(2) Everything Must Go - 02/08/2025 vs. (1) All I Need - 06/29/2025

Finals matchup will be live at 12:05 ET, just in case anyone checks here and is concerned 😉

Spoiler alert Seekers, Burn The Witch was my #1. 😉

@teddeadjed - awesome stuff below, been looking for something like this on the covers! I don't have social media anymore, but after spending a ton of time on any goose covers I can get my hands on, I think the Burn The Witch cover by Radiohead at Goosemas this past December is the best cover I've ever heard by them (for any year) - sorry off topic here! Back on topic - EMG LFG and take this matchup!

The real JOTY is being exposed to more and more Goose and having an excuse to do so. I personally love scouring the no JOTY for you playlist and finding hidden gems I might've missed throughout the year. Shoutout Indy Pancakes!

Shameless plug time for the Goose Covered project kicking off soon - 2 more days to submit your personal covers ranking for 2025, check out my instagram for more details @teddeadjed

Thx to those of you who have already submitted one!

Regardless of how the last couple of votes shake out - man, am I grateful for this exercise for giving me an excuse to listen to these fantastic pieces of music a handful of times the past couple of weeks. Has greatly improved my workdays.

Coming down to the wire! Please everyone, no shenanigans, tomfoolery or other knave-like behavior

Many thanks to Neal, Ryan, Kev and Jive for putting in all of their time and effort and getting us through the depths of winter.

Spring tour is less than five weeks away

Some similarities between these jams in that they both followed a cover and were both the penultimate jam of each show’s respective set 1. And yes, massive shout out to Neal and the AAT crew. This was a ton of fun!

Maybe the real JOTY is how great Neal and the rest of the AAT have done setting up this website and the bracket system.

This is truth...

Neal
Maybe the real Jam of the Year is Isaac dominating the comment section along the way. 📈📈📈

96 minutes remain of voting, what could go wrong?

This AIN is my JOTY without a doubt. There is something about how it's not this complex beast of a jam but rather subtly shifts through a blissful space for 20 minutes transporting me to another world when I'm listening. There is no war in the world the band creates in this jam. A true force in bliss jamming from each band member, it is not simply a Rick led bliss jam the whole way through which really sets it apart for me.

This EMG is fantastic, as are most of the dark jammed out EMGs of recent memory back to 2023 with that Red Rocks behemoth. The jam is creative and unique and has a middle section that might be JOTY worthy on its own. However, when it comes down to the final four, personal preference plays a huge part for me and I am always coming back to the AIN while I rarely go back to listen to the dark brooding creativity of this EMG.

Maybe the real Jam of the Year is Isaac dominating the comment section along the way. 📈📈📈

Shenanigans report: None to speak of so far. Proud of everyone. ✌️🧡

AIN has had a respectable showing. I’m skeptical of the results after we get to the 400 vote mark though.

The sprinkler system is malfunctioning at the polling site so results are going to be delayed. A 99% AIN batch of votes from Reddit expected to arrive in a suitcase around 11:55AMEST. All normal per The Experts.

All I need mail in ballots arriving?

Trickery afoot

Both of these jams deserve to be in the final 4. Either one will be a worthy opponent to the MKE Madhuvan, but the more I listen to the AIN the more I love it. It's the most pure expression of the feeling of freedom that I've ever heard. Every time I listen to it, I feel like I'm on a summer road trip, windows open, breeze blowing, sun shining, and I got nothing ahead of me but time and my music. It perfectly captures that moment, sends me back there, and reminds me that those moments are brief, but they are glorious.

This AIN is meh. I was there and don’t even remember it. Each time I listen to it, it’s forgettable

EMG, on the other hand, is mastery

Just in case anyone cares...

After some considerable thought I have decided to vote for the winner of this match in the finals with considerably more certainly than I cast this vote today

That said, I am giving my penultimate vote to Westville AIN 🖖

Cannot believe AIN is falling short still...

Either of these will get crushed in the next round. Imho. AIN is slightly more interesting. Really disappointed with hoe the community voted. So many better jams could have been here

Attended the All I Need. It was patient, gorgeous, and has an amazing climax. However, this Everything Must Go is an all timer and should take home the top spot.

I’m not invested in either cuz all my best shit got voted out by these 2.

But if I had to vote between the 2. I’d say Everything Must Go. 😎. Edgier.

This All I Need is a peach, and I find beautiful little segments and wonderful little gems each time I listen to it.

That said, I'm happy that a number two seed... that was loved by so many... looks to be moving on. I'll be curious to see if it really does appear to have been "under-seeded" when it goes up against a very different animal for the crown.

