Call them a psy-op, call them overrated, call them a flash in the pan, call them whatever you want. The truth is, however, that Geese is a band living in the moment, realizing their full potential, and taking everyone along for the ride of a lifetime.
As the crowd started to flood Forest Hills Stadium on Saturday night for the band's second of two shows, underground rap phenom billy woods took to the stage, his face obscured behind blinding red lights and clouds of smoke. His identity hidden by shadows, the rapper took to one of the biggest stages of his career (perhaps save for a few festivals) and his pointed, direct flow was perhaps a bit much for the amount of young bros who were a bit baffled by the man on stage. For those in the know, it was a remarkable sight to see the best rapper on the planet drop his swirling beats, thick as tar, whirl around the crowd while his verbose and complex verses rained over the floor below him. His barbed rhymes were knotted and tangled, a jarring encounter for those unfamiliar with his gnarled raps, but it was a real joy to see him deliver his work with the same dexterity and uncompromising demeanor as when he's doing it for a small showing of devoted fans at an intimate club. "Spongebob" was raging hit and getting a guest spot from Despot was another stellar moment. Bringing out Elucid meant we were treated to Armand Hammer tunes as well and it was a sick change up to hear their voices rock the mics back and forth. Ending with "Stonefruit," the duo played it out like it was their own headlining moment, woods lung capacity seemingly breaking all barriers and taking off with ungodly talent. It may not have been the opening set the majority of the crowd was expecting, but it was a clear acknowledgement of fellow greatness from Geese to another New York master of his craft.
The lights went to black and suddenly New York's hottest young band was in place, Cameron Winter striking up a spot behind a piano as they slowly lilted their way into the stunning closer from their breakthrough album Getting Killed and when the beat dropped and the crowd dropped their hushed whisper, the stadium erupted in a joint sing-a-long that boosted the energy and set the night off on a trajectory that would be impossible to bring back down for the remainder of the night. Interjecting a brief breakdown, the track was split in half and also revealed the band's live approach to their songs, exposing their parts and allowing them room to breath in a way not captured on their records. Bouncing into "Cobra," the band began to feel their groove, the rolling rhythms continuously pumping up the audience as the floor crouched together in anticipation of every burst towards spontaneity. The band's loosened approach to every song made them all sound fresh and exciting, even after repeated listens it was unclear just where each song would deviate in the moment and that made the night feel like a never ending adventure. Winter's radical vocals were full of power and sung with a fervent purpose, nothing was haphazard, but rather intentional and carefully planned. They dropped the speed in half for "Half Real," pulling it out slow waltz as every lyric hung in the air with an added significant weight that enhanced each measure of the song with profound meaning. As the song blossomed in half-time, emotions in the stadium swelled and you could feel heightened sense of joy that was filling up the stadium. After a healthy opening from their latest album, the band went back to their last record 3D Country and stepped on the gas as things took off with maximum speed. "2122" roared with power and finally lit the spark to ignite the crowd to stir up some movement. As the band raged on, the dance-punk banged "100 Horses" not only declared "there's only dance music in times of war," but made everyone in attendance live up to the motto as well. As the floor started to bounce and vibes started to swirl, they hit back with "Space Race" before a rousing "Crusades" really got things moving. Digging into some dirty blues and ragged rock and roll, the band proved that their past had justified their presence with their locked and loaded riffs ready to raise some hell. These rock and roll barnstormers got the crowd revved up and ready to party and it all led to a plateau with "Au Pays do Cocaine." Collectively taking in the moment of respite, it was a grounding tune that still put the band's lyrics on full display as the building sang a long with the utmost passion. Fittingly, "Taxes" closed out the main set, the song's slow and steady build gathering the tension for one final climax before releasing it all like a tidal wave that broke over the crowd in a blazing triumph. The band returned to bring the night full circle because if they were going to open the night with their album's closing track, they'd naturally finish it off with the explosive opener "Trinidad." As the nimble guitar blew up with the bombastic chorus, the band really stretched it out and let their solos rip for one grand finale that put the exclamation mark on the night. Regardless of how you may perceive the band, it's hard to imagine walking away from their live show and thinking they're anything but a generational voice that has earned the hype and delivers on all expectations.
Set list:
02 "Cobra"
03 "Husbands"
04 "Getting Killed"
05 "Islands of Men"
06 "Half Real"
07 "2122" [with "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue" by the Ramones]
08 "100 Horses"
09 "Space Race"
10 "Crusades"
11 "Cowboy Nudes"
12 "Gravity Blues"
13 "Bow Down"
14 "Au Pays du Cocaine"
15 "Taxes"
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16 "Trinidad"
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