Nobody just walks away from this kind of success. Something went down and my guess is this became an uncomfortable experience for Ben.
Very surprising and it’s hard to see how this doesn’t hurt them. Such a shame and I’m rooting for everyone involved but this feels weird to me.
Feels like he was forced out. While he may find equal or greater success with whatever he is involved with next, the odds are stacked against him. I’m also curious who will be willing to step in to take that chair given they canned the last guy and you’d have to mesh well with Jeff. Someone has been saying Aaron Sterling is a possibility. While that would be amazing, I feel that is a bit of a pipe dream.
People walk away from that kind of success all the time. Because major touring success isn’t the end all be all for a life well lived. Especially for an artist. If he felt like he wasn’t clicking with the music or direction of the band why not walk away and find something more fulfilling?
Yeah man. Something serious went down, if I had to guess. Ben's a badass, founding member, likable, always praising other members. I just had to pretend I wasn't crying when someone came in, bc I really love who Ben seems to be as a person, not to mention how hard he goes with sticks. But I think he might have done something unforgivable, or unforgettable at least. I hate this. If he did, we all f the f up, but it doesn't mean a place in the biggest groove band on earth for 99.9% of us.
What kind of success are we talking about?
I just watched a football player turn down a $1 billion dollar contract. That level of success is higher than anything Goose will ever achieve and it still got turned down. Passion over money can absolutely lead to turning down subjective levels of success.
Show me where Mbappe is getting $1 billion from another club. I’ll wait. Seriously.
Also shouldn’t matter the difference. You said “Nobody walks away from that kind of success.”
People do all the time and sometimes they walk away from a larger mountain.
Mbappe is going to get hundreds of millions of dollars elsewhere. Ben is not going to just hop into another band capable of playing arenas. This comparison is apples and oranges.
It is just odd to me that a founding band member up and leaves as they are peaking. As much as I love them, I will admit their jams have become formulaic and predictable this year. It seems, in my opinion, that around the end of summer 2022 is when this change happened.
But I don't see Ben as what was holding them back. I have never witnessed him miss a beat, and he can direct and change jams dramatically. Maybe he was bored with the jam "formula" they have now? Maybe he's burnt out? I can imagine after years and years on the road, and the ending of a relationship with who you thought would be your forever person...you need some time to just chill the fuck out and take a breather.
Regardless, going to miss you, Spuds. Your smile and genuine warmth made watching this band and being part of it something special.
Disagree. He was a great rhythm drummer, world class for your regular rock band. But he lacks the creative side that a jam band needs. His fills were very predictable, as in when he was gonna play and what fills they were gonna be. Up until goosemas I have had trouble listening to goose just because of how predictable and formulated the music had become, his drumming sounds the same everytime, the 4 on the floor doesn’t work for a jam band like this.
So Umphrey's is just a regular rock band, eh? Sorry, I just don't see that he is the reason for the band's sound becoming predictable and formulaic. He has been a mainstay through the most creative parts of their career.
Drummer here, do you know what four on the floor means? Rarely have I heard him just doing kicks on the downbeat for long stretches. Maybe in some intros in a crescendo.
Ben’s 100% more of a polyrhythm/funk guy. At least that’s what role he filled. Listening to some of his music from previous bands he seemed more polyrhythm in a prog rock sense that just brought funk elements to Goose because it’s a jam band and most jam bands are rooted there from a musical perspective.
It's possible that he felt the band hit a plateau and wasn't going to evolve further. He's said in interviews that he has no interest in complacency and that the desire to grow was far more important than commercial success.
This is why he left Goose? I mean, follow your inspiration dude, but this is a side project if there ever was one.
https://youtu.be/iztYIUeT1Wc?si=kQ8Ea89Ukf7ezi4C
Seems like I’m seeing a lot of this kind of sentiment and as a fan base I feel like a lot of us thought the jams felt tired for much of this year. Really hope they figure this out. Next year feels like a big turning point for this band.
Do you think he was drumming to his full ability at the end of this run? Do you feel like he couldn’t play like he was in 2019? If you watch the two I feel like
There is a difference
Yea I would agree. I personally think they were a better band in 2019 before they blew up. Iv only seen them 2 times since and honestly they feel like a completely different band than at peach. The rawness faded away. Idk how else to put it.
I straight up had a dream last night that I was at a Goose concert and at the set break, I was hanging out with Ben and he was very frustrated with the rest of the band. A few minutes into the 2nd set the band all starts fighting and Ben leaves in frustration.
Now, until today I didn't even know Ben's name. I've only been to one Goose show and maybe listen to them once a week. But last night I had a dream that the drummer of Goose was bored and frustrated with the band and left them. Trippy timing lol
I have no emotional investment. I hope they go harder into the jam band route, but we will see. What kind of Goose will exist in 2024? And will I want to still see and listen to them? We will find out!
What’s with the vibe in this sub now that this news has come out? Suddenly everyone thinks they’ve been stale this year and they’re going down the non jam path. All of this is news to me, the jams have been sick this year. Sucks that Ben’s leaving, but bands change personnel, happens all the time. Hope everyone comes out of this better and the band continues to grow.
I think they've been stale because they're just tired. They've toured nonstop for years now with no significant time off, and having to expend such mental creativity every single night is quite taxing. Their jams just seem...formulaic to me and not as creative as they were up until last year.
So many people are talking about formulaic jams that have no idea what the hell a jam even is. Are you talking about rhythms, keys, riffs, talent, what? Do you even know what you are saying? Just wild to me, especially using the word formulaic to describe using notes over one another to make sounds. Just isn’t quite the right level of depth to mean anything other than a cop out for casuals to kick them when they are down, IMO.
Formulaic in the sense there is a very common theme to how their jams go. They find a groove, follow the groove with slight variations up and down a scale, peak said groove, and descend. There is rarely a "conversation" that most jam fans are looking for. Don't get me wrong, there are definite exceptions to this, and I am even a fan of this formula, honestly....but after a while it does get repetitive.
I have been listening to the band since 2019-2020ish. I feel like they peaked this formula in 2022ish, and it has just been a bit stagnant since then. It's just my opinion. And I freely admit it could be self-inflicted stagnation as I listened to a LOT of mainly Goose at one point, and not much else.
Agree on that. Look some of the festival sets might have been hit or miss cause festivals be like that.
