“I didn’t think I’d ever get to see them in a place this small,” said one Goose fan, standing in the 90-degree heat in a line that stretched down Walnut Street outside World Cafe Live. The nationally regarded jam band was this week’s Free At Noon guest, drawing one of the largest and most excited audiences we’ve ever squeezed into the Music Hall.

The four-piece played almost the full noon hour, debuting a song from Chain Yer Dragon, the album they released on August 15. Other highlights included a cover of Prince’s “I Would Die 4 U” in their fun-loving, hypnotic style, as well as crowd favorites “Your Direction” and “Give It Time” from Everything Must Go, released earlier this year. In true jam band fashion, the four members traded solos, with frontman Rick Mitarotonda taking the songs on a journey through his guitar.

Their devoted turnout today was no surprise. Back in June, Goose headlined a sold-out Madison Square Garden. One Free At Noon guest suggested the band’s rise reflects how they’ve connected with a younger generation of listeners. “I think it’s not too common for people their age to get into that kind of scene,” they said. All four members are millennials in their thirties, carrying the jam band tradition forward.

The full audio from this show is now available to purchase on Goose’s Bandcamp page, with proceeds going to WXPN and World Cafe to support public media. The band will continue the benefit sale through the end of the calendar year. Looking for the opportunity to see the jam band live? Goose will return to Philadelphia on October 4 for a show at The Mann Center. Tickets are available through XPN’s Concert Calendar.

Neal Francis: “Can’t Stop the Rain” (Free At Noon Concert)