"I want to thank you guys for coming out tonight and supporting golf, I guess," laughed Robby Takac, bass player for the Goo Goo Dolls, as he stood on stage before a packed tent filled with screaming, slightly drunken fans.

Headlining the Birds Nest at the Waste Management Phoenix Open on Thursday, Feb. 2, the multi-platinum alternative rockers who dominated the radio about a decade ago, took full command of the rowdy crowd, powering through a 22-song set that had almost everyone singing along.

The Birds Nest may have started out as a party to serve the Phoenix Open golf tournament, but over the years it has become a force unto itself, drawing in plenty of people that have no interest in golf, while still catering to those that do.

The temporary venue looks like a mini version of Old Towne Scottsdale on a Saturday night, complete with chic tequila bars, a massive white tent for the music and people drunkenly eating Dos Gringos tacos while shouting to each other over Top 40 hits.

While the drink booths and a rowdy set by DJ Roonie G kept the crowd humming at the beginning of the night, the Goo Goo Dolls were clearly the big draw. When lead singer and guitarist Johnny Rzeznik waved to the crowd as he walked on stage, the audience let out an enormous cheer and surged forward toward the stage.

Backed by his two fellow Goo Goo Dolls, along with another guitarist and a multi-instrumentalist, Rzeznik started off the set with "Still Your Song," a track from the Dolls' latest album, 2010's "Something for the Rest of Us."

Cheers erupted at the first note of "Slide," one of the many singles off the Dolls' massively successful 1998 album, "Dizzy Up the Girl." They played nearly every hit single from throughout their career, ignoring their early, scrappier records.

And although the audience sang loudest during the big hits, the lesser-known songs received just as warm a welcome.

But the Dolls the hits coming at first, offering up "Here is Gone" and "Big Machine" from 2002's "Gutterflower."

When Rzeznik turned the mic over to bassist Takac for the punky "Smash" and "January Friend," the general crowd seemed less enthused, but the diehard fans in the front still sang along with every word.

"This song right here changed my life, so I'm really glad to be able to share it with you guys," said Rzeznik, before gently strumming out the jangling chords to the band's first hit, 1995's "Name." That song might be nearing its 20{+t}{+h} birthday by this point, but Rzeznik sang it as passionately as if it were the first time, even losing his place when he looked out at the massive crowd.

"You guys are making me nervous," he said with a smile. "I don't want to forget the words."

Songs such as "Let Love In," "Better Days" and "Become" kept the audience clapping along, but it was the massive hit "Iris" that really got the crowd going, with a sea of cell phone cameras being hoisted into the air as the song began. Their biggest hit, "Iris" still holds the record as the longest-charting No. 1 single in Billboard Hot 100 Airplay history, remaining at the top for 18 weeks.

While the dramatic orchestral flourishes at the end of "Iris" might have been a good place to stop, the Goo Goo Dolls decided to end their set on a more fun note, blasting out the catchy "Broadway," another track off of "Dizzy Up the Girl."

Reemerging after a short break with just an acoustic guitar, Rzeznik explained a bit about why the set was so hit-heavy.

"So we are in the studio right now working on some new songs for ya," he said. "But I really do love playing these old songs."

He offered a solo acoustic version of "Sympathy" before being joined by his bandmates for their cover of an even older song, Supertramp's 1977 hit "Give a Little Bit."

And judging by the applause that followed the Goo Goo Dolls as they left the stage, the crowd sure loved those old songs, too.