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Agreed with Jarmo a few comments below - I love the dark jams, but this Rockdale has never done it for me. The Myst is great but I would take most of other Elite 8 jams over it too. Too bad the awesome Portland Wysteria is likely getting knocked out later today - Fiddler’s Madhuvan is gonna be hard to beat!
Hey now hey now don't dream it's over
Would I rather have a weird night with a close friend that I trust or an easy going blissfull night with a few friends and some strangers? Feels like the Rockdale or Wysteria conundrum....
I checked too late..... I don't own 30 (or any) Denny's franchises or Rockdale would've won.
Sorry, Neal. It's over.
These comments are great and it's what makes the bracket so fun.
Vickers coming to the dark (light actually) side seals the victory here. Yes YR calls the Myst the Portland Tea of 2024. And I'm totally fine with that. Except it's much better.
Nice to see at least one non 1 seed make it to final ,four... Except that Wys may be coming for Mad tomorrow....
This Myst is incredible. Uplifting, exuberant, beautiful improv. So tight and incredible that it seems effortless, but it's far from it. This is a song you can hear 100 times and it doesn't get old, always delights, and delivers pure joy. The ultimate musical experience. Goose at their absolute best.
Battle of the overrated jams. Neither crack my top 16.
Vickers, I like the use of the word joyous. The Cap Myst is joyous, but it’s not really a bliss. Not when you compare it to the Thompsons Point Wysteria Lane or the Raleigh Pancakes. It gets blissy at the end but most of it is an extended and excellent vibe jam playing around with variations on its theme. It’s also, as you said, great to relisten to.
Pre-voting Rockdale was my #2 overall, Myst my #5.
However Goose has already played 3 better dark, creative jams this year than the Rockdale (MKE Madh and EMG, GR Madh). Whereas I’m not sure they’ll ever play a jam as triumphantly joyous as the Cap Myst.
Westville Rockdale the most interesting (most important?) jam of 2024, but I’m giving my vote to the Myst since it’s the one I’ll come back to most
Looks like the most creative jam of the year is going down to a blissy Myst.
Neal's choice for JOTY loses. I will not lose sleep.
Cotter's JOTY loses. Better luck next year, kid.
Geez Cap Myst is really the most overhyped jam from 2024.
I read through all these comments and I’m so impressed with all the incredibly thoughtful, deep comments and analogies about Rockdale. Magic in the chaos, challenging but satiating, exploring and evolving…etc. But then I actually listen to it again. I want to like it. I really do!
We like what we like. Myst all the way for me.
I'm a blissy jam kinda guy. Myst all the way.
This Myst isn’t even the best jam played at the Cap. Not saying it isn’t good, it’s very good, but it’s very overhyped.
This Rockdale is a head-first, deep-dive into the weird and chaotic jamming we’ve only gotten to see a handful of times from Goose. Rockdale is the clear winner in this matchup.
I LOVE the 4/7 Drive. It's been my favorite JOTY since last April. I keep going back to it. This Myst may eclipse that. This song isn't my fave anyway, so I sometimes bypass it and I snoozed on this one. Had my Airpods in this morning relistening to these and I was absolutely blown away.
Let me start by saying yes, this Rockdale is not a groovy fun bliss jam so I understand that it’s hard to love for some fans but it is without a doubt some of, if not the best improv the band has ever done. This jam is an incredible deep dive into the weird. I like this Myst, but I actually liked Nashville Myst slightly better. This Cap Myst does the one note thing very well and it’s pure bliss but it just isn’t different and spooky and weird enough for me. Rockdale was revolutionary for the band, a sign of things to come. Rockdale gets my vote.
The concept that beauty can be found in chaos isn't new. Listen back to Mars The Bringer of War from Holst's Planets for a familiar classical example. It's not the "darkness", dissonance, or chromatic nature of this jam that showcases its brilliance, rather it's the magical improvisational moments when the band syncs up to create patterns within the chaos.
Wreckdale is the Negroni of jams. Bitter, challenging, and complex. Unpalatable to some, but satiating to others. I adore this jam and I hope they continue to find these spaces that flummox the listener and throw them off kilter while rewarding them with veritable magic tricks of improvisation. Truly excellent stuff.