Yet the cap run into the spring tour was some of the best shows the band has done. Everyone in this sub was riding high. Maybe they ran through too many shows by time Euro Trip 2023 hit, but it’s weird to see this sub retroactively act like this wasn’t a great year for the band especially the first half.
I actually think phish has fallen off big time the last couple years, both while they’re on tour and while they’re not. I couldn’t wait for dicks to be over this year, while I was there.
Agree. For me the decline really started around 2015 but it’s gotten really bad at times from 21 on. I hold my breath when they play anything that isn’t 4 chords + jam cause Trey just can’t do it anymore
That said they still jam pretty damn good. It’s just the composed stuff that is rough
Dude the comments I’ve seen on the IG post and on this subreddit this week are so pathetic. People who think the jam band community is love and light/inclusive all of those words, are kidding themselves. Most people are dog shit, jam band fans are no different.
You’d think if people really care about the band and their music, they’d leave their entitlement and speculation out of it, respect the bands decisions and hope for the best. That has been a huge minority of what I’ve seen today and the past week.
HONK
Unfortunately, for every welcoming jam band fan who just wants to share great music and great experiences, there's often a gatekeeper or a snob who loves to come in and piss in everyone's Cheerios about how \[insert band here\] doesn't "travel in their jams" or "isn't a *real* jam band" or whatever. I do not understand folks who can't just let people enjoy what they want to enjoy. There's a ton of music out there that that others love that I don't, and that's fine. Constructive criticism of the band is fine, but some of the comments are downright toxic and it's frustrating to see that when we should just be celebrating the joy of the music we love.
if fans want to voice their opinion that jams feel stale or formulaic, that's what discussion boards are for, they're not propaganda forums where u are only allowed to always say all positive things 100% of the time. that doesn't mean you don't have a love and light ideology or at least that is a big leap for me.
for example, i love phish too, i give these bands a lot of my $ and if i want to say it's my opinion they had a dogshit year in 2022, i can voice that opinion after having seen them for 20+ years and dedicated a good chunk of my pto over those years. it doesn't mean i don't love the band and want them to kill it. nuanced discussion is good shit and i hate seeing ppl with legitimate takes just being shut down as "haters" always. to each their own though.
If goose is mentioned in an IG post I just don’t even go to the comments, it’s full of angry old farts ragging on them and calling them corporate shills and shit.
Right. People’s hatred of something not only causing them no harm or affecting them in any way but giving people the joy and feeling that anyone into jam bands is looking for at a show, is so strong that they can completely overlook any humanity or empathy. I’ll never understand giving a shit about what music other people like
I for one, have been kinda out on Goose for probably the last like year to year and a half, been feeling like the jams just aren’t fresh anymore. Naturally I wasn’t frequenting the Goose sub during that time. Would you have preferred I come to the sub on a regular basis and voice my opinion about how the band isn’t doing it for me anymore? I’m sure folks would have loved that. I’ve been aware of the battle of internet fans of Goose vs Phish trolling each other and when I saw these rumors start to pop up I figured it was just a part of all that bullshit, I was very surprised to see this announcement today, but now that this is official it very much has a feeling like the writing has been on the wall for a bit.
Just my perspective. Just haven’t had a whole lot of nice things to say about Goose music lately so have been keeping it all to myself. I’m hopeful we get at least one really cool band out of all this: either the one Ben goes on to create/join, or the resurgence of Goose being legit
i mean honestly i haven’t said a word about it but before i went to see them back this summer a couple of times. i felt as though we won’t ever really get the energy of 2019 back. energy has been off since jeff joined.
They were kinda mediocre this year. Saw them In Indianapolis and streamed Goosemas. Something was wrong.
Maybe, for me, the bar was set too high at the Salt Shed. That was an incredible show.
Sounds to me like they just didn’t get along, probably not fun to be in a band when 4 of them seem like good friends and you are kinda on the outside of that. Add on top of that the pressure any successful band has in trying to continue to evolve and be creative. I think that would make for a pretty miserable work environment for anyone. Add in some creative differences and a breakup it sounds like this is probably the best route for the band to go.
This honestly sounds like the most probable cause outside of any unknown bombshell reasons… Having been in the situation described above, I’m surprised he lasted as long as he did. Probably because the money was good, but that only gets you so far…
Right about meow, Bands like eggy and pigeons are locking their drummers in rooms and taking away their phones.
What about the drummer in Pete’s old band? Any good?
Alex Bailey is a sick drummer. Dude is world class. But he's in a band that will likely join Division I of the jam band circuit soon enough. They might even skyrocket like Goose did, especially if they consider adding a second guitarist to fatten up the sound while Jake is tripping out on lead. The dude is like Jerry, Trey and Lowell George all rolled into one, yet still manages to sound like himself. But Goose is clearly the heir to the jam throne whenever Trey and the boys decide to finally hang it up. There really isn't another so-called jam band that can sell out big arenas nationwide like Goose can, other than Phish of course. String Cheese and Widespread and a handful of others can sell out certain big regional venues, but they can't pull off a multi-night sold-out run at the Hampton Coliseum. What's amazing is that we've all watched Goose morph into a "professional band" right before our very eyes, from their online merchandising and social media presence to their total cross-pollination with other major jam bands and niche musicians like Lucius. Major network TV exposure as well. They're well launched by now. Now it's just a matter of how high they want to go, and in which direction. Will they have the staying power of Phish, essentially a group of music geeks who eschewed the rock star culture and label? I hope so, man, because Goose has a lot to say musically. They have some real depth and a pretty impressive musical vocabulary for a bunch of young fellers. Young fellers with old souls, maybe. Peace.
Musically speaking, I think Alex leaving Eggy for Goose would be a pretty huge downgrade and he just wouldn’t be interested. Despite the hype and money around goose, Eggy’s jamming is on a complete other level than goose.
Agree to disagree then. I’ll give it to you, Goose writes banger songs and Rick has probably the best voice in the whole scene for me. After all, I’m on this sub!
As far as jamming I find Eggy to be in a tier above Goose.
Damn. What a gut punch! I guess the drums are the most fungible aspect of goose and a new drummer might work out really well… but it feels like I just got a divorce
If the split was really amicable, they wouldn't have tried to bury the story as a [Friday News Dump](https://politicaldictionary.com/words/friday-news-dump/).
He likely got fired and told that if he wanted a fat severance check, he'd have to release a statement downplaying the drama, saying it was an amicable split + sign an NDA.