I went EMG because it’s a much better jam in my opinion. This AIN is really good, but I think it’s overseeded and overhyped by a decent margin.

@Isaac
beautifully said. I felt every word I read, however I had to go with AIN still 😆. It’s just something I could listen to on repeat and still hit so deeply every time.

Great matchup here in the Final Four. EMG features buttery rich improv with a hypnotic and journeyed buildup. It features melodic and mesmerizing playing from everybody, while staying in a cold eloquent environment, a beautifully crafted “jam opera” throughout.

If everybody listened to this AIN, the world would be a better place. It radiates such a special warmth and kindness that hits you in all the right places. It’s so simple, yet so satisfying, you throw it on and let the band steer you through a joyous and grateful journey.

Both of these jams are the best at inflicting emotions, and are hard to compare due to the vastly different ways they make you feel. I ultimately end up leaning toward EMG due to its dynamic and more creative jamming. The beauty of JOTY is in these difficult matchups that make you listen intently and leave you with a deeper appreciation for the music.

2/13 emg >

EMG is kinda boring. I’ve listened to this thru multiple rounds and each time I get to the end of the song and I realized it had lost my attention and I can’t remember what was played.

I had the pleasure of being at both of these shows. As has been mentioned, the AIN was nice and fun. It was danceable and got a nice reaction, but nothing much out of the ordinary. The EMG on the other hand was a monster in real time (as was the MKE Mad). Whether or not it’s your favorite type of jam, it was memorable and certainly noteworthy in real time and upon relisten. By the way, standing with your arms crossed harshing the vibe of those around you is not really anything to be proud of. Let’s try to be a bit less grumpy folk(s). Easy vote for EMG here, but the finals (assuming EMG gets through) will not be so easy.

I don’t get the AIN hype - I was at the show and didn’t think twice about it - it was a slow burn that I enjoyed like everything else but never did I remotely think it was JOTY material.

The EMG is a force and is JOTY material. Seemed like they pulled the plug on it early as it could’ve still soared but dope af regardless

I’ve messed up my whole bracket. Ack. How did the other better Madhuvan already disappear?
This EMG is perfect. And if it wins I will not be sad
But I picked AIN because, to me, this jam becomes amazing because of something Trevor creates and I want to give him some love

Knowing the way the voters skew here it's the end of the road for AIN (my JOTY). Seems like the dark and dissonant jams always gets the most love.

The EMG is good but didn't have it anywhere near JOTY. Would have preferred AIN go down to that GR Madh which had a much more interesting jam (almost feels like King Gizzard's Hypertension).

I said it on Goosecord, but I feel like we will get a bunch more of these style jams in the EMG, but we might not get bliss as good as the AIN again.

AIN jam is one of those that just gives you goosebumps. Team emotional bliss >>>

AIN is my JOTY

7-9 min is one of the most beautiful passages they've ever played -> Magna Tweezer. Which is lilting and fun. Amazing playing from Rick into a slow build peak that doesn't overstay its welcome. It's not derivative of any other Goose jam. Just superficially similar to a phish jam from 11 years ago

It's too bad the final won't be competitive. EMG is the easiest vote ever. 65-35 final?

But this tournament has been awesome. amazing music. And I think a worthy victor will win JOTY

N.B. Vocal Goose haters are some of the most self-loathing pick me's on earth.

They're losers. We're winners. And we're undoubtedly way better at music than them. And life

Some even actually start following bands just to be "cool" even if they don't like the band. A bog of toxic group think where any deviation subjects you to potential pariah status.

tl;dr

GOOSE FANS are the BEST!!

Don't be too cliquey at shows and events. The best way to be inclusive and welcoming and to breed kindness is to talk to the person who is standing in the corner. same at shows. Introduce yourself to the people around you.

This EMG is such an immaculate conception, there will be truthers in the 2040s.

My appreciation after today's listen is Peter's entrance ~16:50. He starts with a simple offer, building in a familiar way from under the theme with a two-chord pick-up at first, then quickly expanding to three. So far, so good.

But then--but then!--instead of resolving into a repeating comp for Rick to jump back over, he leans in, first with a few simple variations before going into a thick, chord-y solo that would make Liberace blush. This--this--is 2025 Goose in its full promise as it would come to unfold over the year: the rise of Peter & Trevor as melodic forces who can now drive jams and dictate new directions. It doesn't last terribly long, just a few minutes, but it moves the plot forward into uncharted terrain. Rick then grabs this lovely, bold offering by the talons and takes into the sublime finish. Huzzuh!

