(2) Fish In The Sea - 06/27/2025 vs. (7) Tumble - 06/28/2025

Yeah, this Tumble might be my JOTY. Such an incredible groove, and are we even counting the insane 7+ minute reprise?!?
Something that struck me since my first show in 2022 is how, even when not soloing per se, as in the latter half of this jam, Rick is absolutely on freaking fire, supporting the groove in a subdued way but still ripping. The last 7 minutes or so is just so gd insane...there's a point at 17:50 (and a couple other places) where Rick's guitar sounds like it's going to explode..it's like he's on the edge of completely going off the rails in an explosion of feedback and effects but always manages to reign it in so it stays on the tracks. As a guitar player, I am in awe of his ability to live so close to that edge while rarely going over the cliff. So fucking cool.
Oh, and Trevor bass🤯

GOAT Fish. JOTY

Tumble all the way. Every time I relisten I'm transported back to MSG. I love the jam. FitS is meh in my very humble and minority opinion. I thought it was pretty fun in the moment, but it is not on my list of relistenable tracks for 2025.

Well said headypal - especially the part about going back to MSG Tumble more than this Fish. Same on this end.

Tumble is a freight train that stops for no one - I go back to it far more than this Fish In The Sea. Shit rules. Obviously the minority in this vote but y'all are ridiculous with the hate in these comments lol, I get different strokes for different folks, but you'd think Tumble was some average type one jam or something. It's really, really good. Even the first jam that comes immediately out of the song proper is sweet and different, we don't like Trevor led dance grooves anymore?!

But hey to each their own, some people don't dig the Boise Rosewood so I get it, I guess.

Fish in the Sea might be entire JOTY winner. Just a suspicion. O and I like it too.

But I vote Tumble. So driven. Hardcore. Picked Tumble ride or die!!!

Agreed with Cptn Incredible below - light one up for an incredible jam / moment at the iconic inaugural MSG show!

One of these is a rightful 2-seed

The other is the most well-executed Goontz jam of the year where Goose was learning how to Goontz

Not even particularly close but hell yeah, this Tumble was a fun one.

Bye Bye MSG Bias ranking!!

These two jams are miles apart from each other. The dark goontz Tumble was fun in the moment but it doesn’t come close to beating this FITS.

This matchup isn't worth the time I just spent writing these thirteen words

Edit: I actually like this Tumble, it was SUPER fun to hear live and agree that it's perhaps the best Goontz performance to date. I just think it's an extremely lopsided matchup

I don't want a single Goontz jam sniffing the elite 8.

Tumble is the winner here. Goontz haters will tell you it sucks. Idiots will tell you its msg bias. Truth is that it rocks

This is a rough one. The Tumble was a monster. Fish in the Sea is soooo good. The Alpharetta Fish in the Sea wasn’t too shabby either.

an unfinished goontz tumble has no business advancing here

The suggestion of a separate bracket for a different style of jam is insane. Let’s not make this more complicated for people than it already is.

FITS all the way here. One more time for the folks in the back: I'd love to see the Goontz jams in their own bracket next year, as they're hard to compare to the non-Goontz jams. They just scratch different itches and serve different purposes. When Goose starts playing a regular jam, the audience thinks, "Nice - let's see where this goes." When Goose starts playing Goontz, the audience thinks, "Nice - party time." Both styles are important, and it's hard to say that one is "better" than the other.

This FITS has a lot in common with the GR Drip in the other matchup today, making next round's matchup quite interesting. Both are three-segment jams where each segment is awesome and completely different than the others, and both have a final segment consisting of a beautiful, spacious, outro-exhale jam.

Finally, the second jam of this FITS reminds me of both the Red Rock EMG from '23 and the MKE EMG from this year. Sinister-yet-exciting. You love to see it.

This Tumble shouldn’t be penalized by reverse-compensation bias (RCB) just because it’s goontz and MSG. It absolutely rips and deserves your vote.

My favorite Fish moves on here; what a jam this was. I do respect the Tumble, re-listened on vynl today and it has character but a tough opponent in this pond

The Fish in the Sea from New Hampshire should move on here (🐐 🐠 🌊) , but this Tumble appears to be the “loose cannon” of the tournament… so who knows what to expect. Let me elaborate…

I like this Tumble a lot… and I am on board with the whole electronica thing. I disagree that it loses its “listenability” once you leave the venue, and I still enjoy all of the songs that got the "techno treatment" last year (Madison Creatures, Wilmington Empress, and Fiddler’s fast:slow… just to name a few) despite not being in attendance at any of those shows. Here’s what is so perplexing… the Goontz hasn’t fared well thus far. It’s been criticized as being “gimmicky” and “trendy”, and as the internet says… “it hasn’t aged well”. The Indy Tumble got smoked (35%), Wilmington Empress destroyed (24%), and Madison Creatures didn’t even make the cut… yet this MSG Tumble beats one of the best versions of Hot Tea they’ve ever played? Like the Waco Kid from Blazing Saddles waking up in the drunk tank and seeing Sheriff Bart for the first time… “we’re awake... but we’re very puzzled”.

It will be interesting to see how much that MSG attendance bias plays into this match-up between a mid-level Tumble from a great show versus this top-tier Fish in the Sea.

My 3rd Goose show was Gilford and it’s amazing on so many levels but this Fish stands out, and should be in the final 4 IMO. They had every reason to take it easy the night before MSG and they brought nothing but straight gasoline with this jam and this show.

For me this Tumble is the best that Goontz has to offer, but this Fish in the Sea is next level. Like, deserves a spot in the final four next level IMO. It comfortably moves on.

In the moment, that Goose Tumble was absolutely incredible. Was dancing my tail off on the MSG floor. But relistening it is not in the same jam tier as Fish. Will always have the memory Tumble but Gilford gets the vote. For record, was in attendance for both

FITS gets the vote here and it's not close. Hopefully the MSG bias doesn't win out here.

If we could include the reprise then this tumble gets the nod, but I don’t believe that’s the case. Goontz is fun but doesn’t hold up to this big fish

My #5 overall vs a jam that has no business being in the second round of this bracket

GR Hot Tea I wont forget that injustice that was served to you... both of these jams are meh

Sorry MSG Tumble, Gilfish comin for ya