacefortheir paintings,posters,andsignedpicturesofJerry,and abasementshopfortheirlasercompany,which dedicatesalotofitsenergy,heart,andsoulto Goosemerch. “It’sperfect.” Buttheirfive-yearplan?

“Selleverything,getanRV,andtraveltogosee musicwherever,whenever!”Weloveourhome,but theopenroadiswherewebelong,andwecan’t wait.” Neithercanwe.Muchlovetoyou TinaandJohn!Seey’allontour.

Anddon’tworryElGoose, “We’llprobablybringthelaser!”

Thisisavariationonatraditionallinzertorte.Typically,alinzertortewouldcontainalmondflourinthecrustandwouldn'thave Chocolateinit.But,we'rejammingonthispielikethe22-minuteRadioCityMusicHall“RedBird.”Ourtartwillhaveashortbread crust,inadditiontodarkchocolateandalittlelemontobrighteneverythingup,likearedbirdsingingitssong.

TartCrust

1. Mixallingredientstoformaball(ideallyinastandmixerbutitcanbedonebyhand)ofdough. 2. Pressthedoughintoapiepan,tartdish,stonewaresomethingorotheruntilitisabout¼in.thickallaround.Trimallexcess doughthatcomesupoverthesideandmakesuretopressthedoughwellintoallthecorners. 3. Dockthedough.Takeaforkandpokeholesinthedough.Adecentamount,IthinkIdidabout5or6rowswithabout8"pokes"