Review of Goo Goo Dolls, Ryan Star @ Wellmont Theatre 11/11/11 This particular show was one of which I very highly anticipated. Goo Goo Dolls front man, Johnny Rzeznik, had so deeply impacted my musical experiences as listener and as a songwriter throughout my teenage years. I had seen the band in the late 90’s when “Dizzy Up the Girl” was released and, and that point, became a consumer of the band’s connection with the material and sincerity of the writing and performance of the predominantly ballad-oriented record. The opening act for this tour is Ryan Star, in support of his record, “11:59.” If you have not yet heard the name, I get the feeling that you will very soon. Ryan was phenomenal. His vocal performance was powerful, confident, and intense. Considering the number of people that skipped out on the opening act and had not yet entered the venue, Ryan absolutely owned this crowd. I, myself, was not previously familiar with Ryan’s material but it’s very solid and would be a worthwhile addition to your record collection. It was great to watch a performer who can sing with such compelling dynamics, while being a totally capable guitar player as well. I had the pleasure of meeting Ryan after the set and, judging by my interactions with him and watching him with the fans, the guy loves what he does. If it hasn’t caught your ear as of yet, check out his single, “Start a Fire.” Matching the intensity of Ryan Star was quite the task for Goo Goo Dolls, and they came out strong. They opened the set with, “Still Your Song,” a mid-tempo track, reminiscent of the feel of the “Gutterflower” record. I was honestly hoping the band would open up with a song from “Superstar Car Wash” or “A Boy Named Goo” but their selection was understandable since they are currently promoting their new record, “Something for the Rest of Us.” Goo Goo Dolls played a rather lengthy, 23-song set, with a majority of the songs belonging to “Dizzy Up the Girl” and subsequent records. Johnny, just as I remember from my first time seeing him, was very personable and interactive with the audience. The acoustic tracks, like “Acoustic #3” and “Sympathy,” were performed with conviction and really seemed to generate a connection between Johnny and the crowd. For the majority of the songs featuring the band, Johnny seemed to change the vocal melodies during the hooks. This could have simply been a creative move on Johnny’s part, but I always prefer to hear the live performance of songs as they are on record. When the band played “Iris,” Johnny sounded fantastic and the vocal melody was identical to the record during a hook that is not particularly an easy one to sing. During the encore, the band played “Naked.” Although I was hoping to hear more songs from “A Boy Named Goo” and “Superstar Car Wash,” this was an excellent choice of songs to accommodate the contingent of Goo Goo Dolls fans that had followed and supported the band during the early years. - Matt Colligan www.googoodolls.com www.rstar.net Photos by Bill Colligan (click on photo see full size) Ryan Star Goo Goo Dolls