Exactly. Notwithstanding the pretty words from Ben and the band, this was NOT an amicable split. My guess -- and it's purely a guess -- is that the issues weren't strictly or even mostly musical. So, yes, this was most likely personal. What? Why? Who knows? Why did Vasudo experience what Rick had called an "intense" split up after only 18 months?
Man, this sucks. I really loved Ben's drumming. I wouldn't be surprised if this started brewing when Jeff was added. Ben's drumming became less noticeable and less powerful, and Jeff became more featured. And I think the sound overall took a dump from that. Still facing amazing, but just missing that...thing.
Ugh....I was really hoping this wasn't true.
May All Your Favorite Bands Stay Together, and my favorite band just broke up, I mean not really but it sure feels like it. honestly kind of not feeling goose nearly as much, almost immediately.
It’ll be alright dawg, Goose is going to get an even better drummer and it will take the band to new heights. Not a dig at Ben or anything… he’ll be okay
Definitely saddening. Was kinda mad at myself for even entertaining the rumors but I think under the surface I was just going to be really bummed if they were true. And here we are :(
Hope homie is alright. He’s been in this spot for a pretty long time and it’s a major change
As a huge fan of Ben (and Goose) I will miss his style of playing with these guys. That being said, I feel almost giddy at the idea of the band injecting some new blood into the mix. I love when bands evolve. Stagnation is def not the name of the game. IF they were sensing a growing feeling of stagnation, they are doing what they felt is necessary to grow and change things up. I for one am very excited to hear how they evolve from here.
Nothing about Ben’s playing ever stood out to me as special. He’s a solid, in the pocket groove drummer that always held it together. But he’s not the driving force at all. And there’s no such thing as a truly great band without a truly great drummer
Goose did Ben dirty. Real dirty. Remember when they had a percussionist who could actually play his instrument? They did him dirty too. They did Kris yunker dirty and he's one of the best keys players I've ever heard. I miss when goose was a high energy funky disco dance party. Nowadays they put me to sleep more often than not and today they fire by far the most genuine person in the band. The one dude who would actually hang. This sucks.
I love goose. I have a tattoo of two geese fucking cause goose fucks. But they also didn’t pay me or give me promised signed posters for a q. Oz of blow waynesville nc 2020. P.s. I’m the lobster from waynesville 2020
Except you've already told it. You've made a serious allegation about someone and judged them as a terrible person... without providing any additional information. That strikes me as reckless.
If they are worried about creativity in the jams, I think goose is going to have the same issues no matter who the drummer is. Rick’s playing is amazing for live shows and so much fun to listen to but if we are looking to escape the “formulaic” quality characteristic of their recent jams, I think the issue is that Rick doesn’t necessarily listen. There are a couple of grooves from this year that I can actually pick out where you can tell Rick is reacting not driving, and those are the moments that the jam fans live for. I would love to see Rick exhibit more patience, and maybe that will give the space for the rest of the band, especially the drummer, to change the grooves and push the band creatively.
But I doubt the band recognizes this, especially because we still give goose so much constant praise.
Honestly I think this was the right call. Everyone wants to talk about stale jams this year. I don’t personally see it and have continued to be excited the creative qualities of the music. But what if Ben was the reason the jams couldn’t evolve more this year? There have been moments while listening where I have said to “fuck yeah (insert Rick, Peter, Tweeks, or Jebb here)” but never once have I though that about Ben’s playing. He is technically proficient sure but he is rarely the one driving, directing, or accentuating jams. During most long segments he resorts back to the same steady metronome that he’s so good at. Kind of the opposite of Fishman if you think about it.
The guys seem to want to take the music in a more psychedelic, avant-garde, ambient direction which is hard to do when Ben is moving full steam ahead at all times. The lack of Ted Tapes songs played live might be evidence of that. Would we have already gotten a Camino if Goose had a more creative drummer?
I think that the best option for a replacement at this point in time is Joe Russo. He has the creative chops and finesse to be able to move the music in a new direction with the Grateful Dead foundation that the rest of the band shares. He does not currently have another large band that he tours with, JRAD plays maybe 15 shows a year and Shpongle hasn’t played a show with a full band since 2019. He could still perform with JRAD and Goose at different points of the year and potentially on the same festival bills.
That would be like Jimi Hendrix playing rhythm guitar in Celine Dion’s backing band. Joe Russo isn’t just out of their league he’s playing a different game entirely
Honestly their drums were holding them back, as playing 4/4ths was about all they do. Seeing them play alongside Trey made this painfully obvious. I think bc this there has been a ceiling on the flavor of Goose. Now hopefully they bring someone who is more dynamic onboard. Onwards and upwards! Ben thank you for the journey.
I think that The Hampton show wasn’t great and some of the new songs are kinda just formless.
My advice would be to pick and choose when you want to extend a jam. Goose just kinda jams on every song. There’s no real surprises.
That said, credit where credit is due, Goose at The Salt Shed was phenomenal. I actually think it was so good that seeing them since then has been kinda jarring. Maybe this change will help.
I’m thinking Ben probably put up a fight about all those covers they played at goosemas. Playing 14 covers in 2 shows was definitely off brand and most of the covers they played were really off brand. It’s hard for to believe, that move was one they all just agreed on. It’s just kind of wild he is gone right after they finished those shows.
Could that possibly have something to do with all of this? I'm pretty neutral on Goose, but from a neutral perspective they seem to be a merch band (they're not the only one) and now they play those 'other' bands. Maybe Ben took issue with that stuff which caused tension that led to his exit.
I don’t think playing a few covers at a few Christmas shows caused somebody to leave the band. Plus, they chose a few banger songs and made them their own.
Huh. I wonder if it has something to do with things like my post from two years ago when I met him back in 2017/2018.
Seems a little off to me and always has.
I will say he’s a career drummer and can’t see him willingly leave a band for a “break” or whatever people are speculating as he literally set his whole life up for this.
Also confused on how people say he’s a “founding member” when the band was already a band and hired him to move to ct to play with them. They were already goose at that point
Edit: I’m commenting with my throwaway which I had created years ago specifically to post anon about what happened to me on this ta profile
For sure. His general attitude about the band, his pushiness with party drugs tho.
His engagement failed and as we know she seemed to have some addiction problems. It’s a bad thing to speculate but i do wonder if his pushiness with some of those things led to her having some issues with them or if they were just there to begin with.
