There are bands you see at smaller clubs that have been around for years, lots of talent, but never really catch fire. There are the older bands that used to play the big venues but are on the way down. Then there are bands you see with a huge stage presence and incredible talent that you know will be playing much larger venues the next time they come around. Geese are one of those bands. Barely out of high school, their musical aptitude is way beyond their years. That brilliance was on display Saturday night at the Turf Club in St. Paul.
Starting the night off were the New York trio Water From Your Eyes. Those who got to the Turf Club early were treated to set that was danceable and hypnotic. The three piece consisted of two guitars and one vocalist. Augmented with backing beats, the band had a bigger sound than just the three people on stage.
Opening up with “2122”, Geese showed boundless energy, exploding like a super nova on the Turf Club stage. Drummer Max Bassin is outrageously good, changing tempos on a dime. Cameron Winter dominated as a front man. His vocal range was on full display, and while performing “Low Era” stated with a falsetto and ended with a full on Lemmy like growl. Projected images washed over the members as they jammed, a nod to their latest release Projector. The band’s New York City DNA really comes across in their confidence and sound. Shades of Parquet Courts and Talking Heads could be heard throughout the set.
“Disco” seemed to jam on for 10 minutes. The song is a multi part epic, staring with harmonized guitars. The two guitarist, while standing on opposite sides of the stage, seem to act as a hive mind. The song then builds to a riff fueled frenzy, chaotic yet sophisticated , with band members leaving everything they brought on the stage. This certainly ain’t disco, but post punk at its finest.
Saturday night show was an epic set from a band on the rise. Years from now, when Geese come back to town playing the First Ave Mainroom or the Armory, there will be those in the crowd saying “Remember when Geese played the Turf Club?”
