Theatrics help make strong Goo Goo Dolls show

Two teenage girls will certainly remember Saturday night's Goo Goo Dolls concert at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center in Tampa. After all, it isn't every day that a rock star will invite his fans onstage, especially not to perform along with the band.

Frontman Johnny Rzeznik aborted the band's breakthrough hit Name, noticing the two female fans dancing in front of the stage. The girls eagerly obliged Rzeznik's request to dance and sing along before a sold out crowd. Rzeznik laughed, saying, "We're going to start it all over again," to wild cheers.

The band gave its typically unremarkable batch of corporate radio friendly tunes a puissant workout. The band, originally a trio, was aided by auxiliary players, Greg Suran on guitar and Jason Freese on keyboards. Remaining members included Mike Malinin on drums, and Rzeznik's sidekick Robby Takac on bass. Though the entire band played an energetic set, the show really belonged to Takac and Rzeznik. In fact, the two were positioned center stage, forcing the other members to take a backseat.

Rzeznik, a magnetic star, played up his sexpot image with his toned, tattooed biceps, frequent flinty hair tosses and rock 'n' roll moues. And Takac was not without his own moves. Under the lights, the two were feckless. Takac was a whirling dervish, gliding and turning under the lights.

Musical highlights included an acoustic version of Black Balloon, where Rzeznik's tender cry of "angels fall without you there," was belied by a moving, colorful backdrop, and a sense of searching.

Takac, armed with a scabrous voice, shared vocal duties. He sounded especially strong on the infectious You Never Know, from the band's latest release Gutterflower. However, on other songs, such as January and Lucky Star, his vocals were lost amid a loud sound mix.

The show gained much from the size of the theater. The stage, adorned in black velvet curtains and ubiquitous mirror balls felt like a plush nightclub. The high-tech, cyborg lighting, including accordion-like metal rigs, pogoed throughout the set and dazzled. The stage was bathed in airy, colorful light, and smoke wafted through. The show had an expansive feel despite its intimate setting.

The crowd enjoyed sing-a-longs on the singles, which peppered the set, including Slide, its lyrics, "I want to wake up where you are," echoing through the crowd. And the current single, Here is Gone, also pleased.

Opening act John Ondrasik, playing under the moniker Five for Fighting, led a three-piece band through a short set, including an inspired take on mega-hit Superman and a cover of Elton John's Rocket Man.

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