Goos Give a Thanksgiving Gift to Buffalo
Twin intimate shows at The Town Ballroom raise spirits, and $150,000 for FeedMore WNY
‘The City of Good Neighbors.’
I’ll admit, there have been times when I’ve feared this was an empty slogan, an overly optimistic marketing mantra meant to gloss over our serious, enduring problems as a city and a region. Like everyone else, I’ve encountered behavior around here that certainly felt less than neighborly.
And then something happens to make me a believer again.
A few weeks back, when The Goo Goo Dolls announced that they’d be playing the intimate Town Ballroom in order to raise money for FeedMore WNY at a time when that financial support is so badly needed, I smiled, and nodded. “Yep, that’s our boys, giving back to their city. Nice!”
Then the show sold out in minutes.
A second show was added.
That one sold out in minutes, too.
Sure, the chance to catch the Goos in such an in-your-face environment as the Town Ballroom was more than enticing for the band’s legion of fans - some of whom can recall attending what were essentially raw, boozy bacchanals in the early days, when the Goos played clubs like the dearly missed Continental on Franklin St. After all, the last time we saw the band in Buffalo, they were performing in front of some 15 thousand-plus at a sold-out KeyBank Center - a great show, for sure, but one that could hardly be described as ‘intimate.’ This in itself would likely be enough to ensure that tickets would be gobbled up in record time.
But there was something else going on here. You could feel it in the room. People were feeling good about doing good.
Laying down $150 each to lend a hand to your brothers and sisters in need during a time when the national discourse is mired in hate and small-mindedness, and acts of self-preservation (pulling the ladder up behind you to make sure no one else makes it to the lifeboat, essentially) are accepted as ‘normal’ - well, there’s power in such acts of compassionate resistance.
That power seemed to fuel the band, as John Rzeznik, Robby Takac, and touring members Sammy Boller (guitar), Jim McGorman (keys and harmony vocals) and Craig Macintyre (drums) took to the Town Ballroom stage with perhaps a touch more tangible energy than usual. These were homecoming shows, yes, but there was also a palpable vibe born of the fact that the band was using its continued immense popularity to unite the very music community that gave it life, in service of something bigger than all of us.
On night one, the one-two punch of openers “Naked” and “Slide” celebrated the twin factors in the Goos’ appeal - a punk-fueled aggression underpinning seriously well-crafted songs with massive hooks. Over the course of a 25-song set, the band reminded us of their early days as a pop-punk powerhouse, but also celebrated a song catalog that, as a dear friend I went to the show with said - it was her first time seeing the band - “sounds like hit after hit after hit.”
The setlist varied between the two nights, making the experience more than worthwhile for fans who came to both shows. And still, both sets were filled with hit after hit. (After hit.)
The band was taking its time, though, as if savoring the moment. Rzeznik seemed to be relaxed, comfortable, and was happy to indulge in the wise-ass humor that was once such a major factor in Goos shows, perhaps more than he has in a while. Takac looked happy, too - but then, Takac always looks happy on stage. He was born to it, after all. But the loose, intimate, conversational aspect of the show was readily apparent, even as the Goos offered the intimate concert club an arena-sized performance.
The shows also acted as a celebration of the many behind-the-scenes people who’ve been a part of the Goo Goo Dolls story from the get-go. Rzeznik took time to offer shout-outs to the Goos first manager, Artie Kwitchoff, co-owner of the Town Ballroom; Kwitchoff’s Town Ballroom/Fun Time Presents partner Donny Kutzbach; and promoter Marcel Thimot, all of whom were on hand.
The whole affair felt like a family reunion of sorts, as so many of us who’ve been involved in the Buffalo music scene for decades took immense pleasure from being together in the same place at the same time, something that becomes more difficult to pull off with each passing year. We partied alongside fans who weren’t even born the last time the Goos played The Continental - or, in some cases, when they released Dizzy Up the Girl or A Boy Named Goo. That’s a testament to the band’s cross-generational appeal, a reason why they continue to fill theaters and concert halls across the country 40 years into their career.
What a positive, and positively ass-kicking, experience this was.
We owe a debt of gratitude to Rzeznik and Takac for giving so much back to their city at such an important time. But we should all pat ourselves on the back a bit, too - this City of Good Neighbors raised $150,000 to help the most needy and vulnerable among us. And that’s something to feel good about.
(Wanna feel good about doing good? Donate to FeedMore WNY here.)
Anyone else notice that John never once looked at Robby?