Matchbox Twenty fans are no strangers to anticipation— Eleven years had passed since 2002’s More Than You Think You Are before the multi-plantinum rock band released their next official full length album, North, last August. The band took time from their North Tour to perform an exclusive Acoustic Café last Saturday, and they clued fans in on something else to look forward to:

The Goo Goo Dolls will be joining Matchbox Twenty on tour this summer.

“We are bringing them out for a shed Tour this summer,” said Rob Thomas, officially confirming the rumor that had been previously speculated throughout the web.

Matchbox Twenty have shared the summer stage with other big name acts in the past, and it was a no-brainer for them to decide to bring along Johnny Rzeznik’s group this time around.

“We had a great time with us and Train one summer… Us and Alanis [Morissette], that was really good,” Thomas recalled.  He also stressed that the co-headliners should share a mutual fanbase. “When you think about a summer tour, you want to put together a package.”

“When you are putting together a summer show, you are putting together that whole night of music from the minute people sit down, every band that is up there,” Thomas continued.  “You want to kind of have what is going to feel like a whole night that everybody is going to enjoy…  It’s not going to be one band for one group of people, and one band for another.”

Those who plan on attending a show will likely be treated with dozens of hits. Like Matchbox Twenty, the Goo Goo Dolls boast a long list of radio staples in their setlist. “They have a lot of songs that a lot of people know,” said Paul Doucette. “It’s going to be a tough act for us to follow, [but] we like a challenge!”

“Slide” and “Name” are always popular live tunes, but it’s the Goo Goo Doll’s biggest hit that MB20 looks forward to witnessing on the tour.

“I like ‘Iris’ a lot,” Rob Thomas said.

–Tyler Roman, 96.5 TIC/ Hartford