Dogs in a Pile Welcome Molly Tuttle on Grateful Dead Cover, Goose Bring Out Mikaela Davis on Last Day of Mountain Jam Festival
After commencing on Friday, June 20, the Mountain Jam Festival continued to turn out memorable sets of music from its elite lineup of talented musicians. Sunday, the final day of entertainment, got underway in the early afternoon with a frame of music performed by harpist Mikaela Davis, who would later turn up during Goose’s final festival set to sit in on “Rosewood Heart” and Radiohead’s “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi.” Before the aforementioned sit-in, collaboration was on the minds of Dogs in a Pile, who had their own guest positioned and ready to step out and assist on a beloved Grateful Dead cover during their set.
Dogs in a Pile, comprised of Jimmy Law, Jeremy Kaplan, Brian Murray, Joey Babick, and Sam Lucid, established the start of their frame on “Look Johnny II,” which converged into its predecessor, “Look Johnny.” The ensemble gave special attention to “116 Days,” a song that debuted during their New Year’s Eve concert in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., before entering the current calendar year and providing 17 live treatments to date.
Next, the band brought out Tuttle to dust off the Grateful Dead’s “New Speedway Boogie,” performed for the fourth time ever during Sunday’s concert, and for the first time since June 15, 2023, by this group. Tuttle’s Grateful Dead association extends back to her prior stage time with Bob Weir, during a Terrapin Family Band concert in 2022. During Sunday’s rendition, Tuttle and Law ripped on the iconic guitar lines, in a dance of acoustic and electric strums. As for lyrics, Tuttle took on the honor, co-opting the Hunter/Garcia composition, hours before the Dead’s lyricist’s June 23 birthday.
Following their sit-in, Dogs continued to draw on material from their independent repertoire, including “Nicolette,” “Chop Shop,” and “Trunk Rum.” Collaboration was king on Sunday, with Mikalea Davis joining Goose during their frame, appearing on Moon Cabin feature, “Rosewood Heart,” and remaining for the first “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi,” since Sept. 26, 2024, effectively ending a 58-show performance gap.
Sans guest, Goose sought an entry into set two via a pairing of “Hungersite” and sped up “Echo of a Rose,” merged with The National’s “Bloodbuzz Ohio.” They reverted back to “Echo of a Rose” without pause and ultimately found an exit after “The Empress of Organos.” For their final festival offering, Goose pulled out The Band’s “Don’t Do It,” with a classic plea: “Pleeeeease don’t do it, don’t you break my heart.”
After this weekend’s action, Goose will arrive in New York City tonight for an appearance at The Racket. Meanwhile, Dogs in a Pile will take some time off before their arrival on the West Coast in early July.
