The enduring Buffalo rock band continued ‘a hell of a journey’ during its Acrisure Amphitheater debut in Grand Rapids on Tuesday. The Local Spins review and photo gallery.
‘A Lot of Memories’ in Michigan: Johnny Rzeznik and Goo Goo Dolls. (Photo/Eric Stoike)
SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTO GALLERY
Support our coverage of
West Michigan's music scene
Generations from now, the Goo Goo Dolls will finally enjoy the respect that is long overdue.
When people decades in the future hear the songs that made the group a radio staple during the 1990s and early 2000s, they’ll forget about the goofy name and the fact that the group started as a punk band or that they were the musical equivalent of the Buffalo Bills, the NFL team from their hometown that has come up short in four Super Bowls.
If the Goo Goo Dolls have played second fiddle to more esteemed contemporaries like Pearl Jam or the Foo Fighters, you could have fooled the full house at Acrisure Amphitheater on Tuesday night, a mostly middle-aged crowd that took great pleasure in singing along to the band’s rich catalog.
Led by their co-founding members – lead vocalist and guitarist John Rzeznik with bassist and vocalist Robby Takac – the Goo Goo Dolls played a 25-song, 105-minute set that proved they remain a categorically compelling act worthy of further critical consideration.
Once championed by legendary Grand Rapids radio personality Aris Hampers as one of the better bands of its era, the Goo Goo Dolls seemed genuinely pleased to be returning to the state for the umpteenth time in the band’s 40-year history.
“We’ve been coming here since we were kids,” Rzeznik said. “So much has changed, but coming through Michigan, we have a lot of memories here. We used to play at Saint Andrews all the time in Detroit. We even went to the Upper Peninsula once.”
For the most part, Rzeznik kept his onstage banter to a minimum. “I’m not here to give a TED Talk,” he explained before exclaiming, “Let’s roll!” while the band kept the dead space between songs to a minimum, even as Rzeznik was changing guitars almost every song.
In the Spotlight Again: Goo Goo Dolls (Photo/Eric Stoike)
The band balanced its ballads with solid rockers, alternating its best-known material with deeper cuts from its extensive catalog. Six songs were culled from its most popular album, “Dizzy Up the Girl,” including “Slide,” which elicited the first big cheer of the night.
At 60, Rzeznik is no longer the young rock star, but he still displays the enthusiasm of a man half his age. Running back and forth across the stage, he frequently changed places with Takac, who eventually took the vocal lead on two numbers, “Life’s a Message” and “Bringing on the Light.”
Supported by a strong cast of sidemen, Rzeznik is clearly the center of attention. Dressed in a T-shirt and tennis shoes, he came across as casual and friendly, casting aside the airs of an aging rock star for a pleasing personality figure who expressed his appreciation for his audience several times during the evening.
He teased the audience with his introduction for “I’m Still Here (Jim’s Theme),” a song he wrote for the 2002 Disney film, “Treasure Planet.” “A million years ago, I wrote this song for a movie,” he said, noting that the band had never played the song live until this tour.
“Black Balloon” brought out a bevy of black and white balloons, a sideshow feature that seemed to contradict the melancholic nature of the song that was inspired by a close friend’s struggle with heroin addiction.
“We might as well keep going with the tunes,” he said, barely catching a breather before launching into the next number, “Nothing Lasts Forever,” a poignant song culled from the band’s 2025 “Summer Anthem” release.
Of course, the biggest ovations of the night were saved for the band’s most recognizable tunes: “Name,” which Rzeznik described as “our first song on the radio;” “Broadway,” a melody that pays tribute to the working-class area where the Polish-American Rzeznik grew up; and set closer, “Iris,” the smash hit from the “City of Angels” soundtrack that has amassed 3.6 billion plays on Spotify to date.
“This has been a hell of a journey with you people,” Rzeznik told the crowd. “We’ve been so happy to be here with you.”
Tuesday’s show opened with Neon Trees, a modern pop-rock band from Provo, Utah, who delivered a professionally solid 1-hour set featuring 13 original songs and a rock version of The Human League’s “Don’t You Want Me.”
Frontman Tyler Glenn was both captivating and engaging, as were the other four members of the band, which first received national exposure by opening several dates for The Killers nearly two decades ago. Drummer Elaine Bradley (who also provided vocals) and bassist Branden Campbell were particularly noteworthy.
Two catchy numbers, “Animal” and the ubiquitous “Everybody Talks,” proved to be the biggest crowd-pleasers in Neon Trees’ set, which offered clear evidence that the band is fully capable of headlining its own tour in the future.
NEXT UP AT ACRISURE: Hank Williams Jr. performs a rescheduled show on Friday (Aug. 14). Details, tickets online here.
PHOTO GALLERY: Goo Goo Dolls, Neon Trees
Photos by Eric Stoike
