Last night was a memorable night for fans of the Goo Goo Dolls and fans of Buffalo. Not since The Goos played in the rain on the front steps of City Hall has the band made such a heartwarming splash in the city. This time it was more of an intimate setting, as Rzeznik and Takac sat down and regaled the enchanted crowd with tales of each song’s origin.

While billed as an acoustic show (I almost had a flashback of Counting Crows when I heard that), it turned out that there was plenty of excitement throughout the performance. As the show progressed, more and more musicians took to the stage, backing up the Buffalo boys. Members of the opening act, Run River North, were given the spotlight a second time around, as they filled out the sound in the recently restored North Park Theatre. Speaking of sound, Rzeznik sounded fantastic, his voice projecting in top form.

This writer was lucky to snag a couple of last minute tickets thanks to a friend who was not able to make it. Having missed the performance on the steps of City Hall, on that oh-so-rainy-day, I jumped at the chance to sit in on this performance. It was great to see these hometown heroes in such a spectacular venue, and you could tell that the band was just as excited to be there (video coming soon). It was also great to hear Rzeznik talk about his stay at the newly renovated Hotel @ The Lafayette, and how his immigrant mother had once worked there as a maid (he said that he gave a substantial tip to the housekeepers this time around). He reflected on growing up in Buffalo, seeing the city change from blue collar, to a place where he was “unsure about its future”. He and Takac bantered back and forth in such a comfortable manner that you could tell that they were feeling the Buffalove vibes.

This was the type of show that melts Buffalo hearts – the coming together of so many facets culminating in a once in a lifetime concert thanks to the fortitude of a local rock band and the resilience of the city that they call “home”.