In addition to their live shows and production always being on-point, the band’s merchandise has always stood out - fresh, exciting and stylistic, embracing a wide-variety of styles. Over the course of the seven years as a band, Goose has worked with a variety of artists, including the Levy Art Family, James Flames, Bolly’s Bodega, Danny Steinman and much more - generating more interest from print and pin collectors across the jam band scene, as the band continues to grow. 

Merchandise sales at shows (especially those with highly desirable, show-exclusive posters or pins) wouldn’t work nearly well without extraordinaires like our long-time ally and friend Naveed Quarterman, Merchandise Manager of Goose. Always greeting fans with a smile and treating everyone with exceptional service, Naveed has left a huge impression on many of us. As we wrap up this year, we wanted to speak with our friend about his experiences on Goose tour, and more.

Thanks for taking the time to speak with The el Goose Times, Naveed – This was your first full year of Goose tour, correct? Tell us about your experience and what working merchandise for Goose has been like, compared to other artists you’ve worked for. 

Happy to take the time!! Thank you so much for everything you do!! 

Believe it or not, Goose is the first and only real band I’ve worked merchandise for. My very first experience at a merch booth was on 11/02/19 in New Haven, CT while they were still opening for PPPP [ed: Pigeons Playing Ping Pong]. I got to volunteer again at the rescheduled Halloween shows 11/6-11/7/20, but didn’t actually start my official position until 5/3/21 in Fredrick MD. Being able to work for Goose has been rewarding beyond my wildest dreams! I love what I do and who I do it with.  Now that I am settling in more, I really feel like being a Merchandise Manager is where I belong in this industry, and that’s just a cool thing to realize in itself. Although Goose will always be my number one priority, I have had the opportunity to work with Primus and a handful of other artists since officially starting this position. It’s been a wild ride thus far and I look forward to seeing where this path continues to take me. 

Goose has grown exponentially over the past year and a half. What has that been like from your perspective? 

It really has been an amazing, but relatively short, journey for me in the grand scheme of this conglomerate. But I’ve learned so much in these past 7 months and I only hope to continue learning every show. I feel very lucky to have landed a seat at this specific table, with this incredible family. From my perspective, with growth I see more amazing humans joining this amazing community. None of this would be possible without the dedicated people that travel all around the country for this music and I try not to forget that.

What have been some of your favorite memories and experiences from this year with the band thus far? We loved how you were part of the ‘Get Involved Games’ at the Fred Festival (shout-out to Team Larry)! How has your relationship grown with the band and their management? 

So many amazing memories I’ll cherish for the rest of time! Fred was such an awesome weekend.. there was definitely something special in that VA air. Thinking through Summer Tour, N2 at The Caverns in TN was just a spectacular, wet and magical evening. Also midnight Putt Putt with the gang at the Silver Lake Drive (Post show in Perry NY) was just some good ole’ fashion fun. Fall Tour was just a southern whirlwind altogether! We really are one big family and it’s super special to be a part of this continuous journey of growth on all fronts.

Walk us through, leading up to each show, the process running the merchandise booth and what it’s like. It seems like it can get crazy hectic when the doors open, especially during show-exclusive poster drops, but you’ve handled it beautifully. Have processes evolved? Is the band themselves typically engaged with what’s going on?

(chuckles) Oh yes, a process indeed! There are a lot of moving parts to this beast, to say the least. I would need a whole other page to go through the entire process of setting up my booth!! But I hope to always make it seem smooth on the surface when the doors open to these venues, day of show. My goal is to always better the experience for each person that wants to take a tangible memory home from the show. Band Merchandise as a whole doesn’t need a lot of attention. But from what I’ve now observed, having someone completely dedicated to it yields better results for artists and guests across the board. Peter has his hands in the merchandise pot more than anyone else in the band, but at the end of the day, I am in place so the band doesn’t have to worry about anything merchandise related on tour - unless they choose to get involved. But for now…GOOSEMAS IS UPON US AND IT’S THE MOST HONKABLE TIME OF THE YEAR!! 

Well said, Naveed! Thank you again for your time, you’ve been a long-time ally and supporter of us and we sincerely appreciate it! Happy Holidays to you and your family!

Thank you so much for what you do. I love and appreciate everything about The el Goose Times and I am happy to support you and everyone in your stellar team. This community is truly so special and the work you all put in to propel it is not overlooked!