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Shannon
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Dallas review: Star Telegram
« on: Sep 11th, 2006, 7:28am » |
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For Goo Goo Dolls, Counting Crows, a split decision
By DARREN WHITE
Special to the Star-Telegram
DALLAS - Counting Crows and Goo Goo Dolls have similar success stories: Both rose to fame on a handful of mid-1990s radio hits, and both are now fighting to stay relevant playing a brand of straightforward rock 'n' roll that isn't in vogue at the moment.
During Saturday's tour-closing double-bill at Smirnoff Music Centre, the Dolls seemed content to stick to the hits for an adoring audience, while the Crows turned in a more visceral, captivating set.
Dolls frontman Johnny Rzeznik strolled around the stage mostly strumming an acoustic guitar, allowing two back-up guitarists to hammer out the big riffs. Bassist Robbie Takac, meanwhile, improved an otherwise-drab set by running around the stage like a young punk playing his first big gig.
The Dolls played a standard set of chart-toppers, including Slide, Iris and Black Balloon, as well as a few tracks from their latest mediocre disc, Let Love In.
There's a fine line between heart-on-your-sleeve balladry and writing the soundtrack to Dawson's Creek; and judging by the set list alone, it might come as a surprise that the band had a career before 1995, let alone one that featured a handful of critically acclaimed discs and numerous comparisons to The Replacements.
The band's encore included its woeful cover of Supertramp's Give a Little Bit.
While the Dolls were happy to play a golden oldies set, the Crows turned in an excellent performance that showed a band still kicking more than 10 years after their smash debut, August and Everything After.
Frontman Adam Duritz, showing a little more gray in his dreadlocks and a little more paunch in his midsection, carried the night with his own brand of schlubby charisma, which somehow gave universal appeal to intensely personal lyrics.
The band is notorious for unceasingly revamping and altering songs, often to mixed results, but extended versions of Round Here and A Long December succeeded and exceeded their original versions.
For the set-closing Hanginaround, the Crows brought up a bevy of dancing stagehands and even the Goo Goo Dolls, dressed in Flaming Lips-style plush animal suits, for an onstage party.
The band capped off the tour with a three-song encore, including a stripped-down version of its smash hit, Mr. Jones, and the crowd favorite A Murder of One.
While the Goo Goo Dolls seem to be struggling to determine what's next in the band's long history, Duritz and the Crows have learned lesson No. 1 in the U2 school of over-the-hill relevancy: Play your heart out, and the people will follow.
GRADE: B+
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/entertainment/15491219.htm
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pink boa lady
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4/24/99 taken Ruston, LA-Rite-Aid Signed 12/2/02
  
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Re: Dallas review: Star Telegram
« Reply #1 on: Sep 11th, 2006, 7:14pm » |
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i dunno where this person was, but goo and CC both put on good shows!
for everybody that left after goo (and there were a ton of people that did), ya'll really did miss the fun of Hangin' Round with goo in dress up!
the only thing i had a problem with is the crappy seats fan club members got. WTF!? row s? some pre-sale that is being a fan club member.
otherwise, great show and great venue! also great place to hear sound check while standing in line picking up tickets.
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