Naming a band, much like christening a child, can be a surprisingly challenging endeavor. The perfect moniker should be memorable, intriguing without being obscure, short, catchy, and ideally, free from any potential for embarrassment or confusion. While the bands Goose and Geese certainly hit most of these marks, they undeniably falter in the ‘no confusion’ category.
Indeed, swapping just a couple of letters can completely change which group you’re discussing. Mistake a singular for a plural, and you’re referencing one bird instead of an entire flock. Each band demands not just your attention as a music fan, but also your precision as a grammarian.
Adding another layer to this perplexing situation, both groups recently unveiled new albums and are currently embarking on tours. This means that numerous interviews are being conducted, requiring careful attention from everyone involved to ensure no mix-ups occur.
Just last month, Geese, an indie-rock quartet hailing from Brooklyn, released their third studio album, ‘Getting Killed.’ This record has garnered significant acclaim, with many praising it as one of the year’s best, and even secured them a performance slot on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live.’ Meanwhile, in August, Goose, a jam band quartet from Wilton, Connecticut, dropped their fifth studio album—and second release this year—titled ‘Chain Yer Dragon.’
Logically, Goose appeared on the scene before Geese; the former formed in 2014, while the latter came together in 2016. Both share roots in music education: Goose has ties to Berklee College of Music in Boston, and Geese to Brooklyn’s Park Slope Rock School. And just to be clear, neither should be mistaken for the Atlanta nu-metal band Silly Goose.
As Rolling Stone succinctly put it, ‘Though these two outfits couldn’t be further from each other in sound and style, they’ve been inevitably conjoined by name.’
So, a little help, perhaps a musical field guide, might be just what you need to differentiate Goose from Geese.
What They Sound Like
Goose, often compared to legendary jam bands like Phish, embodies a distinct jam-band style infused with indie-rock elements. Pitchfork notes, ‘Goose have a distinct ability to put listeners in a trance, even stopping time for a little bit.’ Rolling Stone praised them as ‘musicians unafraid to revel in rubbery grooves, guitar and keyboard solos that threatened to never end.’
Conversely, Geese is primarily an indie-rock band, albeit one that incorporates jam-like qualities. Their latest album, ‘Getting Killed,’ was described by GQ as tearing open ‘the carcasses of Radiohead, Pavement, and Swans and feasts there, looking up with a big, bloody grin.’ Pitchfork characterized the album’s sound as ‘a clattering, groove-based sound, denying the structures of traditional rock music while following the same volleys of tension and release.’
How They Got Their Names
According to Rick Mitarotonda, Goose’s frontman, the band’s name originated from ‘nonsensical kitchen lingo’ he used while working at Dam Good Tacos, a restaurant in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Geese, on the other hand, is simply the plural form of guitarist Emily Green’s nickname. Curiously, this means a member of Geese is nicknamed Goose.
How to Tell Them Apart
Both bands consist of four casually dressed musicians who favor jeans, T-shirts, and sneakers. However, the members of Goose are roughly a decade older and sport facial hair that would make a lumberjack proud. The Geese members, by contrast, project a more contemporary, ‘Silver Lake’ aesthetic rather than a ‘Lake Oswego’ vibe.
Do Goose Fans Like Geese? Do Geese Fans Like Goose?
The two bands generally inhabit different musical spheres with minimal audience overlap, though a few notable exceptions exist. Trey Anastasio, the frontman for Phish, has not only performed on stage with Goose at Radio City Music Hall and toured with them in 2022, but he has also been seen enjoying Geese’s live shows.
Earlier this year, Geese served as the opening act for Vampire Weekend. In a reciprocal move, Vampire Weekend’s frontman, Ezra Koenig, has joined Goose onstage for performances.
Has There Been a Goose-Geese Double Bill?
Not yet, but the possibility once came close: both bands were scheduled to perform at the Newport Folk Festival on the same day, July 25, this year. As the music site Stereogum optimistically noted, ‘Hopefully they will become good friends.’ Fans can only dream of such a ‘gaggle’ of a show!