Goo Goo DollsReview and Photos by Anthony Silverman
The Goo Goo Dolls poured it on at a sold out show at the Riviera last Wednesday night. The group culled heavily from their latest album, Gutterflower, which has received mixed reviews thus far. Lead singer Johnny Rzeznick spotted a fan holding a sign that read "Gutterflowers is your best album!" He asked the fan for the poster and said "I should send this to all the music critics! Rzeznick, with all of his golden boy good looks, made the girls swoon with his raspy vocal warblings. They hit their trademark sound with the choppy and fruitful renditions of Tom Petty's "American Girl," the slick and greasy "Slide" and the rhythmic "Broadway." Rzeznick is a master tuner when it comes to penning a ballad that needs only an acoustic guitar accompaniment. He sings with heart which in turn makes you feel like you care. It's not important if the lyrics are great or not, but it's all in the delivery. The bands brooding guitars found their home on songs like "Truth is a Whisper" and "There You Are." While the Goo Goo Dolls are not reinventing the wheel, they're sure having fun trying.