Los Angeles, CA - Staple Center
April 9, 2003

From: Vance

The Goo Goo Dolls opened for Bon Jovi at the Staples Center. They played for a little over an hour, mabey 6 or 7 songs. The new singles from Gutterflower, mixed in with some old favorites like slide and broadway. The concert was great. Robby was sick, so they had someone covering bass. This concert was just amazing. I watched it from the Kodak Suite (oh yea, I got connections) but I would have liked to be up in front. It was my first concert. I could feel the music as we approached the room. Then I opened the door and walked into this living room type place and down a small set of steps. The box on the right side of the stage (facing it) and right above it. Looking out from the box I could see the entire Staples Center, filled with people. It was completely blue (the lighting in the show was great), and down on the stage, there they were. The Goo Goo Dolls, playing Dizzy (ironically), the first song of the night. Seeing it all for the first time I got dizzy, a completely unique experience. I had that first song stuck in my head till the end of the next day. I got these tickets for my girlfriend, it was her 16th birthday exactly a week later. The Goo Goo Dolls is our favorite band. I'm glad I saw them opening, rather than putting on a show. They were so laid back, they just came out and played. Johnny and the electric guitar player played around for a little bit, that sounded cool. A whole new sound to Black Balloon. It was... amazing. I wish more than anything that I could have the songs on cd. Many people say bands in concert suck, but it was so spectacular, the music sounded *can't think of any other word than "amazing"* I just sat there holding my girlfriends hand, enthralled through the whole thing. We both smiled bigger and bigger as they played song after song. Then, the last song they played, Iris (our song) We got up and slow danced. He paused, said something, then finished the song better then I have ever heard it. This has got to be one of the happiest moments in my entire life. Bon Jovi was on after them, they put on a great show. We got up and danced about half way through it (the suite was SO nice.) I think we scared the other few people in there with us... But of course we went to see the Goo Goo Dolls. It was more like a concert for them, and Bon Jovi was just to keep us entertained afterwards. His show was excellent, but nothing compares with the Goo Goo Dolls.