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After a sweet and authentic performance of the Hawaii state anthem by a youth chorus, the Goo Goo Dolls delivered a short pre-show – only about five minutes long, mashing up two of their songs.

The Goo Goo Dolls seem like an appropriate match for the Pro Bowl — their songs are anthemic and play big to stadiums, and the band chose to sing “Not Broken,” and (I’ll) “Stay with You,” both warm songs with serious sentiment and special meaning for the deployed or those struggling to overcome challenges. (The Goo Goo Dolls sang “Stay With You,” a song from their 2006 album “Let Love In,” in New Orleans before the re-opening of the Superdome.)

Despite the natural appeal of the Goo Goo Dolls’ human sentiment, though, there was a disconnect with the solemnity of their message, the innate warmth of the Hawaii setting and the overly colorful trappings the Pro Bowl. It was almost as simple as the visual: the band wore black, while surrounded by spectacle, with flags, cheerleaders, hula, and “football fans” in color-coordinated uniforms. I had a hard time discerning them in such a swirling mele of surrounding action.

One Twitter user just put it this way: “Hula + Goo Goo Dolls = weird.”

Not the Goo Goo Dolls’ fault, perhaps. It’s obvious their intentions were good. But if you’re going to go on at the Pro Bowl, it seems you gotta compete with the flair.

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