Indie rock up-and-comers Mt. Joy and Goose teamed up for a long-awaited concert at the Kohl Center Sept. 17, complete with a set from each band followed by a three song encore featuring both bands together.
In February, the two bands announced the concert, marking another step in the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s initiative to bring live music to their athletic venues.
Concerts help to generate revenue in an era where athletic departments prioritize revenue building in the onset of name, image and likeness contracts for collegiate athletes. Over the summer, UW successfully hosted Coldplay and Morgan Wallen at Camp Randall Stadium, bringing in thousands of fans.
Wednesday’s show at the Kohl Center was the first at the venue since February 2024. With Goose and Mt. Joy choosing to play together, it was an opportunity for the two bands to introduce each other to segments of their fan bases.
Goose, a Connecticut-based group, is a full-fledged jam-band, complete with a large following of jam and live music enthusiasts. Their successful summer tour was punctuated by headlining a sold-out Madison Square Garden on June 28, an epic coming-of-age moment for the band.
Mt. Joy, meanwhile, plays more traditional indie-rock. Formed in 2016 and based in Los Angeles, the five-piece’s signature sound is uplifting, pop-like songs rooted in folk and Americana. The band has been touring continuously since May.
When Goose’s set began at 7:30 p.m., the Kohl Center floor was about half way full with a distinct mixture of crunchy corporate adults and excited college students.
Goose opened with a winding 12-minute “Animal.” The first half of the song featured catchy vocal melodies sung by Rick Mitarotonda, before getting into a jam around the halfway mark. Behind a steady beat from drummer Cotter Ellis, Mitarotonda spent the next minutes darting back and forth between scales before coming back to the original melody.
Next came a rootsy, “Royal.” Keyboarder Peter Arspach held the fort down on piano, with bassist Trevor Weekz helping the band get into a groove halfway through the song with a choppy, funky baseline.
“Your Direction,” a drama-building song off Goose’s 2025 album Everything Must Go came next. Beginning with an emotional piano intro, the song flowed into a melody, before a transient keyboard and Mitarotando cruising solo closed it off.
Goose’s next song, “Arcadia,” may have been the highlight of the night. Over more than 14 minutes, the band finally unleashed a monster jam. The song started with groovy vocals before diving into a funk-filled jam that built its way up into a blistering Mitarotanda guitar climax. As strobelights intensely flashed, Mitarotonda was in full control not only over the song, but the entire arena.
Over the dizzying, yet electrifying 70-minute set, Goose had done their damage, captivating the crowd and offering a performance Mt. Joy would find hard to top.
After an intermission, Mt. Joy opened their set with “Pink Lady,” an energetic and fun song off their 2025 album “Hope We Have Fun.” With the Kohl Center now full, the difference between the two bands was noticeable from the get-go, which translated to the vibe of the crowd, as Mt. Joy’s accessible tunes allowed fans to sing along.
For their third song, Mt. Joy busted out the Wisconsin band Violent Femmes classic “Blister In the Sun,” further engaging the crowd. They then went into their first hit of the night by playing the modern croon, “Julia.”
Now fully entrenched into their set, Mt. Joy started digging deeper into their catalogue, and deeper into their live repertoire. Jackie Miclau experimented on the keys, while guitarist Sam Cooper whipped out a few prolonged solos. Cooper’s performance, while not bad, would have seemed much better on a night in which he wasn’t directly following up Mitarotonda. While Mitarotonda sent the audience into deep elevations, Cooper’s solos seemed punctual and ordinary in contrast.
In their sixth song, Mt. Joy ripped out another cover, this time transitioning into The Velvet Underground’s, “Oh! Sweet Nuthin” in the midst of “Ruins.”
Throughout the rest of the show, Mt. Joy continued to play indie-rock pop songs to an audience that full-heartedly enjoyed them. As Matt Quinn’s outstanding vocals stood out, songs like “Mt. Joy," "Lucy,” “Bathroom Light” and the anthemic closer “Silver Lining” furthered the band's theme of positivity.
Once Mt. Joy completed their set, Goose joined them on stage for a three-song encore, featuring Ween’s “Ocean Man,” Mt. Joy’s “Astrovan” and 4 Non Blondes’ “What’s Up.” With the combined nine musicians on stage, Quinn and Mitarotonda led the way, completing a unique night and sending the Madison crowd into the night with a happy ending.
