From: Jess

Mullins Center
Oct 20, 1999
Amherst, MA

Ok ggd fans ! I had THE best night of my whole entire 16 years on this earth...and i'm gonna share it with all of you. Its gonna be way long , so don't say i didn't warn u !

So i live three hours from Amherst, and i went with 5 of my friends and my mom{shes 40 and even she loves them!} So we all piled into my moms car...and make our LONG three hour drive to UMass. When we get there it's about 2:30 ... the show didn't start until 7....but i am obsessed with these guys, so i needed good seats, any goo fan will understand ! So we run right into the Mullins Center....it was pouring rain out by the way. So we get to the doors of the Mullins Center, and these security guards won't let us in! They said we have to go outside and wait in line....no one can get inside.

So i beg this cute security guard after the others went away. He said for us to go inside...but only if we promised not to get him into trouble, he never saw us! lol So we get inside...and i knew they'd be having a soundcheck soon. We were just inside at a dunkin donuts, drinking our coffee when i heard the music to Cuz U're gone!! !! I run frantically to every door available on the first floor....all locked, up to the second floor. Finally i found ONE door unlocked, w/ no one around.

So, needless to say i was in there in about 5 seconds ! Only me and my friend Joan went in though. We were there for about a half an hour! Oh god it was great! Johnny was so cool, he was just rambling on and on about nothing to whoever would listen! I'll tell u some of the stuff he said..."YA SO I HAVE THE WORST HEADACHE RIGHT NOW...BAD HANGOVER YA KNOW?" One of the guys doing soundcheck was like, "ya i know what ya mean." Johnny laughs."YA SO THIS SHOULD BE A GOOD SHOW, EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE WORKING OK." The soundcheck guy goes ,"ya everthing is sounding good." Johnny goes,"NO I DON'T WANT IT TO SOUND GOOD THOUGH, I WANT IT TO SOUND GREAT!" The same guy doing soundcheck goes, after listening to him ramble,"hey johnny, maybe if u shut the fu** up, you're headache would go away!" Johnny laughs some more and goes,"HAHAHA, SHUT THE HELL UP, OR DO U WANT ME TO COME OVER THERE AND KICK U'RE ASS?" But the guys were just kidding around with each other. Robby adds a few things in at times, but he looks like hes rapped up in something else in the cornor of the stage...his guitar or something. I couldn't see him that well.

So i actually got to see them soundchecking, they went through some of the songs, johnny didn't sing too much though, mostly just music stuff. So we watched for about a half an hour when a security lady came over to us and made us leave, or she'd take away our tickets! So of course, we left!

We went outside to get in line,it had stopped pouring out just in time. There were about 10 people ahead of us in line, thats it though! So , we knew we'd get good seats. So we were in line when two girls come from out back where the tour busses are, saying they just got their pics taken with johnny. SO! me and this girl i met, jess decided to go see what was up back there. We get out of line and go back there. Nathan December was riding his blue bike around where the tour busses were, so we said hi to him. He said hi back and he told us we just missed the goo goo dolls, that they went back inside when we asked if they were still around. Oh well, we tried right. But we still waited around for a bit , just in case. Nothing was happening so we went back in line.

We watited until 6 when the gates opened. Security was pretty tight, so they searches us for cameras and all that stuff. I had two hidden in the back pockets of my jeans and my jacket....but the security guy found them! I whispered, so the other security wouldn't hear me,"please please just let me keep them ! i won't tell anyone! Please i need at least one pic of the goo goo dolls!!" i begged him , so he was like "just get inside." I was sooo happy! People can be so nice if they want. So we get inside,safe and with my cameras! We run to get a seat on the floor close to the stage {we all had to sit down until the security guards went behind the stage right before the concert was gonna start, then whoever got up firt and ran to the stage first got front row.} We were in the front row, me my mom and all my friends... So about 10 minutes before the show started, me and my friend adriana got up to go to the bathroom....my mom was gonna watch our spaces. But everyone thought since we got up it was time to run to the stage!!! Everyone raced up front....everyone just came forward. Thank god i was up b/c 1/2 the people in the front didn't know they were coming! it was crazy! So at least i was standing, still front row!

First fern came out...they were ok...but it sounded like all their songs were the same, same beat. Tonic was next, they were good, but i only knew two of their songs....{later i got the bass players autograph, he was cute too!} lol So they jammed for a little bit....then we had a 45 min. intermission while they set up the stage for ggds!

All of a sudden it got dark again , and u could start to hear the music to DIZZY!!! They came out and we just started to jam!!!! i love them soo much! They had so much energy....u wouldn't belive it! The front row was great! I went to a goo show at the tweeter center aug. 27th...but i had lawn seats , so that wasn't as good as last night!!!

Robby and Johnny dazzled us all, they were fantastic...unbelievable. The crowd was sooo good, we knew all their songs, had fun with them. The crowd was so into the concert, the ggds got into it too, ya know? Like they got excited to see ALL of us excited.....they were nasty ! So they played and played. Johnny saw me and my friends knew ALL the words to ALL their songs so he kept looking at us, smiling at us, pointing at us!