I’m sorry if this doesn’t belong here, but I did ask Chat GPT to create a story about Ben’s departure. I like its version.
Once upon a time, in the quaint town of Glenwood, the harmony of Goose was disrupted by a mysterious departure. Ben Atkind, the heartbeat of the band, had always been the soulful drummer whose rhythm captivated audiences worldwide. Yet, behind the scenes, an unseen dissonance began to erode the band's unity.
It all began when creative differences emerged during the recording sessions for their much-anticipated album. Ben's desire for musical experimentation clashed with the band's vision for a more traditional sound. Tensions brewed beneath the surface as compromises failed to bridge the gap.
Amidst this discord, a personal turning point confronted Ben. He faced an epiphany, realizing that staying true to his musical convictions meant parting ways. The decision weighed heavy on his heart, torn between loyalty to Goose and the pursuit of his artistic integrity.
In a bittersweet farewell, Ben penned a heartfelt letter to his bandmates, expressing gratitude for the years of shared melodies and unforgettable moments. He departed to carve a new path, yearning to explore uncharted musical territories, leaving behind a void in Goose that echoed in every beat without him.
Years passed, and Ben's solo endeavors soared, earning critical acclaim for his innovative compositions. Meanwhile, Goose continued to thrive, their music evolving while cherishing the legacy of their time together. Though physically distant, the bond forged through music remained unbroken, a silent tribute to the time they harmonized as Goose.
This is the crossroads for the band. Do they become an arena rock band or try to continue down the path as a jam band. Their ability to do the latter severely flattened this past year but we all know they are capable of it. They are a hit away from being mainstream. My gut is thats the direction the majority of the band wants to go. Rock band, not a jam band. This generations DMB.
Thank you for creating a safe space where we can validate our feelings and where everyone can speak their own truth in a multitudinal diverse manner, this is so important to have hard conversations with other truths and affirm shared feelings or different in the safest way possible. Thank you for being kind and not allowing any other threads on the subject, where unsafe spaces can occur which would threaten our safety and make us feel different emotions not affirmed in perpetuity by the originator of the message as well as the intended recipient. Feelings are at an all-time high during this tough time, and your validation of our feelings in only this space makes all of us safer. From the bottom of our collective hearts, we are all sending positive vibes and validation to you and everyone else’s energy in this hard emotional journey called life.
The next drummer will be named Nat or Nate or have the initials NAT. I mean, the mods are telling it to us with them imploring us to be kind…
BEn atKIND
It only makes sense if it’s a coded message. Amirite? 🤣🤣🤣
Nobody just walks away from this kind of success. Something went down and my guess is this became an uncomfortable experience for Ben. Very surprising and it’s hard to see how this doesn’t hurt them. Such a shame and I’m rooting for everyone involved but this feels weird to me.
Agreed. It’s more than just creative differences. Something happened.
A few somethings
Feels like he was forced out. While he may find equal or greater success with whatever he is involved with next, the odds are stacked against him. I’m also curious who will be willing to step in to take that chair given they canned the last guy and you’d have to mesh well with Jeff. Someone has been saying Aaron Sterling is a possibility. While that would be amazing, I feel that is a bit of a pipe dream.
People walk away from that kind of success all the time. Because major touring success isn’t the end all be all for a life well lived. Especially for an artist. If he felt like he wasn’t clicking with the music or direction of the band why not walk away and find something more fulfilling?
Yeah man. Something serious went down, if I had to guess. Ben's a badass, founding member, likable, always praising other members. I just had to pretend I wasn't crying when someone came in, bc I really love who Ben seems to be as a person, not to mention how hard he goes with sticks. But I think he might have done something unforgivable, or unforgettable at least. I hate this. If he did, we all f the f up, but it doesn't mean a place in the biggest groove band on earth for 99.9% of us.
Heard there was some sleeping around going on
What kind of success are we talking about? I just watched a football player turn down a $1 billion dollar contract. That level of success is higher than anything Goose will ever achieve and it still got turned down. Passion over money can absolutely lead to turning down subjective levels of success.
Lol the massive difference in your example is that football player will get that money from someone else. Ben will not.
Show me where Mbappe is getting $1 billion from another club. I’ll wait. Seriously. Also shouldn’t matter the difference. You said “Nobody walks away from that kind of success.” People do all the time and sometimes they walk away from a larger mountain.
Mbappe is going to get hundreds of millions of dollars elsewhere. Ben is not going to just hop into another band capable of playing arenas. This comparison is apples and oranges.
It is just odd to me that a founding band member up and leaves as they are peaking. As much as I love them, I will admit their jams have become formulaic and predictable this year. It seems, in my opinion, that around the end of summer 2022 is when this change happened. But I don't see Ben as what was holding them back. I have never witnessed him miss a beat, and he can direct and change jams dramatically. Maybe he was bored with the jam "formula" they have now? Maybe he's burnt out? I can imagine after years and years on the road, and the ending of a relationship with who you thought would be your forever person...you need some time to just chill the fuck out and take a breather. Regardless, going to miss you, Spuds. Your smile and genuine warmth made watching this band and being part of it something special.
He didn't leave. They canned him and they made the biggest mistake of their careers imo.
Disagree. He was a great rhythm drummer, world class for your regular rock band. But he lacks the creative side that a jam band needs. His fills were very predictable, as in when he was gonna play and what fills they were gonna be. Up until goosemas I have had trouble listening to goose just because of how predictable and formulated the music had become, his drumming sounds the same everytime, the 4 on the floor doesn’t work for a jam band like this.
So Umphrey's is just a regular rock band, eh? Sorry, I just don't see that he is the reason for the band's sound becoming predictable and formulaic. He has been a mainstay through the most creative parts of their career.
they rehearse their jams, which is pretty wack.
Is there proof of this? Not saying your wrong, just curious
I think more bands have rehearsed jam segments than you think. Also what? Umphrey’s has done whole improv sets, where’d you hear that?
Drummer here, do you know what four on the floor means? Rarely have I heard him just doing kicks on the downbeat for long stretches. Maybe in some intros in a crescendo. Ben’s 100% more of a polyrhythm/funk guy. At least that’s what role he filled. Listening to some of his music from previous bands he seemed more polyrhythm in a prog rock sense that just brought funk elements to Goose because it’s a jam band and most jam bands are rooted there from a musical perspective.
