Those weren’t boos that you heard in Libbytown and along the Fore River on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. The concert series at Thompson’s Point returned for the 2024 season with a two-night stand by the Connecticut jam band Goose, and the crowd showed their appreciation by intoning the band’s name back to them after songs.

The rule of thumb with the band is that the more explosive the jam, the louder and longer the “Gooooooose” response from the crowd. There were some loud and long ones Tuesday night.

The band’s first set was light on those kinds of jams, with four songs clocking in at 8 minutes or less (practically Ramones-like brevity for Goose). Anchored by the crowd-favorite combination of “Jive II” and “Jive Lee,” the set showcased material from Vasudo and Great Blue, the side projects of co-bandleaders Rick Mitarotonda and Peter Anspach, and a soulful cover of Bon Iver’s “AUATC.” That song drew a line from Wisconsin indie-folkie Bon Iver to Goose’s cover of Bob Seger’s “Hollywood Nights” from the first evening and even their cover of Bruce Hornsby’s “The Way It Is” from their 2023 Thompson’s Point concert, drawing attention to the Heartland Rock influence on their sound.

In typical jam-band fashion, however, the second set is where the concert took flight. They began that frame with a glorious 24-minute “Wysteria Lane,” which offered a platform for two new elements of the Goose concert experience. Drummer Cotter Ellis, who replaced Ben Atkind behind the kit earlier this year, showed off his touch with rolling fills over the top of abstract guitar and keyboard washes. As it was also the first song after sunset, the band got to show off the full capabilities of its extravagant new lighting rig, which painted the venue in bright colors.

The Thompson’s Point venue, which opened to concerts in 2015, also boasted several upgrades. There are increased concessions areas, including a more permanent-looking Noble Barbecue booth. There are also more water-filling stations, improved bike parking and fresh landscaping around the shoreline. Their 2024 slate has a little of everything that appeals to New England concertgoers: crunchy indie-rock (Band of Horses, Flaming Lips), ’90s road warriors (Counting Crows, Primus), rising Gen-Z stars (Still Woozy, Goth Babe), returning favorites (Lake Street Dive, Guster), a dash of reggae (Iration & Pepper), and a lot more.

Of course, the live-music summer in Maine wouldn’t be complete without a heavy helping of jam bands to satiate the region’s sizable appetite for this music. The summer slate features an array of bands with such oddball, animal-based names as Trampled By Turtles, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, and Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, as well as not one but two excellent Grateful Dead tribute acts. Goose primed the pump of that side of the summer slate with a robust pair of shows that even, at times such as the back half of “Wysteria Lane,” felt like their own Dead tribute.

Goose also showed that you don’t have to be a tie-dyed in the wool jam fan to appreciate what those acts bring to a concert setting. If you didn’t care that Goose’s cover of Jim James’ “State of the Art (A.E.I.O.U.)” was their first performance of it since Oct. 8, 2022 – as some fans there likely did – then you could still enjoy the song’s vocal performance. Jam bands like Goose bring the bright lights, euphoric guitar tones and good vibes that put the cherry on top of a hot summer’s day. And there’s a lot more of those to come.

Robert Ker is a freelance writer in Portland. He can be reached at bobzker@gmail.com.

This story was updated at 11:57 a.m. June 28 to correct the dates of the concerts.

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