GOO GOO DOLLS
The Metro/Chicago, IL
July 12, 2003



Text & All Photos by Dan Locke/Midwest BEAT



    I remember living in Buffalo, NY, back in the 1980s and being friends of Robby Takac the bass player of The Goo Goo Dolls (GGD).  We both were in the same classes together; playing Quarters (a drinking game) and talking about the
state of music.


    In the years that followed, we would talk about how the band was doing and how the bands' tour was going.  But that was back in the '80s. I moved from Buffalo and lost track of Rob, until last year we ran into each other during a CD signing at Virgin Mega Store in Chicago. And the funny thing was he still remembers playing those games of Quarters.  As I walked up to the signing desk, he yelled out ––  "Hey Dan".


    And he hasn't chance after all these years. He still enjoys playing music and he has fun during it.
 

    The GGD played two consecutive nights in Chicago in mid-July.  The first night they opened up for Bon Jovi at the Tweeter Center. The next day they did what they did best –– tear down the house in a small club for their true fans.   The scene of this second show was Chicago's famous  Metro, hands down one of the world greatest rock clubs.  The tickets for the show were only $15.00 a ticket. And needless to say, it was a sold out show.


    The crowd started to line up for the show at 4:30 although the band was not scheduled to perform until 8:30 p.m. It was a general admission show and everyone it seemed wanted the best spot in the house.


    The band opened up the show with "Naked" followed by "Longway" and then "Slide."  During the latter, you could almost hear the crowd sing louder then John.  After they finished the song Johnny thanked the crowd for staying loyal
to the band since 1995 (the last time they played the Metro) and they also "welcomed to the family" their new fans.


    The band members really worked the crowd, as they ran back and fore during throughout the night.  They went from one side of the stage to the other several times during the set, so that all the fans could see all the guys clearly
and up close. 


    As they neared the close of their set it came time to play "Name." Johnny opened up with the statement about how he really doesn't know how to play guitar all that well and how after the song became a hit single, all these guitar players would come up to him to talk about how great the song was.


    The Dolls finished the night with a great rave up rendition of Tom Petty's "American Girl,"  the same song that Sheryl Crow has been using as her encore on her most recent tour.

    It is not hard to see that the guys in the Goo Goo Dolls truly have fun playing in a band and having their fans to enjoy the show as much as they do.
   
    And yes... Rob did see me during the show and said "Hi!"   Humble and polite on top of being a great band... You just can't ask for more from a rock star than that!