I was at Westville. During the Rockdale II thought, "damn this is extremely out there." I'm pretty sure at one point I forgot they were playing Rockdale. Once it ended, I thought it was a very unique and interesting take. I didn't think it was amazing or anything really really good though. Even upon relisten (once the boards were out) I thought the same thing. After hearing it again in early July, I hadn't listened to it since the bracket was released.
II have now listened to it 10 times or so. Each time it has grown on me. Clearly their most unique jam of the year, but I have grown to absolutely love it. I'm voting for it, and at this point may vote for it against anything else.
Easy vote for me today. Eclipse magic ftw!
This is a really interesting matchup of two spectacular and wildly different jams that I had ranked almost dead even in the top 10 of my list. Unlike others, I don’t consider this Rockdale to be ‘risky’ in any real way nor do I think it’s technically more impressive to pull off, for improv musicians of their caliber, than the Myst. I think there is tremendous value in making serendipitous magic seem effortless and leaning into the joyous visceral experience of lifting an entire room. This is the space where this Myst shines. I think it’s the best bliss jam Goose has ever played, rivaled only by the Perry Echo. This serendipity that drives the collective live experience, one that can only be truly appreciated in the moment, is one of the biggest reasons I continue to love seeing improv-based shows. The Cap Myst captures this about as well as any Goose jam ever has for me.
But, and there’s always a but, the other reason I love to see live music is the thrill of the unexpected – the jaw dropping impact of something you didn’t see coming. Most of us expected a Rockdale, but no one at Westville that night in late June expected THIS Rockdale. Some love it, some hate it, but no one is indifferent. I mentioned above that I don’t find this jam ‘risky’ in any way; the band has established itself enough at this point and has a strong enough relationship with its fans to consider it risky in any real way. But it does represent a clear turning point for the band in pushing its boundaries and moving away from their comfort zone, a zone perhaps best exemplified by the Cap Myst. It’s a thrilling, angry, dissonant, weird and, at times, uncomfortable jam that somehow makes more sense as it goes and, perhaps against the odds (could have been abandoned or segued), finds its way back to the Rockdale structure in a mesmerizing way. I didn’t fully appreciate it that night, but the jam has gotten better with each listen throughout the year and continues to do so for me. On Bluesky a few months ago, I posted: “I like the industrial rock segment of the Westville Rockdale, but don’t LOVE it like a lot of others around here do. BUT, the way they connect and bridge the gap between this dissonant jam back into a very melodic song in Rockdale is brilliant, audacious and outrageous.” Well, now I love it. We evolve (or should).
I was in attendance for both of these jams and don’t want to vote against either. But I’m voting for Rockdale. As great as the Cap Myst is, it takes a while to find its magic while the Rockdale is brilliant and thrilling throughout and only works (if you think it does work) as a complete jam. You can’t drop any parts. The audacious and complete jam has my vote.
Still not giving up on liking this rockdale but forcing it seems weird
IMO neither of these are JOTY, but the Myst is a more enjoyable listen. I voted Myst.
Like I’ve said in every round this Rockdale has been up for a vote: if it were played at LITERALLY any other venue you folks wouldn’t give a single crap about it. Not one. Single. Crap. You only voted for it because you were at Westville!
Don't leave your coat at the hotel. It's a bit Myst(y) outside. Cap bias wins this one
My first comment this bracket is to echo my curmudgeon of a father 6R0M7, Wreckdale is a better jam. This isn't an attack on Myst, which I had at #7. Myst is unreal bliss heaven. But Wreckdale does things that a world-class band should, that's evolving and growing through unreal new approaches to jams. This doesn't mean a bad jam that's "new" would usurp a type 1.5 heater, but this Wreckdale isn't a testing platform, it's an announcement that the boys are taking new steps seriously and are doing an amazing job at it. We saw this evolution in MKE/GR.
My top 2 jams of the year. Love how different they are and how well they represent the breadth of what the boys can do now. Going with Myst by a hair. I said JOTY right after they played it and it is my most played Jam over the year by a mile. That being said, Wreckdale is glorious in its dissonance and darkness. Will be supporting it fully in next round if it edges out Myst.
