Brooklyn’s Geese have built their reputation on controlled chaos, but their new Tiny Desk Concert proves they’re just as powerful when the volume drops and the margins get tighter. The band’s recently released session is a quiet flex, one that reframes last year’s Getting Killed not as an indie-rock statement piece, but as a set of songs sturdy enough to survive being pulled apart in public.
Rather than reaching for the most explosive moments in their catalog like “Trinidad”, Geese dig into three of Getting Killed’s more restrained tracks: “Husbands,” “Cobra,” and “Half Real.” It’s a confident move. These versions don’t chase reinvention or jam-band sprawl; instead, they subtly rewire the arrangements, letting space, tension, and restraint do the heavy lifting. In an era where live performances often aim to replicate the record as closely as possible, Geese sound energized by the opposite instinct.
Frontman Cameron Winter remains the gravitational center. His voice moves easily between understatement and intensity, and his dry sense of humor cuts through the formality of the Tiny Desk setting. At one point, he jokes about the size of the invite-only crowd, lightly skewering the intimacy of the room without breaking the spell. It’s a reminder that Geese’s appeal has always been tied to personality as much as performance.
The timing of the session feels intentional. Following a breakout year that included critical acclaim for Getting Killed and a high-profile appearance on Saturday Night Live, the Tiny Desk set positions Geese as a band comfortable with attention, but uninterested in sanding down their edges to accommodate it.
