I've got to admit, I arrived at the Tweeter Center (a half-open-air amphitheater) wondering just how the Goo Goos were going to pull off a stadium-sized show. I've been a fan since the Hold Me Up days and the only performances I've seen have all been smaller venues...including their last Boston appearance in October 1998 at the Avalon, which was amazing. The Goo's crowd has changed drastically over the years going from 20+year old guys to 16-19 year old girls...but I kept a pretty open mind and I braced myself for some crazed teen-aged screaming.

Fastball opened up the show with a solid set that got only few oohs and ahhs from the crowd. It's a shame...they are a good band, just dwarfed by the appeal of Sugar Ray and the Goos. Sugar Ray came on next with Mark McGrath proving he's a formidable frontman...broken ribs aside...and proceeded to bust through a lot of crunchy tunes that got the crowd in a frenzy. He was really cool to give kudos to Fastball and to the Goos for letting them be on the tour. He ran around like a freak and really motivated the crowd. At this point I started to wonder...the last couple of times I saw the Goo Goos, they were pretty low-key...not too much of the running/rolling around they used to do in the old days...I was worried Sugar ray might just show them up.

My fears were put to rest as the Goo Goo's hit the stage around 9:30 pm. I can honestly say I've never seen Johnny more animated. He came busting out to Dizzy and ran around the stage, rolling on the floor and making the little girls squeal. They continued with most of their standard set list...mostly from DUTG...with Johnny definitely taking the spotlight and hamming up his new-found teen-idol status by cheering on the crowd and posturing left and right. The songs were energetic and solid and the crowd was quite lively. Hi-lights of the show were the guys busting out We Are The Normal...a rare-played gem, and late in the show...There You Are which hasn't been played in years (and kinda sounded like it!) Apparently Robby's grandmother was at the show which made for interesting stage banter and Robby and Johnny destroyed the set at the end of the show after delighting us with a healthy sample of songs from all of their discs.

Again, the Goos played another great show...moving their appeal beyond the clubs and into the arena...I was quite impressed. Songs played are as follows...not necessarily in order:

Dizzy

Black Balloon

Lazy Eye

Slide

Bulletproof

Name

Naked

Burning Up

We Are the Normal

Long Way Down

Flat Top

Full Forever

Acoustic #3

Two Days in February

There You Are

Just The Way you Are

Broadway

Iris

January Friend

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