Fans of the Goo Goo Dolls have waited two years for the band to perform in Utah. After the group’s appearance at USANA Amphitheater was canceled in July 2020, the performance was finally held on Tuesday, July 26, with thousands in attendance.

The Goo Goo Dolls' fast-moving and energetic concert featured old favorites and songs from their newest albums, Miracle Pill, Rarities and Chaos in Bloom (to be released Aug. 12, 2022). 

With an endless supply of guitars, Goo Goo Dolls lead singer John Rzeznik and bassist Robby Takac went through the setlist with almost no break during the two dozen songs. Rzeznik and Takac’s easy relationship goes back to 1986, when the band was formed in Buffalo, New York. 

As the group's cheerleader, Takac’s fun energy kept the crowd engaged as he skipped, danced and encouraged the crowd to clap along. He also took vocal lead on several songs including “Lucky Star”.

Starting the show with “Yeah, I Like You”, one of the group’s newest singles from its 13th album Chaos in Bloom, the multi-platinum rock band spent more than 90 minutes entertaining the crowd at USANA Amphitheater in West Valley City. Rzeznik was laid-back and relaxed as he spoke to fans between songs, waiting for yet another guitar switch.

The crowd went wild for favorites like “Slide”, “Come to Me”, “Sympathy” and “Name” and when the opening chords of “Iris” rang out, the fans lost their minds. “Iris” was named “#1 Top 40 Song of the Last 20 Years” and has nearly one billion downloads on Spotify. 

With choruses and songwriting that’s easy to sing along to, the Goo Goo Dolls have worked together consistently for more than 30 years, releasing new music and selling out shows around the world. Chaos in Bloom is filled with lyrics based on social commentary, but also optimism. The band recorded the album's 10 tracks during the pandemic, escaping to Woodstock, NY, to create the songs. 

For fans who waited two years to see the group perform live, they were not disappointed. 

The opening group, Blue October, was phenomenal. The genre-busting band is comprised of singer/guitarist Justin Furstenfeld, drummer Jeremy Furstenfeld, multi-instrumentalist (including violin) Ryan Delahoussaye, bassist Matt Noveskey and lead guitarist Will Knaak. 

Justin brought fun energy, alternating between flirtatious and raw, to the group’s performance which included "Hate Me" and "Into the Ocean" from their 2006 platinum album Foiled.

With 17 Top 40 singles and eight studio albums, Blue October was the perfect opening act for the concert.