NJ shows

[unsunken]

I'm going tomorrow! I wasn't originally going to go because they weren't headlining, but when I found out that Storm was on the new CD -- ee! I'm excited even though I have terrible seats.

[katelyn]

I'm going to Holmdel tomorrow and to Atlantic City next Fri. Tomorrow should be fun even though my seats aren't great but I'm really looking forward to next week when I can get closer to the stage. I'm so excited ;D

[unsunken]

If you're going tomorrow, are you planning to try and somehow get into NYC in time for the Harry Potter release party? I really want to go but I don't think it's logistically possible without a car, and even then it's probably a pretty tight schedule.

[katelyn]

unsunken said:

If you're going tomorrow, are you planning to try and somehow get into NYC in time for the Harry Potter release party? I really want to go but I don't think it's logistically possible without a car, and even then it's probably a pretty tight schedule.

I would LOVE to go, but I don't think it's going to be possible. Like you said, I think that you'd have to drive there, which I avoid at all costs when it comes to NYC. Plus I think the Borders is going to be packed so even if we get there in time to watch them we wouldn't really be able to see them anyway. I really tried to figure out a way to get there, my solution was to hop on the bus with the guys, hehe . So if I can somehow find my way onto the bus, then yes I will be going, if not then I'll get over it since I'm seeing them in a week anyway. I really wish they could have just done a release party in NJ and made this whole experience a lot easier for everyone.

[unsunken]

I know! I checked the train/bus schedules as soon as I found out and there's no way to get there via public transport without leaving before their set finishes. =(

[katelyn]

yeah i really was hoping that the train's timing would work out but the one train leaves too early and the next leaves too late maybe we'll be able to see the guys and at least say hi before they leave. i've never been to pnc bank before, do you have any idea where we could go to look for them after their set?

[unsunken]

Possibly but I doubt it. If they start at 7:45 and finish by 8:30 and it takes an hour to get into the city, they don't have too much time to spare. They might be able to do one in Atlantic City? Man, I've got a friend with a car who I might've been able to convince to drive into NYC cause she's a huge Harry Potter fan (y'know, she'd get dressed up and all) but she's working tonight.

[katelyn]

where are you guys sitting tonight? i'm in sec. 302, row N. i'm so excited!

[unsunken]

I'm in 302 or 303 J. I think it's 303, but if it's 302, maybe I'll see you! The whole assigned seats concept is new to me. I don't think I've ever been to a concert with seats/sections before.

[katelyn]

I have long curly brown hair and I'm wearing an orange top and jeans and my friend is wearing his brown who we are shirt (it has the album cover on the front and a list of tour dates on the back) so if you see us come over and say hi!

[katelyn]

I thought they sounded great last night. I wrote down the setlist for anyone who's interested:
Spin
HBAM
Whatever it Takes
Who We Are
Storm
The Joke
You and Me
First Time
Broken

I especially liked how they went right into HBAM from Spin, I had never heard them do that before. I don't know if that was new for the show or if they've done that at other shows and I just didn't hear about it but I thought it sounded really awesome. They did the new ending on Storm again (the Broken-ish one). I thought it sounded great, but then again I tend to be a bit biased when Jason is moaning into the mic .

We tried to hunt them down after their set and didn't see them. I didn't think they'd stick around too long cause they had to get to NYC for the Harry Potter release but it was worth a shot. We ended up talking with some guy that was with the Goo Goo Dolls. He was really nice and told us that he could see their bus pulling out as we were talking. So we went back and watched the GGD, who sounded awesome, much better than the last show I was at (even though Johnny stopped in the middle of Acoustic #3 because forgot the words, lol, he never recovered he just kind of ended the song there, oh well). I haven't really looked at any of my pictures yet but I doubt any of them are very good. We had a lot of fun though and I'm super excited for the show next week!!! ;D

[Yuliya]

Thanks for the review! Darn, I wish I could have been there

[Minka]

I love Acoustic #3 ;D

Thanks for the lil review and they did the HBMA/Spin on other shows, it was mentioned in one or two of the reviews

[RunningAway]

thanks for the review. glad you guys had fun.

[savemeimdtba]

Here's a review of the show with a backhanded compliment to our guys:

When the Goo Goo Dolls started making records in the late 1980s, they were a loud power-pop band with a punky edge. Then in the mid-'90s, they hit on a new concept -- sensitive ballads oriented around acoustic rather than electric guitars -- and the result was blockbuster success.

Judging by some comments frontman Johnny Rzeznik made from the Jones Beach stage during its Saturday night concert, the group still feels uncomfortable about that turn of events.

Before launching into "Name," the 1995 single that was both the Goo Goos' first exploration of their lighter side and their first megahit, Rzeznik said, "This next song opened a lot of doors for us. It closed a few others behind us too, but hey, what can you do?"

More than a decade has passed since this crucial juncture in the band's history, so you'd think Rzeznik and his mates would have gotten less touchy about it over time. Not a chance. Clearly even at this late date, they need to keep proving to their critics and old fans -- and maybe to themselves, too -- that no, they didn't actually get soft and sell out.

And so they played one long puzzling non sequitur of a show, veering between faithful renditions of the hit singles everyone came to hear and frantic attempts to rock hard. Several of the latter were helmed by bassist Robby Takac, the Hyde to Rzeznik's Jekyll.

Rzeznik is ruggedly handsome, while Takac is so unkempt you could easily mistake him for a homeless man. Rzeznik's voice is smooth and powerful, while Takac's is pinched and unpleasant. And where Rzeznik works the crowd with an easy flair, Takac puts out so much excess energy that it's comical, almost a parody of a rock musician.

Going from the Rzeznik ballad "Become" to the Takac rocker "Tucked Away" was a strangely schizophrenic experience, like putting Bryan Adams on the same stage with Kiss.

Toward the end of the night, the Goo Goos finally got into a consistent groove with songs such as "Let Love In," "Acoustic #3," "Broadway" and their biggest hit, 1998's "Iris." Perhaps not coincidentally, Rzeznik took the lead on every one.

But the show's most lasting impressions weren't especially positive. The Goo Goo Dolls, it seems, are suffering from a lack of solidarity, and they're doing what they think they should be doing instead of focusing on what they actually might want to do.

The Goo Goos' opening act, Lifehouse, doesn't have any such problems. Leader Jason Wade's compositions may not be the most original or exciting songs around, but he and his band are completely committed to them, and it shows. Their 2000 breakout single "Hanging by a Moment," still is their finest work, but the rest were played with just as much fire, making for a surprisingly enjoyable performance.

Colbie Caillat started the evening with a brief set of Sade-via-Savage-Garden soft rock, showing some promise but not much star quality.

GOO GOO DOLLS. Twenty years after their first album, Johnny Rzeznik and company continue to struggle with an acute identity crisis. Seen Saturday at the Nikon at Jones Beach Theater.

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