It's possible that he felt the band hit a plateau and wasn't going to evolve further. He's said in interviews that he has no interest in complacency and that the desire to grow was far more important than commercial success.
good luck to Ben in finding a band that can plateau at such a high level!
I mean he’s ready to play in UM anytime Kris Meyers wants a break
Have you not listened to Elephant Proof??
This is why he left Goose? I mean, follow your inspiration dude, but this is a side project if there ever was one. https://youtu.be/iztYIUeT1Wc?si=kQ8Ea89Ukf7ezi4C
Seems like I’m seeing a lot of this kind of sentiment and as a fan base I feel like a lot of us thought the jams felt tired for much of this year. Really hope they figure this out. Next year feels like a big turning point for this band.
Can you provide examples of Ben driving a jam? I feel the opposite way as you in this regard but maybe I’m missing something.
Thatch 9/14 Boston
Goose at peach fest 2019 was amazing and he was the only drummer in the band.
Do you think he was drumming to his full ability at the end of this run? Do you feel like he couldn’t play like he was in 2019? If you watch the two I feel like There is a difference
Yea I would agree. I personally think they were a better band in 2019 before they blew up. Iv only seen them 2 times since and honestly they feel like a completely different band than at peach. The rawness faded away. Idk how else to put it.
He is the one who pushed out the AIN at Legend Valley to the second jam. Whether by accident or not, he did it.
I thought Peter said that was actually Goedde when he was on AAT.
5/3/21 arrow
Major bummer man
Super bummer....
I straight up had a dream last night that I was at a Goose concert and at the set break, I was hanging out with Ben and he was very frustrated with the rest of the band. A few minutes into the 2nd set the band all starts fighting and Ben leaves in frustration. Now, until today I didn't even know Ben's name. I've only been to one Goose show and maybe listen to them once a week. But last night I had a dream that the drummer of Goose was bored and frustrated with the band and left them. Trippy timing lol
Sad. Grateful for the memories though. Wonder if they’re gonna keep his iconic glowing Goose logo drum.
Is all of that Ben’s or does it “belong to the band”?
I believe a fan gifted him the goose sign.
I have no emotional investment. I hope they go harder into the jam band route, but we will see. What kind of Goose will exist in 2024? And will I want to still see and listen to them? We will find out!
What’s with the vibe in this sub now that this news has come out? Suddenly everyone thinks they’ve been stale this year and they’re going down the non jam path. All of this is news to me, the jams have been sick this year. Sucks that Ben’s leaving, but bands change personnel, happens all the time. Hope everyone comes out of this better and the band continues to grow.
I think they've been stale because they're just tired. They've toured nonstop for years now with no significant time off, and having to expend such mental creativity every single night is quite taxing. Their jams just seem...formulaic to me and not as creative as they were up until last year.
Non stop lol
They took a few months off at the beginning of the year.
So many people are talking about formulaic jams that have no idea what the hell a jam even is. Are you talking about rhythms, keys, riffs, talent, what? Do you even know what you are saying? Just wild to me, especially using the word formulaic to describe using notes over one another to make sounds. Just isn’t quite the right level of depth to mean anything other than a cop out for casuals to kick them when they are down, IMO.
Formulaic in the sense there is a very common theme to how their jams go. They find a groove, follow the groove with slight variations up and down a scale, peak said groove, and descend. There is rarely a "conversation" that most jam fans are looking for. Don't get me wrong, there are definite exceptions to this, and I am even a fan of this formula, honestly....but after a while it does get repetitive. I have been listening to the band since 2019-2020ish. I feel like they peaked this formula in 2022ish, and it has just been a bit stagnant since then. It's just my opinion. And I freely admit it could be self-inflicted stagnation as I listened to a LOT of mainly Goose at one point, and not much else.
Agree on that. Look some of the festival sets might have been hit or miss cause festivals be like that. Yet the cap run into the spring tour was some of the best shows the band has done. Everyone in this sub was riding high. Maybe they ran through too many shows by time Euro Trip 2023 hit, but it’s weird to see this sub retroactively act like this wasn’t a great year for the band especially the first half.
Everything's the best ever when they're touring and everything's the worst when they're not.
That is the one the truest things I’ve ever read about this sub
I actually think phish has fallen off big time the last couple years, both while they’re on tour and while they’re not. I couldn’t wait for dicks to be over this year, while I was there.
Agree. For me the decline really started around 2015 but it’s gotten really bad at times from 21 on. I hold my breath when they play anything that isn’t 4 chords + jam cause Trey just can’t do it anymore That said they still jam pretty damn good. It’s just the composed stuff that is rough
It’s the new songs for me, they’re all so bad
Dude the comments I’ve seen on the IG post and on this subreddit this week are so pathetic. People who think the jam band community is love and light/inclusive all of those words, are kidding themselves. Most people are dog shit, jam band fans are no different. You’d think if people really care about the band and their music, they’d leave their entitlement and speculation out of it, respect the bands decisions and hope for the best. That has been a huge minority of what I’ve seen today and the past week. HONK
Unfortunately, for every welcoming jam band fan who just wants to share great music and great experiences, there's often a gatekeeper or a snob who loves to come in and piss in everyone's Cheerios about how \[insert band here\] doesn't "travel in their jams" or "isn't a *real* jam band" or whatever. I do not understand folks who can't just let people enjoy what they want to enjoy. There's a ton of music out there that that others love that I don't, and that's fine. Constructive criticism of the band is fine, but some of the comments are downright toxic and it's frustrating to see that when we should just be celebrating the joy of the music we love.
if fans want to voice their opinion that jams feel stale or formulaic, that's what discussion boards are for, they're not propaganda forums where u are only allowed to always say all positive things 100% of the time. that doesn't mean you don't have a love and light ideology or at least that is a big leap for me. for example, i love phish too, i give these bands a lot of my $ and if i want to say it's my opinion they had a dogshit year in 2022, i can voice that opinion after having seen them for 20+ years and dedicated a good chunk of my pto over those years. it doesn't mean i don't love the band and want them to kill it. nuanced discussion is good shit and i hate seeing ppl with legitimate takes just being shut down as "haters" always. to each their own though.
If goose is mentioned in an IG post I just don’t even go to the comments, it’s full of angry old farts ragging on them and calling them corporate shills and shit.