This AIN jam is absolutely majestic too. Sounds distinctly more like an Indian River jam than AIN to my ears. Trevor’s newfound powers on full display in a sustained way. Both of these are wonderful examples of 2025 distilled, which is a nice outcome for the JOTY.

EMG is a great jam but stays mellow the whole time. The JOTY needs to have the highs of this AIN. Personally I think the community dropped the ball on the Masonic Dustin Hoffman but still going AIN here

Honestly prefer the Gilford Rockdale over this AIN in the category of MSG Weekend bliss jams. But I'm not a hater, I understand why people love it.

The EMG is on another level to me though. Echo everything Ghost said below.

This is the first year I’ve participated in this. So much great music, and these two are both worthy of moving on. My voting is based purely on the level of emotion the music made me feel. So it’s 100% subjective.

The MKE Madhuvan is the best in the bracket at the dissonant madness leading to all out rock out session. It makes me feel like I could punch through a brick wall. It was my #1 going in and got my vote yesterday.

This All I Need just brings me an immense amount of joy. It makes me feel like no matter how hard things get, everything is going to be okay because I have love in my life and that’s what matters. It’s one of my most listened to songs since I first heard it. Love the EMG but it just doesn’t invoke the same level of emotion.

So AIN gets my vote. But if EMG moves on it’s totally worthy.

The combination of pace and bliss means AIN wins for me. Even with EMG winning the “complexity” category, I’m a sucker for pace in a jam. Can’t go wrong either way here.

EMG by a comfortable margin. I do think this AIN is lovely, and I have nothing against Goose's soul-touching bliss jams (to use JVG's parlance). The middle portion of this jam in particular is so thoughtful and delicate. It's special. It's just that, when it comes to those bliss jams, 2025 wasn't as strong a year as 2024 (to me), and this AIN wasn't even the best bliss jam of 2025 (to me). For example, I personally had GR Half-Step ranked higher.

But this EMG is a masterpiece of improvisational rock. There is no other Goose jam like it. It's another jam where the best part might actually come in the middle: A gorgeous, mysterious, almost haunting sonic landscape that could soundtrack the opening credits of a Guillermo del Toro movie. And every time I listen to the last five minutes, the phrase that comes to mind is "death defying." As operatic of a finish as they've ever laid down.

If this EMG wins today, the final matchup against MKE Madhuvan will be a more-than-worthy title bout.

Whichever of these wins today should also win tomorrow

But I'm still deciding how to vote today

I love both of these jams so much for different reasons

One is as majestic of a fully formed jam as this band has ever played. It makes me feel the cosmos.

The other is a masterpiece in subtlety. It feels like getting a nice warm tingly brain stem massage

They make me feel very different things but they both make FEEL

Glad a ton of people find enjoyment/joy/etc. in this All I Need....with being said it is one of my favorite goose songs, and the first time I saw it played live, and even after many additional listens it misses the mark on my end just like it did in person. TheWhales hit the nail on the head in his comment below on the JOTY shirt.

Now flipping to the 2/8 EMG - I'm 50/50 between 2/8 or 2/13 being the better one, but now that the voting has left us with 2/8, it's no doubt one of the best holistic goose jams I've ever heard - the championship matchup is going to be great and I'm genuinely looking forward to see how the collective fanbase votes between the 2/8 EMG and 2/7 Madhuvan - both are worthy of it....and lastly, I see a lot of disappointment in 2/15 Madhuvan not being there instead of the 2/7 one.....the 2/15 one is unique/cool/etc., and the opening part of the jam is insanely good, but let's be real.....2/7 Madhuvan is a powerhouse and absolutely the right championship match representative of the 5 Madhuvans in the 2025 JOTY bracket.

I invite @mattformath to listen to the EMG with his arms uncrossed next time.

I like this Need too. Can't wait to listen with windows open in the summer. That kind of jam.

But the EMG is simply among the best things ever.

All I need is one of my favorite songs had to vote that way 💯

Wow the finals are looking like Milwaukee vs Milwaukee! We attended those shows and thought it was the best we had ever seen Goose - they just crushed.

One thing never talked about much around these first 8 shows of 2025 is that these were the first of the 4 piece Goose. Looking at the set lists you can see they were working through their core songs and figuring out the path forward
Seeing that 2 jams from these shows might meet is really not a surprise. I couch toured these and in the moment was awestruck at the passion being generated by the new band configuration. Cotter was free to just go!
Cheers to Goose

Literally had my arms crossed during this EMG I just dont understand what everyone is hearing. it failed to make my bracket and it fails here. AIN gets to a wonderful place that theyve been to before to much better end.

