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There are reasons why people are so excited about Geese, the most exciting rock band to emerge from New York in decades.
It’s the buzz that envelops a band in the middle of an ascent, as its most recent record “Getting
Killed” was passionately received by critics and fans alike. It’s the howls of excitement surrounding lead singer Cameron Winter, whose solo career lifted off at the same time as the band’s profile, to the point where the 24-year-old is getting accolades that would suffocate others. Even interviews with the band are underlined by a jittery vibe, four lifelong friends who would rather let their instruments do the talking than give a soundbite for TikTok.
The Fillmore Philadelphia was pulsing in the minutes leading up to the first of the band’s two-night stand on Nov. 7. The group — Winter, guitarist Emily Green, bassist Dominic DiGesu, drummer Max Bassin and touring keyboard player Sam Revaz — set the tone for a raucous evening with set opener “Long Island City Here I Come.” With Winter percussively playing piano all the way on stage right, the track is a barreling double-time anthem for the very-loud band, punctuated by Winter belting lyrics like “I’m about to kick your ass up and down this street.” The song immediately kicked the crowd into a frenzy and felt like a clear statement of purpose: don’t confuse this for one of Winter’s solo piano shows, and if you only know the band from viral hits like “Au Pays du Cocaine” or “Taxes,” buckle up.
The first surprise of the Geese live experience is Green’s swagger and experimentation. The guitarist is a key player in guiding the band’s more experimental moments and ferocious improvisation. Often tinkering with pedals as her fingers fly across the fretboard, she’s able to stretch a song to the outer limits, only to snap back quickly and clearly when a sharp riff is called for. Bassin also is central to the style, furiously playing all over his kit while still keeping in the pocket, ready to let loose during solos on songs such as the jumpy kiss-off “Bow Down.” DiGesu’s bass was often the steadiest instrument of the night, deep and powerful despite flights of fancy from his bandmates.
Despite the uproar of the full group, Winter’s power was always evident during the band’s 80-minute set. Imposingly tall and clad in a too-tight Massive Attack T-shirt, he tinkered with lyrics and inflection on older staples like “2122” and “Cowboy Nudes,” even paying tribute to Television’s recently departed Richard Lloyd in the former. Yet some of his more impressive vocal moments came on slower songs like “Half Real,” in which he toggled both his ramshackle baritone and surprisingly delicate falsetto. Winter’s vocal range practically lifted the Fillmore into orbit during the yearning final moments of the piece.
Despite touring the album for well over a year, with this East Coast jaunt cheekily titled the Getting Killed Again Tour, the members of Geese don’t seem to be growing tired of the material, still able to find nooks and crannies to explore and keep things fresh. The final song of the night, “Getting Killed” album opener “Trinidad,” is a fan-favorite experience of loud-quiet-loud, in which a breezy verse is interrupted the band roaring along to Winter yelling “There’s a bomb in my car!” A circle pit formed for the song, which was lengthened by the band’s bluesy interpretation, withholding energy from the crowd until they were about to burst.
Unsurprisingly, it made the release of the chorus that much more cathartic, a band at its peak flexing its power.