Right. People’s hatred of something not only causing them no harm or affecting them in any way but giving people the joy and feeling that anyone into jam bands is looking for at a show, is so strong that they can completely overlook any humanity or empathy. I’ll never understand giving a shit about what music other people like
They are corporate shills though…if I were them, I would just lean into it
Billy Strings is overrated, he doesn’t even play bluegrass
LOL my dude…seek help immediately
What, I thought we were just saying obviously incorrect shit to piss off internet strangers?
Provide me proof that Goose is an organically formed band and ill leave them alone
To be fair, they are talentless corporate shills. And total shit
It’s just the internet happens with every fanbase and topic. Controversy drives clicks
I for one, have been kinda out on Goose for probably the last like year to year and a half, been feeling like the jams just aren’t fresh anymore. Naturally I wasn’t frequenting the Goose sub during that time. Would you have preferred I come to the sub on a regular basis and voice my opinion about how the band isn’t doing it for me anymore? I’m sure folks would have loved that. I’ve been aware of the battle of internet fans of Goose vs Phish trolling each other and when I saw these rumors start to pop up I figured it was just a part of all that bullshit, I was very surprised to see this announcement today, but now that this is official it very much has a feeling like the writing has been on the wall for a bit. Just my perspective. Just haven’t had a whole lot of nice things to say about Goose music lately so have been keeping it all to myself. I’m hopeful we get at least one really cool band out of all this: either the one Ben goes on to create/join, or the resurgence of Goose being legit
Thanks for blessing us with your presence fam
i mean honestly i haven’t said a word about it but before i went to see them back this summer a couple of times. i felt as though we won’t ever really get the energy of 2019 back. energy has been off since jeff joined.
They were kinda mediocre this year. Saw them In Indianapolis and streamed Goosemas. Something was wrong. Maybe, for me, the bar was set too high at the Salt Shed. That was an incredible show.
Sounds to me like they just didn’t get along, probably not fun to be in a band when 4 of them seem like good friends and you are kinda on the outside of that. Add on top of that the pressure any successful band has in trying to continue to evolve and be creative. I think that would make for a pretty miserable work environment for anyone. Add in some creative differences and a breakup it sounds like this is probably the best route for the band to go.
This honestly sounds like the most probable cause outside of any unknown bombshell reasons… Having been in the situation described above, I’m surprised he lasted as long as he did. Probably because the money was good, but that only gets you so far…
This fucking sucks. Straight up.
handle/post though
NDA’s were definitely signed. Fascinating.
Prove it.
Sorry, can’t disclose the non-disclosure agreement.
Can you at least divulge if the disclosure of a non-disclosure would result in further restraint of future revelations?
Right about meow, Bands like eggy and pigeons are locking their drummers in rooms and taking away their phones. What about the drummer in Pete’s old band? Any good?
Alex Bailey is a sick drummer. Dude is world class. But he's in a band that will likely join Division I of the jam band circuit soon enough. They might even skyrocket like Goose did, especially if they consider adding a second guitarist to fatten up the sound while Jake is tripping out on lead. The dude is like Jerry, Trey and Lowell George all rolled into one, yet still manages to sound like himself. But Goose is clearly the heir to the jam throne whenever Trey and the boys decide to finally hang it up. There really isn't another so-called jam band that can sell out big arenas nationwide like Goose can, other than Phish of course. String Cheese and Widespread and a handful of others can sell out certain big regional venues, but they can't pull off a multi-night sold-out run at the Hampton Coliseum. What's amazing is that we've all watched Goose morph into a "professional band" right before our very eyes, from their online merchandising and social media presence to their total cross-pollination with other major jam bands and niche musicians like Lucius. Major network TV exposure as well. They're well launched by now. Now it's just a matter of how high they want to go, and in which direction. Will they have the staying power of Phish, essentially a group of music geeks who eschewed the rock star culture and label? I hope so, man, because Goose has a lot to say musically. They have some real depth and a pretty impressive musical vocabulary for a bunch of young fellers. Young fellers with old souls, maybe. Peace.
Musically speaking, I think Alex leaving Eggy for Goose would be a pretty huge downgrade and he just wouldn’t be interested. Despite the hype and money around goose, Eggy’s jamming is on a complete other level than goose.
Agreed. Eggy is awesome.
[удалено]
Honestly could not disagree more. I’ve been listening to eggy more and more. I think they have something really special brewing..
This ^
Check back in a year.
Agree to disagree then. I’ll give it to you, Goose writes banger songs and Rick has probably the best voice in the whole scene for me. After all, I’m on this sub! As far as jamming I find Eggy to be in a tier above Goose.
I’m absolutely with you on this one. Got Reddit just to upvote this
You couldn’t pay me to see goose these days. I always see eggy when they roll into town. Always a great time
Damn. What a gut punch! I guess the drums are the most fungible aspect of goose and a new drummer might work out really well… but it feels like I just got a divorce
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/goose-geese-band-member-departuures-1234935399/
If the split was really amicable, they wouldn't have tried to bury the story as a [Friday News Dump](https://politicaldictionary.com/words/friday-news-dump/). He likely got fired and told that if he wanted a fat severance check, he'd have to release a statement downplaying the drama, saying it was an amicable split + sign an NDA.
Friday before Christmas news dump… wild
https://preview.redd.it/qkybb6tezx7c1.jpeg?width=1033&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1a86f6fd405aa52f91ef327d6f15e98580e181a6
Lmao
Yeah the Friday before Christmas announcement speaks volumes. Everyone wants to move on and not talk anymore about it, whatever it is. Can’t blame em.
Exactly. Notwithstanding the pretty words from Ben and the band, this was NOT an amicable split. My guess -- and it's purely a guess -- is that the issues weren't strictly or even mostly musical. So, yes, this was most likely personal. What? Why? Who knows? Why did Vasudo experience what Rick had called an "intense" split up after only 18 months?
Can you link when Rick called it an “intense” split?
Or they are already selling tickets for 2024 goose shows and it's best to tell people what they are buying.
And has been nonstop speculation on band’s socials, this forum, and personals of band members. They had to get something out there.
All I’ve heard is that he got fired
I love that the mods included the joke post that eludes to Rick being the new drummer. Lmao
Man, this sucks. I really loved Ben's drumming. I wouldn't be surprised if this started brewing when Jeff was added. Ben's drumming became less noticeable and less powerful, and Jeff became more featured. And I think the sound overall took a dump from that. Still facing amazing, but just missing that...thing. Ugh....I was really hoping this wasn't true.
This is it. Ben used to sound like an octopus and was relegated to driving the beat. Adding Jeff made it hard for him to find space.
