From: Buffalo News
Monday April 26,1993
A review of the Goo Goo Dolls performance at the Connecticut Street Armory in
Buffalo, New York. Inside the cavernous Connecticut Street Armory Saturday night,
shortly after 10 o'clock, the bright lights suddenly dimmed and the sellout mob of 1300
Goo Goo Dolls fans stretched their necks toward a huge slide photo of the Goo's latest
CD, "Superstar Car Wash" on the wall behind the stage.
A recording of the 1976 Rose Royce hit, "Car Wash",
filled the room, and to
thunderous applause, on came Buffalo's favorite sons - lead guitarist Johnny, bass player
Robbie and drummer George Goo. For nearly two hours the events in the majestic
Armory resembled a very loud oversized basement party. But without the cranky
neighbors.
They opened with "Just the Way You Are", from their
last CD, "Hold Me Up".
The Goo Goo Dolls look just like thier music sounds: fun and energetic, cute but not
without integrity. Lead guitarist Johnny sported a blond surfer wedge haircut, complete
with tank top, shorts and bare feet. Bass player Robbie bobbed around the stage in
baggy shirt and rolled up jeans, also sans shoes, and they traded lead vocals between
them. Drummer George sat unassumingly behind his drum set and kept up the pace.
The puzzling activity of "moshing" (slam dancing), in
front of the stage was in full
swing, adding to the party atmosphere, and during the frenzied "Different Light"
the
bodies hurling into each other reached a fever pitch. From the balcony of the stately
Armory, the "mosh pit" looked like a finely choreographed mini-riot.
The Goo Goo Dolls' softer side appeared during Johnny's acoustic
solo of "James
Dean", from their "Jed" CD. Robby sheepishly introduced their current MTV
hit, "We
Are the Normal", saying the band was "embarrased" about the hoopla. Somehow
everything these guys do come out with sweet sincerity, with no phony affections of
impending stardom, or any hint of digging up their Western New York roots. They all
live in Buffalo still, and they say, have no plans to do otherwise.
The concertgoers were an eclectic bunch, from elementary-school
age to well
beyond thirtysomething. Flannel fashion - ripped, faded, dirty or faux "grunge"
-
apperaed to be the look of choice, with an occasional shaved head or nose ring turning
up in the crowd.
For those not receptive to the Goo Goo Dolls' original music,
their great cover
versions of Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear the Reaper", and the Plimsouls'
"Million Miles
Away" Saturday night could sway a swarmy big time starmaker into making the trio a
teenie bopper success, but lucky for Buffalonians, our Goo Goo Dolls seem to have far
too much integrity for that.
Robbie
Ann McPherson
Contributed by Joe Haniszewski
Concert Flyer