A Show Worth Honking About: Geese Let Loose at Thalia Hall

Flocks of fans migrated to Thalia Hall Oct. 15 to see indie-rock band Geese, who laid a golden egg of a performance.

The Brooklyn-based quartet has snowballed in popularity following their Sept. 26 release, “Getting Killed” — an art-rock album which quickly earned a devoted following.

Chicago was the site of the fourth and fifth stops in the Getting Killed Tour. The city embraced the band with open arms, selling out both nights.

Ahead of opener Racing Mount Pleasant, the venue buzzed with anticipation and lively conversation as German art-rock played over the speakers, and Geese fans sipped their drinks.

Racing Mount Pleasant commanded the stage, serenading the crowd with a set of energetic, melancholic love songs. The alternative indie band’s performance was full of vulnerable lyrics and intense, slow buildups that climaxed in chaotic, screaming crescendos. 

“Who’s excited for Geese?” frontman Sam DuBose asked at the end of their set, garnering an eruption of shouts and applause from the crowd. 

Thirty minutes later, Geese made their way from the greenroom and took the stage.

Frontman Cameron Winter — known for his deep, haunting voice and recent debut solo album, “Heavy Metal” —  immediately had the crowd at his fingertips.

“We love you,” one audience member exclaimed, breaking the momentary silence. “You guys fucking rock,” said another.

Winter was joined onstage by bandmates Emily Green on guitar, Dominic DiGesu on bass and Max Bassin on drums. Touring keyboardist Sam Revaz rounded out the lineup.

Geese opened their set with “Husbands,” an atmospheric, meditative track that layers sparse percussion, aching vocals and a jumble of metaphorical lyrics.

“There’s a horse on my back / Gives me all that I need / Will it wash your hair clean / When your husbands all die?” Winter sang.

The band then played “2122,” an eruption of Led Zeppelin-esque noise from their second studio album, “3D Country.” As soon as Winter belted the first word, the crowd went into an absolute frenzy. 

A large group of moshers formed in the center of the venue, slamming and pushing into each other throughout the set. Several fans were lifted and crowd-surfed toward the stage, adding to the night’s chaotic energy.

Following “2122,” Winter paused to catch his breath and address the crowd in his trademark slurred drawl.

“I rode the Red Line to get here tonight,” Winter said, then adding with a chuckle, “It sure beats that stinky Brown Line I’ve been hearing about.” 

Title track “Getting Killed” was third on the set list. The audience swayed and sang along to the sporadic rhythm and cathartic vocals, seemingly still recovering from the chaos of “2122.”

“I See Myself” made its tour debut, immediately appearing to enchant the audience. Percussionist Sam Revaz rocked a keytar to a roar of applause as fans echoed the refrain, chanting “I see myself in you / I see myself in you” with hands raised.

Another tumultuous wave of roaring, thrashing, and body-surfing washed over the theater as the funky bassline of “100 Horses” kicked in.

Energy stayed high as the band launched into “Gravity Blues,” a longing country-rock cocktail that climaxed as the crowd sang “You know I feel you, but I / Can’t feel your pain.”

Moshing reached a peak as “Mysterious Love” hit, with fans slamming, jumping and crowd-surfing in every direction. Utter chaos broke out as Winter screamed, jumping up and down with the crowd.

The band calmed the theater with another tour debut, “Space Race,” which was the only track from the band’s 2023 EP, “4D Country,” to appear on the setlist.

“Suicide me take my money / If you want me, you will find me,” Winter sang somberly.

The mellow vibes continued into “Au Pays du Cocaïne” (“In the Land of Cocaine”) — a melancholy, reflective ballad exploring the pain of abusive relationships.

“You can change / Baby, you can change and / Still choose me,” Winter sang.

“Taxes,” the first single released in the buildup to “Getting Killed,” was the penultimate track on the setlist, delivering intense emotional whiplash as its iconic drumline began. 

Intense moshing resumed as fans cried out the lyrics.

“If you want me to pay my taxes / You better come over here with a crucifix / You’re gonna have to nail me down,” Winter sang.

One thing separating Geese from other performers is Winter’s ability to improvise melodies live. The talent was on full display as he made his way to the piano and seemingly captivated the audience for all six minutes of “Long Island City Here I Come.”

At the end of the ballad, Winter made his way back to the microphone, said a quick thank you and walked off stage to a roar of applause.

“Ten more songs,” fans chanted, echoing through Thalia Hall for over three minutes until Geese finally emerged for their encore.

The final tune of the night was “Trinidad,” an unhinged song featuring vocals that move between murmurs and impassioned yelps. 

“There’s a bomb in my car,” Winter sang, as the crowd burst into mania.

Multiple people crowd surfed — supported by seas of flailing arms — toward the stage, and just before the second chorus, a giant, aggressive mosh pit opened in the center of the crowd.

As the last note rang out, Geese stood, drenched in sweat, with giant smiles on their faces. The band’s Chicago stop proved not just another night on tour, but a testament to their growing following and ability to make live performances an unforgettable experience.