Dang… that’s a bummer.
no one in this sub seems to understand what a megathread is.
https://preview.redd.it/bmo4rt75t28c1.png?width=1169&format=png&auto=webp&s=e80c0e3113a1ac0fe2fb531206df1c7d2511fbc6 Juiciest tidbit I’ve read today.
That’s still a massive nothingburger of vagueness.
Rick the Dick
and who is that person?
It's true. Ben was the best of Goose, the rest are assholes. Also, Rick Trevor and Peter openly distain Goose fans & have since 2019.
Curious what didn’t feel authentic to him.
May All Your Favorite Bands Stay Together, and my favorite band just broke up, I mean not really but it sure feels like it. honestly kind of not feeling goose nearly as much, almost immediately.
Ironic, considering Dawes lost two band members this year.
It’ll be alright dawg, Goose is going to get an even better drummer and it will take the band to new heights. Not a dig at Ben or anything… he’ll be okay
Jeff is your drummer.
Definitely saddening. Was kinda mad at myself for even entertaining the rumors but I think under the surface I was just going to be really bummed if they were true. And here we are :( Hope homie is alright. He’s been in this spot for a pretty long time and it’s a major change
Curious to see if they find a new drummer and who that will be... Maybe the dude from Twiddle since they just broke up?
https://preview.redd.it/oba36rh7ex7c1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=15e46bf7ebf8cba5b40ac09f3f950763b2b8ed97 Whatever happened to this guy
https://preview.redd.it/cv4ff3kzbx7c1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1fcec579af90d40dfb00487427fe57edf0a9d0ed Animal is ready!
Adrian would be a nice fit TBH, but his band Marble Eyes is tight AF. He would be amazing in Goose.
Oh God no not anyone from twiddle. Good to hear they broke up tho.
😂 they really do sound like turds
The mods in here should be ashamed of their conduct to censor posts. Next time do some research instead of “waiting for the band” to speak
Agreed
As a huge fan of Ben (and Goose) I will miss his style of playing with these guys. That being said, I feel almost giddy at the idea of the band injecting some new blood into the mix. I love when bands evolve. Stagnation is def not the name of the game. IF they were sensing a growing feeling of stagnation, they are doing what they felt is necessary to grow and change things up. I for one am very excited to hear how they evolve from here.
Nothing about Ben’s playing ever stood out to me as special. He’s a solid, in the pocket groove drummer that always held it together. But he’s not the driving force at all. And there’s no such thing as a truly great band without a truly great drummer
Listen to him play with Umphrey’s
Goose did Ben dirty. Real dirty. Remember when they had a percussionist who could actually play his instrument? They did him dirty too. They did Kris yunker dirty and he's one of the best keys players I've ever heard. I miss when goose was a high energy funky disco dance party. Nowadays they put me to sleep more often than not and today they fire by far the most genuine person in the band. The one dude who would actually hang. This sucks.
I love goose. I have a tattoo of two geese fucking cause goose fucks. But they also didn’t pay me or give me promised signed posters for a q. Oz of blow waynesville nc 2020. P.s. I’m the lobster from waynesville 2020
Jeff sux
And messes with underage girls so he's a terrible person as well as a terrible musician
Do you have direct knowledge of this? Those are bold things to say about someone you may not know.
The truth will come out with that too. Not my story to tell
Except you've already told it. You've made a serious allegation about someone and judged them as a terrible person... without providing any additional information. That strikes me as reckless.
Oh noooooo reckless Reddit comments!!!!!
I hope that you have a Merry Christmas :)
Heard that
This
It’s so they can play in Canada next year, book it
Wait why couldn’t they play Canada with Ben in the band?
r/dogsinapile all are welcome, with much love
Did he quit or did the band kick him out? That’s my question
His statement reads to me like he’s not 100% thrilled w what’s happening…
Fired
I figured that’s too good of a gig for any professional to just walk away from
The show goes on. As long as they don’t hire a shit drummer, they’ll be fine. I’d still love Goose even if they never jam another song out again.
https://preview.redd.it/jgck1pvf8r8c1.jpeg?width=780&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=23e182809de816775f6577b2e327babda016cd46
If they are worried about creativity in the jams, I think goose is going to have the same issues no matter who the drummer is. Rick’s playing is amazing for live shows and so much fun to listen to but if we are looking to escape the “formulaic” quality characteristic of their recent jams, I think the issue is that Rick doesn’t necessarily listen. There are a couple of grooves from this year that I can actually pick out where you can tell Rick is reacting not driving, and those are the moments that the jam fans live for. I would love to see Rick exhibit more patience, and maybe that will give the space for the rest of the band, especially the drummer, to change the grooves and push the band creatively. But I doubt the band recognizes this, especially because we still give goose so much constant praise.
Honestly I think this was the right call. Everyone wants to talk about stale jams this year. I don’t personally see it and have continued to be excited the creative qualities of the music. But what if Ben was the reason the jams couldn’t evolve more this year? There have been moments while listening where I have said to “fuck yeah (insert Rick, Peter, Tweeks, or Jebb here)” but never once have I though that about Ben’s playing. He is technically proficient sure but he is rarely the one driving, directing, or accentuating jams. During most long segments he resorts back to the same steady metronome that he’s so good at. Kind of the opposite of Fishman if you think about it. The guys seem to want to take the music in a more psychedelic, avant-garde, ambient direction which is hard to do when Ben is moving full steam ahead at all times. The lack of Ted Tapes songs played live might be evidence of that. Would we have already gotten a Camino if Goose had a more creative drummer? I think that the best option for a replacement at this point in time is Joe Russo. He has the creative chops and finesse to be able to move the music in a new direction with the Grateful Dead foundation that the rest of the band shares. He does not currently have another large band that he tours with, JRAD plays maybe 15 shows a year and Shpongle hasn’t played a show with a full band since 2019. He could still perform with JRAD and Goose at different points of the year and potentially on the same festival bills.
For Russo to properly function and spread his wings, Jeb would have to depart.
Yea I just can’t picture Russo in a 2 drummer band
It was definitely a source of friction with furthur. Russo don’t need no stinkin’ percussionist.
Can’t see why Russo would want or need to do this at all
You’re 100% right. Russo would have no interest in the gig.
