Sunday night’s Goo Goo Dolls show at the 1-800-Ask-Gary Amphitheatre provided local folks with an evening of great music and fun, the band putting on a high-quality show despite the sparse turnout. I’m not sure if the economy or market oversaturation is to blame, but the excessive number of empty seats implied a box office bomb. Although not official, I did hear the number of tickets sold hovered around 3,000 at show time. In spite of the low attendance numbers, those who were there seemed seemed to fall into the loyal fan category and were fully committed to enjoying the show. For my part, I surprised my son for his 13th birthday, and he was thrilled. (Thanks for all your help, Chrissy!)
Taking the stage at 9:30 p.m., the Goo Goo Dolls seemed to be oblivious to the vacant seats and performed as though they were in front of 100,000 people. The energy and intensity gave off by lead singer Johnny Rzeznik and bassist/singer Robby Takec was infectious and fueled by a high-tech light and stage show. The band torn through a 90-minute set that included hits such as “Better Days,” “Stay With You” and “Know My Name,” as well as "Sweetest Lie," "Home" and "Now I Hear" from the band's forthcoming release, Something For The Rest Of Us, due out August 31. (Check out the complete setlist and photo gallery featuring my pics after the jump.)
