Goo Goo Dolls rock Robinson
You can have a major rock show in Robinson Center Music Hall. The Goo Goo Dolls proved it Sunday night before a sizeable crowd (the bottom level was nearly full; we couldn't tell about the balcony, but it was occupied) with a powerful hour-and-45 minute set full of all their big hits and several cuts off their new "Let Love In" record.
After a 17-song regular set, the Goos wrapped up with a three-song encore, finishing with their remake of Supertramp's "Give a Little Bit." Lead singer and guitarist Johnny Rzeznik handled the majority of the work, but wild and wacky bassist Robby Takac showed his punk side with vocals on three upbeat numbers. Solid work by their pair of backup musicians on lead guitar, mandolin, keyboards and sax also highlighted a pulsating show. But it was Rzeznick and Takac to rushed out brimming with the confidence that comes with 20 years in the business and the past 12 as a major act. These boys were pros in every way, playing with the crowd throughout and genuinely happy to be performing in Little Rock on a Sunday night.
Opening act Augustana played eight melodic songs and satisfied a crowd that had waited an hour for what most throught was a 7 p.m. start (tickets did say "doors at 7 p.m.), but didn't get under way until 8:10 or so. Augustana lived up to Takac's description to us last week of being like an early Counting Crows, with poetic style and balanced musicianship across a range of acoustic and electric instruments, plus keyboards. This is a good band that is likely to be heard from for some time. They only have two decades to go, however, to match the confidence carried by the headliners.