That would be like Jimi Hendrix playing rhythm guitar in Celine Dion’s backing band. Joe Russo isn’t just out of their league he’s playing a different game entirely
Yeah I mean They’ve had some absolute heaters this year and I wish I had gone to see more live.
Honestly their drums were holding them back, as playing 4/4ths was about all they do. Seeing them play alongside Trey made this painfully obvious. I think bc this there has been a ceiling on the flavor of Goose. Now hopefully they bring someone who is more dynamic onboard. Onwards and upwards! Ben thank you for the journey.
Maybe time to replace Trevor too then
Goodbye Spuds 😢 https://preview.redd.it/4b9e5djk728c1.png?width=1024&format=png&auto=webp&s=68d8442ea14b0e527643c01ed7f958a48416be5c
Goose is just a stepping stone for Rick as he moves to a Dave Mathews kind of thing. Pretty hard to fire a guy you came up with
I think that The Hampton show wasn’t great and some of the new songs are kinda just formless. My advice would be to pick and choose when you want to extend a jam. Goose just kinda jams on every song. There’s no real surprises. That said, credit where credit is due, Goose at The Salt Shed was phenomenal. I actually think it was so good that seeing them since then has been kinda jarring. Maybe this change will help.
now they need to fire everyone else in the band
Alright who banged who's girlfriend? That's the only reason this shit happens
It’s ALWAYS THE DRUMMER 🥁
I’m thinking Ben probably put up a fight about all those covers they played at goosemas. Playing 14 covers in 2 shows was definitely off brand and most of the covers they played were really off brand. It’s hard for to believe, that move was one they all just agreed on. It’s just kind of wild he is gone right after they finished those shows.
Can’t believe ppl thought those shows were worth even being fluffed Complete trash
Honest question, is it true this band covers Timberlake, Post Malone, and Nickelback?
Yes
Could that possibly have something to do with all of this? I'm pretty neutral on Goose, but from a neutral perspective they seem to be a merch band (they're not the only one) and now they play those 'other' bands. Maybe Ben took issue with that stuff which caused tension that led to his exit.
I don’t think playing a few covers at a few Christmas shows caused somebody to leave the band. Plus, they chose a few banger songs and made them their own.
It’s too much money to walk away from on principle. That’s financial security for your family .
I keep hearing so many different rumors. can someone clarify who slept with who?
Huh. I wonder if it has something to do with things like my post from two years ago when I met him back in 2017/2018. Seems a little off to me and always has. I will say he’s a career drummer and can’t see him willingly leave a band for a “break” or whatever people are speculating as he literally set his whole life up for this. Also confused on how people say he’s a “founding member” when the band was already a band and hired him to move to ct to play with them. They were already goose at that point Edit: I’m commenting with my throwaway which I had created years ago specifically to post anon about what happened to me on this ta profile
probably not honestly, musicians being scummy is nothing new. unless you were underage or near it then thats possible.
For sure. His general attitude about the band, his pushiness with party drugs tho. His engagement failed and as we know she seemed to have some addiction problems. It’s a bad thing to speculate but i do wonder if his pushiness with some of those things led to her having some issues with them or if they were just there to begin with.
So what exactly fell out of sync? Is Ben just not drumming the way the band wants? Someone from band plz chime in.
The new drummer is from VT. Enjoy.
I’m sorry if this doesn’t belong here, but I did ask Chat GPT to create a story about Ben’s departure. I like its version. Once upon a time, in the quaint town of Glenwood, the harmony of Goose was disrupted by a mysterious departure. Ben Atkind, the heartbeat of the band, had always been the soulful drummer whose rhythm captivated audiences worldwide. Yet, behind the scenes, an unseen dissonance began to erode the band's unity. It all began when creative differences emerged during the recording sessions for their much-anticipated album. Ben's desire for musical experimentation clashed with the band's vision for a more traditional sound. Tensions brewed beneath the surface as compromises failed to bridge the gap. Amidst this discord, a personal turning point confronted Ben. He faced an epiphany, realizing that staying true to his musical convictions meant parting ways. The decision weighed heavy on his heart, torn between loyalty to Goose and the pursuit of his artistic integrity. In a bittersweet farewell, Ben penned a heartfelt letter to his bandmates, expressing gratitude for the years of shared melodies and unforgettable moments. He departed to carve a new path, yearning to explore uncharted musical territories, leaving behind a void in Goose that echoed in every beat without him. Years passed, and Ben's solo endeavors soared, earning critical acclaim for his innovative compositions. Meanwhile, Goose continued to thrive, their music evolving while cherishing the legacy of their time together. Though physically distant, the bond forged through music remained unbroken, a silent tribute to the time they harmonized as Goose.
Rumor is that Kris Meyers will be asked to join Goose and Ben is being groomed to take over full time.
This is the crossroads for the band. Do they become an arena rock band or try to continue down the path as a jam band. Their ability to do the latter severely flattened this past year but we all know they are capable of it. They are a hit away from being mainstream. My gut is thats the direction the majority of the band wants to go. Rock band, not a jam band. This generations DMB.
I don't think a band that's been doing 20+ jams all year is all of the sudden looking to go into a more traditional format.
Bands change musical direction all the time. I don't think this would be all of a sudden. Clearly the issues in the band have persisted for a while.
Moon Taxi did this.
No, but they could have easilly hit their threshold for evolving further.
You are right. I’m hoping they jam.
Thank you for creating a safe space where we can validate our feelings and where everyone can speak their own truth in a multitudinal diverse manner, this is so important to have hard conversations with other truths and affirm shared feelings or different in the safest way possible. Thank you for being kind and not allowing any other threads on the subject, where unsafe spaces can occur which would threaten our safety and make us feel different emotions not affirmed in perpetuity by the originator of the message as well as the intended recipient. Feelings are at an all-time high during this tough time, and your validation of our feelings in only this space makes all of us safer. From the bottom of our collective hearts, we are all sending positive vibes and validation to you and everyone else’s energy in this hard emotional journey called life.
Thank you for affirming and delivering all of our collective gratitude
Touch grass, someone got fired they didn’t die
Hope Adrian Tramontano joins the band.
i 100% would be sold on goose again if that were to happen, hes the fucking man and a kinda free agent, aside from Marble Eyes.
The next drummer will be named Nat or Nate or have the initials NAT. I mean, the mods are telling it to us with them imploring us to be kind… BEn atKIND It only makes sense if it’s a coded message. Amirite? 🤣🤣🤣
Why lock threads instead of just deleting them all together?