If you had asked me in June what I thought of Geese, I would have said I knew nothing. I refused to listen to Geese for a long time; I thought they were some new sell-out band that was overhyped and overplayed. Well, gosh, was I wrong. I had the awesome opportunity to attend Hinterland Music Festival in July, and that was the first time I had ever heard Geese.
For background, I am a huge alternative music fan; some of my favorite bands include Alice In Chains, Nirvana, Soundgarden, and others from that era. So imagine my surprise when the grungiest man I have seen in a hot minute walks out; I immediately regret all my preconceived notions about them. I was not only discovering what would be one of my favorite bands, but I was also seeing them on the barricade.
The moment Cameron Winter opens his mouth and starts singing “Husbands,” I was enamoured. Everything I had thought about this band was a falsehood conceived from listening to those who hate this kind of music. I realized they were everything I had always dreamed of; since childhood, I felt sorrow at the thought of never seeing my favorite bands in concert, and here sat Geese, a band that sounds exactly like my childhood.
I was transported to the back of my mom’s old Ford, buckled in my car seat, listening to whatever 90’s grunge CD she had on. The first time I saw Geese, I felt the world move in slow motion. Then near the end of the set the guitar got slow, and Cameron Winter said, “This next song is up to interpretation.”
“Trinidad” was an explosive and exciting song that made me want to get up and mosh and headbang and scream. To end this magnificent set on a song with so much energy and umph was such a treat. I felt like Augustus Gloop in the chocolate factory, a gluttonous little mouse soaking up one of the best bands I had heard in a long time. I soaked up the moment and kept the memories close to my heart; I was so grateful to have heard them once, and then a miracle happened.
In early October, my friend, Bella, told me that the Midland had given KJHK two press passes to see Geese on Oct. 30. She had spun a wheel, and I won. I was going to see Geese again. I felt the light of Heaven befall my soul; I was going to see my new favorite band once again. For the whole month, I planned and sat in excitement for the evening.
However, the light of heaven slowly turned to the darkness of Gehenna; the week before the concert, I fell ill. Did I let this bring me down? Of course not; I was seeing my favorite band again, and may my sickness be damned. I rested and took medicine, and by the might of my own strength (and the strength of Tylenol), I came to a full recovery in the nick of time.
The day of the show, my friend Evan picks me and Bella up, and we are transported to a beautiful theater. This was my first time in the Midland, and my breath was taken away. It was this beautiful Titanic-style building with a really dope general admission section.
Evan and I were both recovering from sickness, so we stood at the back and soaked up the music. This was Evan’s and my second time seeing Geese together. I could have never asked for a better friend to see them with; Evan’s infectious energy and light helped bring me back from the dumps of sickness.
Together we stood and jammed out; it was the perfect night. This was such an amazing Halloween, one I will never forget. Geese are such incredible performers, and I had the same out-of-body experience at the second show that I did at the first. Trust me, I am now a huge Geese fan; truly such an amazing time I had at both shows. Honk Honk!