Who among us didn’t fall in love with”Name,” while awkwardly slow dancing at middle school sock hops, sail down the highway with “Broadway” blaring through the car speakers, or scream along in angsty agreement to the chorus of “Dizzy”? For so many twenty-somethings, The Goo Goo Dolls have been a musical staple—whether it’s their earlier punk-tinged rock, or delicate, sentitive ballads that do it for you, you’ll be hard-pressed to find fault with one of the most successful bands of the last two decades.
We’re thrilled to bring the band to town this Sunday, October 3 for their show at the Capitol Theater. We’re even more thrilled to be able to offer our faithful blog readers a chance to win tickets! Read on to find out how to enter.
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Sunday, October 3, 2010
GOO GOO DOLLS with special guests THE SPILL CANVAS
Capitol Theater – 7:30pm – $47.50 and $38.50 – all ages
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BIOGRAPHY:
Many people remember the 80′s as the decade when pop culture seemed to be ruled by Madonna’s latest fashion statement, Duran Duran’s early boy band appeal, and the apparently endless list of hair metal bands that, even at the time, seemed impossible to tell apart.
However, there was something else going on in the 80′s that was a quiet continuation of the alternative scene that broke in England in 1977 with the Sex Pistols and the Clash. There were plenty of kids who felt the same frustration and outright boredom that Johnny Rotten and Joe Strummer spoke about so well. America had it’s own underground scene going, most noticeably in Southern California and New York City. However, there were also bands in the rest of America that spoke even more effectively to kids trying to ignore what the mass of pop culture was throwing at them. Many of these bands, fueled on cheap beer and a general disdain for “The American Dream”, looked to Paul Westerberg and The Replacements for their inspiration.
The Goo Goo Dolls were such a band. Formed in 1986 in the crumbling rust belt city of Buffalo, New York, the band was probably started for no better reason than to kill time, make some music, and hopefully get a few free beers from the clubs where they were lucky enough to get a gig.
And then, as lead singer / guitarist John Rzeznik says, “Somewhere in there we sort of figured out how to write songs.” The band’s third album, Hold Me Up, released in 1990, showcased the sound of the band that would later be refined on their next two releases, Superstar Carwash and A Boy Named Goo. It was the latter of these two releases that landed the band their first hit song with “Name” in 1995. A Boy Named Goo went on to sell over two million copies, and the band toured extensively around the world to support their newfound success.
But it was in 1998 that the Goo Goo Dolls proved that they were not destined to be a “one hit wonder.” In that year Rzeznik penned “Iris,” which originally appeared on the City Of Angels soundtrack, and was also included on the band’s sixth album Dizzy Up The Girl. “Iris” spent almost a year on the Billboard charts, including a phenomenal 18 weeks at #1.
And that, as it turned out, was just the beginning. Dizzy Up The Girl also contained the hits “Slide”, “Black Balloon” and “Broadway,” all of which were top ten hits on the Billboard charts. The band spent the next two years touring relentlessly all around the world, building a loyal following that most bands can only dream of. It became clear that the Goo Goo Dolls were not going away anytime soon.
The band has continued to build momentum. 2002 saw the release of Gutterflower, which included such hits as “Here Is Gone” and “Sympathy.” In 2004 a live DVD was released featuring an incredible July 4th show performed in the band’s hometown. Let Love In was released in 2006, and featured “Better Days” and a chart-topping cover of Supertramp’s “Give A Little Bit.” And the whole time the band has been racking up an impressive list of achievements to say the least: 4 Grammy nominations, 13 consecutive top 10 multi-format hit songs, and over 10 million albums sold. Rzeznik has also been the recipient of the Hal David Starlight Songwriter Award.
2010 marks the 24th year since founding members John Rzeznik and Robby Takac first starting playing music together. Joined for the past 15 years by drummer Mike Malinin, the Goo Goo Dolls will be touring in support of their ninth studio album, Something For The Rest Of Us. Written and recorded over the past couple of years, the album delivers another dose of great Goo songs such as “Sweetest Lie,” “One Night”, and “Soldier.” With his songwriting, Rzeznik confronts some of the issues that have become part of many people’s everyday lives. “I wanted some of the material on this album to address the disillusionment of the difficult period we live in; I wanted to give a voice to the emotional uncertainty that accompanies hard times. So many people are struggling to keep it together through tough economic conditions and two wars that seem to have no end in sight. The ones who bear the brunt of these burdens are everyday people. That’s who I want to speak to.”