Real ball of confusion here

We’re getting an all-MKE finals, aren’t we? Who would’ve guessed the top two jams would come from the first two shows of the year? What are the odds of that?

These are both phenomenal jams. I get the love for both. I love both. Either of these is worthy of the championship, and/or JOTY. I think that the second half of EMG fizzles just a bit, whereas the All I Need is perfect. I'm voting All I Need but really is a coin flip.

Everyone has their own subjective opinions on this stuff, and while this AIN is top notch, for me personally I just can’t bring myself to vote for a bliss jam for joty as they’re a bit too simplistic and lacking in variety for me. This EMG on the other hand gives you a bit of everything and is a super worthy joty candidate.

I was there for the EMG and maybe you needed to be there to fully understand its greatness for the doubters. Hard to describe the energy and what everyone in the building knew just went down when the song was over. That said AIN still gets my vote here as it is simply a masterpiece.

I really like JVG's write-up below. It (with a dash of Canyon Dan) explains well why I've had EMG in the 1-slot for most of the year, why I voted for it today, and why I will (hopefully have a chance to) vote for it tomorrow.

This EMG is a deep exploration worthy of the JOTY finals. This AIN is great but pretty one dimensional, excellent bliss peak at the end but it’s time to send it home. EMG to the moon!!!

AIN truther here. If it has to go down I’d want it to be to this EMG which I think is the most unique and original jam they played last year.

I don’t want people to think I don’t like this AIN because that’s not true, I like it a lot. It’s an incredibly patient Bliss jam but I just don’t thinks it’s on the same level as this EMG and that’s ok.

Goose can do a Bliss jam in their sleep, they are so good at it and to be fair this AIN is a top notch bliss journey. In my personal ranking though I tend to rank these darker jams higher in part because I believe it’s not the bands comfort zone like a bliss jam is and it pushes them to be more creative from a jam perspective. It doesn’t always work but in some jams like this EMG it produces a spectacular dark tension release jam worthy of the JOTY.

A great matchup that really encapsulates the spirit of what the JOTY contest should be about. A jam that checks every box for what experimental and unique jam improv can be and does it flawlessly and thrillingly vs. a gorgeous jam that finds a beautiful space of magic and touches the soul on a visceral level. I can find better examples of what this AIN does so well, but I'm not sure I can find better examples for this EMG. So, for me, the AIN run ends here. I'm glad it got this far and I'm glad this community can surface so many different types of jams in a forum like this; a great testament the band's talent and ability to connect with people.

First comment so far on this bracket just to say I absolutely don't get the love for this EMG at all. Been listening obsessively to Goose since 2019, replayed the EMG specifically 5-6 times since this bracket started and to me it's still...just pretty good. I'm clearly just not hearing what so many other people hear, and I wish I could! On the other hand, when I heard this AIN from the couch on 6/29 I immediately wrote in my notes "I didn't sit down tonight thinking I was going to hear the best Goose jam of the year, but I just did."

Art is subjective, to each their own and all that, but personally it's been straight-up confusing to see this jam make it so far.

I’m convinced this AIN is basically a psy-op at this point. There’s no denying it is top flight goose and I’m a fan of the rendition, but I firmly believe it is over indexed solely because Rick wore the JOTY of the year shirt at this show.

Wake up folks - don’t fall victim to Rich’s psy-op any longer - the truth (EMG) is out there!

I must admit, the duality I have come across in this years JOTY has been staggering. The Madhuvan on 2/7 was a hell of a ride and was my friend's first show (it blew her god damn mind). And lets admit it, this All I Need is just on another level as well! However, this EMG means SO much more to me. That special night was my father's first Goose show. He was the man who has helped facilitate my music taste, from top to bottom, and has brought me to so many live shows that I'm eternally grateful for. Though he didn't jump on the jam-band train until 2017, it was enough time where I equally became enthralled in that world as I grew older from 13 years of age to 20. Thankfully Goose came along in our lives, and this soul-inspiring show on 2/8/25 was truly something else. This EMG embodies everything I could ever dream for in our first Goose show together. The lights, the music, the people, and all the emotions. It felt like we finally understood why we're here. That's a moment in life that I'll never forget. Ever.

Neal beat me to first comment, I must be slipping 😂 as much as I love AIN and think it should go down as one of their finest ever jams, EMG is my pick for JOTY out of the final four. 2025 the year of M̶a̶d̶h̶ Everything Must Go!

EMG is the JOTY of the year!