Geese at Mercury Lounge (photo by Kevin McGann)
It’s hard to believe Brooklyn’s own Geese hadn’t played a show since August before this past weekend. Partly because their last NYC gig at Bowery Ballroom is still fresh in my mind, but mostly because Friday night’s return to the stage was pure fire. Geese invaded Mercury Lounge like seasoned pros who’ve been doing this for decades despite the fact that they’re barely out of their teens and first starting jamming in high school in 2016.
The five-piece band, made up of Cameron Winter on vocals, Gus Green and Foster Hudson on guitar, Dominic DiGesu on bass and Max Bassin on Drums, played songs mostly from their stellar 2021 release, Projector (Partisan Records), but also debuted some new music including new single “Cowboy Nudes.” If the new songs are any indication of what their sophomore album will sound like then it’s safe to say it’s going to a banger. They have such a broad range of influences, having grown up listening to their parent’s music collections from the 70’s/80’s, and blend it seamlessly with more recent influences from the 2000’s on. It’s anyone’s guess what the new album will sound like but that makes me think of Bowie’s famous quote, “I don’t know where I’m going from here, but I promise it won’t be boring.”
Opening the night were two great acts that got the crowd revved up. First was Chanel Beads who hail from Seattle, WA. They have an interesting mix of dream pop, shoegaze sounds and incorporate prerecorded sequenced tracks and beats along with live violin. After that was Philly-based, They Are Gutting a Body of Water (TAGABOW), who also have a shoegaze sound though more guitar/noise based along the lines of My Bloody Valentine. The four-piece band marry live instrumentation with samples, dreamy melodies with noisy guitar, and moments of calm interrupted with bursts of energy, that made their 2022 release Lucky Styles one of the most exciting releases of the year.
Scroll down for pics of the show (photos by Kevin McGann)
CHANEL BEADS
TAGABOW
GEESE