The recording of the album took place in various studios in Los Angeles as well as the band’s studio in Buffalo, and during the course of events the band worked with a wide range of engineers and producers including Tim Palmer, John Fields, and Butch Vig. The result showcases more of the well-crafted songs and timeless lyrics that have been such an integral part of the Goo Goo Dolls’ continuing success
Most bands that were around in 1986 have come and gone. A lot of trends came and went. But through it all the Goo Goo Dolls have been able to survive and stay relevant. They have grown beyond their influences, and have spent their lives creating and performing great songs. And at the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about — songs. So as the trends come and go, or when the world gets caught up in the latest celebrity gossip, there will always be people hungry for songs that speak to them. And those are the people the Goo Goo Dolls are talking to. The Rest of Us.
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WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS: In “Name” singer Johnny Rzenik sings “scars are souvenirs we never lose.” All of us have at least scar or two—do yours have a story? Tell us about it in the comments section below and you’ll be entered to win a tix to the show.
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Please have your responses in by Saturday, October 2 at 6:00pm. We will be choosing and notifying the winners at that time. Good luck everyone!
Filed under: Free Madison Concert Tickets & MP3 Downloads, Music Shows This Week in Madison, Pop, Rock Tagged: | capitol theater, Free Tickets, Goo Goo Dolls, The Spill Canvas, ticket contest, Ticket Giveaway, Win Tickets
i have emotional scars from when my dad died a week ago. its hard to get up in the morning knowing he isnt there anymore. life isnt the same when you lose a loved one. it certainly leaves a void that nothing else can fill. i loved my dad and thank him for raising me tha way he did. i can only hope to honor him by living a good life and doing good to others. he will never be forgotten. that is the wonderful thing about memories. that is something that nobody can take away from you. the goo goo dolls have been an inspiration to me and their music is very uplifting, and that certainly rings true even more so now in light of what has happened. life does go on, but it will never be the same again.
I used to think my life was covered with emotional scars—some deep and others barely skimming the surface. I wore them like honor badges—proof to the world that I was strong enough to endure ANYTHING that came my way: broken promises, shattered dreams, betrayal, and loss. I thought that if I took care of everyone else and became “the rock” it would help heal those scars more quickly. Instead, as life continued to move along, I found myself unable to go with the flow. In that dark period of stuckness music was my one true friend and I am convinced that John Rzeznik was one of my life coaches. The song “Let Love In” became a personal anthem. Once I learned to open my heart in spite of the pain, amazing things started to happen. Along the journey I met the incredible Martha Beck, who helped me see that those emotional scars/so-called honor badges were actually beauty marks—experiences that lead me to the real truth of my life. They didn’t happen to me but for me so that I could learn and grow and become a better version of myself. While I wish I wouldn’t have had to go through the muck, I can now look at it all through a different lens. For me, it all comes right back to the Goo Goo Dolls again, and their song, “Become.” Armed with a newfound sense of my truth, I’ve become a life coach so that I can pay it forward and help others shine the light on their lives.
Hold Me Up is one of my favorite albums of all time.
Even though I was deeply scarred when Johnny went for the glam Bon Jovi-esque hair (and make-up!) in the mid 90′s, I will still honorably defend the Goo Goo Dolls to all my too cool for school friends any day.
Our scars are our story. A scar has deeper meaning than just a slightly discolored section of skin. I have many scars, despite the fact that I am only eighteen years old. One of my lightest, yet most thought provoking scars is on my forehead. It brings up a story that has influenced my entire life. I was in a car accident. Although I was not the one to be hurt the most, my body still holds the evidence of the pain. In my forehead are small pieces of glass. To hear this, is shocking, and seeing it can be frightening. My story is not your conventional everyday story, yet I feel that it will have a happy ending. I do not let the past affect how I currently live my life. My scars give me a reminder, but I feel that what you make of this daily reminder is a reflection of the type of people we are. What you make of your past and learning to move on shows what type of person you are. Embracing our scars makes us beautiful, and I embrace mine. I am beautiful.
Thanks everyone! The tix went to Michael for this one. We’re sending you healing thoughts.