Tour starts tonight, and it’s the Goos, so it’s a must-see! 

Johnny Rzeznik and Robby Takac, better known as the Goo Goo Dolls are the pride of Buffalo, New York, and they have nothing but respect for that city in the wake of their massive, decade-spanning success. 

The band formed in 1986 as a result of three things: hope, aspirations, and some amazing punk rock tunes. (See Jed, Superstar Car Wash, and Hold Me Up.) Times have changed, and so has their style, but one thing that remains intact is Robby and Johnny’s inseparable bond that has held them together since their born-and-raised Buffalo days. 

They broke into the mainstream with the A Boy Named Goo LP and its single, “Name,” which they followed up with 1998’s Dizzy Up the Girl – an immediate rock staple and gem of an album. The band has always enjoyed surprising their fans by adding their own eclectic musical palette into their releases, and they have shown that all throughout their four decades together.

Johnny and Robby are talented and humble, kind and dedicated to their craft. They have survived the ups-and-downs of the music industry well, from changes in trends and technologies to their many sounds and styles over the years. There are only a handful of bands that can last this long and still put on a great show that covers so much of their catalog, and the Goo Goo Dolls are one of them. 

Their latest endeavor is touring with our mutual friends in Dashboard Confessional for an exhilarating Summer Anthem Tour, and our own Robert Frezza talked to GGD bassist/co-founder Robby about this run of shows with DC, the stamina of their chart-topping hit “Iris,” being born-and-raised in upstate New York, and what they want this band’s legacy to be.

Your latest album, Chaos in Bloom, slows things down a bit musically, and is far removed from Dizzy Up the Girl and its predecessors. Will we ever see another rock album in full from the Goo Goo Dolls, or do you think rock music is not ‘in vogue’ anymore?

We are working on a new album right now that is pretty rockin’. I feel like our band has spread our wings out in many different directions. There’s a lot of places to go, and we give ourselves space to go to different places and try different things. 

Every artist does have the right to evolve and do different things, as well.

Yes, but it’s important if you just do what you do and do it honestly… and still can entertain the people who have come along the way with you, especially for a band that has been around a long time as we have. When the fans come to see you play those songs, even if they haven’t been as ‘in tune’ with us they were back in another era, you still want to play those songs and understand why they are part of the show. 

You were quoted for saying, “You slid under the door of a closing music industry.” What did you mean behind that? 

Well, we come from a music industry where big labels would hear of groups – they would m send someone out to see a group perform live. If there were 60 people there and your band was kicking ass, that A&R guy would sign your band (if they saw the potential). If that first record sold 150,000 copies, you felt like that was successful. In that process, you became better at making songs, playing shows, and getting played on radio. As a band, we spent the first 10 years getting ready for that, but we were actually still not selling tons of records through Hold Me Up and Superstar Car Wash. That’s the industry we slid under the door of. Now you have all these tools at your disposal now in the internet age. It was a different era back then. 

How has you currently living in Buffalo, New York, and Johnny living in New Jersey, inspired the band musically and lyrically?

You have to shovel your way out of your house to get to work! Buffalo is not a silver spoon kind of town. You have to work hard at it. It’s always like a ‘waiting for the other shoe to drop’ kind of mentality for some reason. It keeps us moving forward and working hard. 

You are married now with a child. How has that changed your perspective on music?

It changed to what I listen to a lot. We are on a steady diet of Chappell Roan and Olivia Rodrigo. 

We just got a turntable and I started listening to some records with my daughter. It is amazing to sit and listen to music with her. I listened to “Stairway To Heaven” with her and she doesn’t get it. She listens to music, though in a totally different way. She actually listens to it. I’m listening to music through new ears again. It’s amazing to revisit some of these songs, just amazing. 

You’re on tour with Dashboard Confessional this summer, dubbed as the Summer Anthem Tour. How did this come to fruition?

We’ve known them along the way. We started shopping around for a summer tour and kept coming back to them. I think their crowd is like ours in a lot of ways, but a little younger – not that we were ever an emo band. It seemed to make sense. The promoters were pretty excited about it. 

Do you think there will be another band to break out of Buffalo?

Of course! I don’t know who it will be. There are crazy talented people in Buffalo. It’s a tough town, but it’s just a matter of time until something pops off here. You just have to wait ‘til lightning strikes. 

What is about “Iris” that still resonates with the public nearly 30 years later? 

Because John wrote a great song. A lot of the current pop stars are covering it now and it was trending at No. 19 on Spotify last week!

What do you want the Goo Goo Dolls to be remembered for?

Putting on great rock shows! It’s just that simple.

FOR TICKETS TO THE SUMMER ANTHEM TOUR (WITH DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL), WHICH COMES TO PNC BANK ARTS CENTER ON 8/1, JONES BEACH THEATER ON 8/2, & TD PAVILLION ON 8/3