Robby was so cool! i made eye contact wiht him at least 100 times !He looked directly at me, like he knew who the real fans were, ya know? he kept looking at me, making weird faces at me, sticking his tounge out at me, it was so funny. One time before Another Second Time Around me and my friend Joan were screaming "WE LOVE U ROBBY, YOU ARE AWESOME!" He looked at us and smiled and laughed.

During the song we kept doing it, and he thought it was a riot,seeing us so crazy for them! so he pulled back from mic and laughed hard! it was so funny ! U had to be there to get the full effect, but it was something! So we're singing ALL the words to ALL their songs, and johnny and robby can tell who the real fans are. Johnny mentioned something about us being a really good audience, and how much fun they were having with us ! So Johnny lets us pick the story hes gonna tell us....out of the three of his usuals. We pick the walk of shame story...hes such a great story teller. He tells us , then decides he wants to tell us a joke, so he tells his ricky martin joke. For those of u who've never heard of it....he goes, "SO I'M IN BED WITH MY GIRLFRIEND THE OTHER NIGHT...AND YA KNOW, WE'RE MESSING AROUND." The crowd then boo's b/c of his girlfriend/wife part! "SO THEN SHES LIKE FU** ME LIKE RICKY MARTIN WOULD! I'M JUST LIKE WAIT A SECOND. HOLD ON!" The whole time john's walking around stage with his mic stand .....hes so cute. "SO THEN I'M JUST LIKE,OK GO GET U'RE BROTHER FOR ME AND I WILL!" haha, hes so funny. :) So he plays more of his great songs! I'll list them at the end ok?

These guys' concerts are great....its weird. Its kinda like, they know who the real true fans are...they can pick them out. Then they make u feel like the only reason for the show is for u , ya know? like they'll point to u, tell u they love u too when u scream it to them, they'll smile at u, make eye contact....its really amazing :) IF ANY OF U HAVE NOT BEEN TO A GOO SHOW....GO NOW!!! I am dead serious when i say that u'll have the best time of u're life! And that a promise.

So at the end of the show....robby threw his guitar pick to me...ahhhh !!!! :) Then Johnny threw his sweaty towel to me! it seemed like they were throwing them to ME directly!! I think they knew how much i love them! They made me have the best night ever!

So after the show...we're walking to the car when i see about 15 people lined up near the back of the mullins center. Of course i have to go over there to see whats going on. Everyone is waiting for them to leave and go on their tour busses. I made my cold friends and tired mother wait for another hour outside waiting for them. The security is so tight there....we couldn't move from a certain area....we had our line behind a cone, we weren't allowed to move ! First mike came out....with his security guards, wouldn't let him stop for autographs or pics.

While we're waiting....tonic and fern group members are all around outside, signing stuff, just hanging out. I only got the bassists' autograph from tonic though....didn't want to miss my guys! Then Johnny came out looking all sexy {lol}....with his body guards. People were rushing johnny over to the bus....that didn't stop me! I ran out to see him closer !!! He said hi, that he was sorry he couldn't sign anything but these people wouldn't let them! And they had a soundcheck in NYC at 8 am....so they had to be on their way. I was like,"johnny ! u were great! See ya Dec. 3rd in Buffalo!" he goes, "NO! U GUYS WERE GREAT! I'LL LOOK FOR YA IN BUFFALO!" I died when he said that....not that he'll ever remember me though! But, ya never know lol :) He was rushed in the bus....and all of the crowd that rushed forward was brought back :(

Then Robby came out with his security too! We , again, all rushed forward ! He recognized me, probably as the psycho girl that was going crazy!, but he waved...to ME!! I said hi robby! He said his hi's and he couldn't talk, but we were a great crowd. {I GUESS THEY REALLY THOUGHT WE WERE A GREAT CROWD!}

All i got was pics of them as they made their way into the bus w/ the little red elmo in the front lol....and pics from the concert...but not too many b/c i didn't want any security to take it away !

They got on their busses, and were on their way! As the bus drove away, johnny stuck his head out of the window...and said something,something long...but it was too noisy to hear....probably bye or something! Me and three friends chased the bus....but it sped up...and out of sight!

Now i only have my memories of my best night in the whole entire world!! But i still have the Buffalo show.....beware for another long review by me then ! lol :)

SET UP IS AS FOLLOWS:

DIZZY
LONG WAY DOWN
LAZYEYE
SLIDE
FULL FOREVER
THERE U ARE
BLACK BALLOON
BULLETPROOF
NAKED
NAME
CUZ U'RE GONE W/ 1,000 WORDS
JANUARY FRIEND
BROADWAY
ANOTHER SECOND TIME AROUND
FLAT TOP
ACOUTIC #3
IRIS

THEY LEAVE....THEN COME BACK , TRYING TO SCARE US lol

JUST THE WAY U ARE
BURNIN UP
HATE THIS PLACE
TWO DAYS IN FEBRUARY
{might not be in exact order, but pretty damn close!} I hope u enjoyed it all!

If any of u want to email me , my address is [email protected]