’m voting Rockdale (which I had at #4) over Myst (which I had at #13). Repeating some of what I’ve said before about each:
MYST
There’s nothing at all wrong with this Myst!, and I'm NOT voting AGAINST it. It’s blissful, beautiful, and it soars. I’ve described it before as ice cream on a warm summer day or a golden retriever’s greeting when you’re in a bad mood—it’s a mood lifter. But it’s also, in that sense, one note. It does what it does exceptionally well, but in a way that feels sterile. You don’t win a James Beard Award for ice cream. You win it for crafting an unforgettable, rich, multi-course dining experience. Myst absolutely deserves to be in this tournament and in the Sweet 16 (and arguably the Elite Eight). I’ll revisit it periodically, and I’ll probably keep using it to introduce people to the band: “See? They do this bliss thing better than anyone else.” But today, we’re deciding whether it’s a top-4 jam. And for me, Myst isn’t that.
ROCKDALE
The more I listen to this Rockdale, the more I appreciate and enjoy it—and I’ve now reached the point where I strongly advocate for it. Is it really dissonant? I don’t think so. There’s a lot of music out there—jazz, EDM, Phish, and even more esoteric improvisational bands—that’s far more dissonant. Is it chaotic? A bit, yes. Especially by Goose standards. But it’s controlled chaos—never fully breaking or going off the rails. It’s like a thrilling roller coaster: intense, a little scary, pushing you out of your comfort zone, but never actually dangerous. And with each listen, I find the segments more connected, the transitions smoother. This is especially true when watching the video rather than just listening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZFNSBc-PxU&ab_channel=Goose
I also want to be fully transparent that I want the band to keep exploring and evolving. If every top-10 jam were blissy indie pop every year, what are we even doing? The risk-reward quotient on Rockdale is high, and I value that. This isn’t a rom-com under a cozy blanket by the fire. This is a soul-grabbing thriller, and I love it.
There are no losers in this one. But for me, Rockdale deserves the win.
Myst is my favorite thing they've played this year. My #1. I didn't rank Rockdale but it's OK if you like it. It's just not for me.
To me this isn't a close call but i'm guessing the polls may show otherwise. Different strokes for different folks.
As an aside: This matchup here is probably the strongest argument against a bracket i can think of. These two songs aren't even in the same genre of music in my opinion so how can you really compare them? This is like comparing steak to Doritos -- yes, they are both "food" but steak should be compared to other main courses, doritos to other snacks, it doesn't make sense to compare one vs. the other.
Like Andrew already said: I want my music to uplift me, to be beautiful, to sound amazing. Myst does that in spades. Amazing song and it gets my vote.
Rockdale by a mile, not even close.
Ok time to be super serious.
Wreckdale by a hair.
I did not come to this decision easily. Myst has been my favorite vibe jam all year long, but Wreckdale is just insane. Totally different jams and both are deserving. For lovers of a band finding a patient shredfest vote dale. If you yearn for a dance workout where the band rides a groove vote myst.
Love you all. Hope both jams have fun
This Rockdale is offensively bad.
Trying to be experimental is laudable but the product has to be palatable and this was the furthest thing from it.
The Myst on the other hand is a wild emotional joyride from the start, gripping and thrilling with a beautifully built peak that left the room cathartically satisfied.
EASY CHOICE
No wrong answer here it really comes down to what you prefer and I can see it both ways. I was at both of these and I always have felt there is a difference between what I prefer to experience live and what I like to listen to from home. The Rockdale is probably the more interesting jam to listen to from home. But when I'm at a show I want to be moved. I want to dance and vibe and celebrate the peak.
So for me... It's Myst. Also a joy to listen back to but may be my fav live jam I've seen from the band (including the two Philly JOTYs Tumble and Echo)
Give me this myst all day
These were both slightly over-seeded imo but alas seeded appropriately with Dale>Myst
I have Westdale as my #5 overall and Cap Myst as my #10
Voting chalk
This Rockdale starts off well then loses its way in a sea of noodles and Phish. Ugh. The Myst isn’t my JOTY but it certainly beats this Mockdale.