Walmart Soundcheck

THE ARRIVAL:

From Buffalo to Hollywood
Record Plant Studios, Hollywood, California: It was time to meet up with The Goo Goo Dolls - a band that's risen from humble beginnings 10 years ago in upstate New York to the upper echelons of world fame. The Goo Goo Dolls have been a mainstay of the modern rock scene for over 10 years, spawning hit albums like A Boy Named Goo and Dizzy Up the Girl. Today, they were getting ready for the release of what promises to be another stellar album, the highly anticipated Let Love In.

THE SET:

Soundcheck Hosts an Unveiling
Lead singer Johnny Rzeznik (pronounced REZ-nick) tested the sound gear as the camera crew finished setting up. What surfaced immediately was the intensity with which The Goo Goo Dolls addressed their set list. Completely focused on perfecting never-before-performed songs from their new album, it struck us like a bolt of lightning: Wal-Mart Soundcheck was going to be the dress rehearsal of the worldwide unveiling of these new songs.

Powerful, Complete
The ensuing set was a potpourri of material from the past, present and future. The result: a powerful, complete performance that clearly revisited The Goo Goo Dolls' rise to stardom and previewed the excitement of what's to come. Like The Goo Goo Dolls themselves, the set was not without its pleasant surprises. When they kicked off the highly personal and emotionally dark "Broadway," all of us present couldn't help but feel the cut of the razor-sharpness offered up by both the song and its performance.

Everyone agreed: The Goo Goo Dolls' performance reminded us of a champion boxer before a big fight: energy up, prepping their moves and strategy, sparring to get ready for a new challenge. The challenge the group faces? The rigors of the road and the demands of their upcoming tour.

THE INTERVIEW:

A Passionate Homecoming
To anyone who's read The Goo Goo Dolls' recent press, it's no secret that Let Love In was recorded in their hometown of Buffalo in upstate New York. For them, it was a homecoming of sorts and, for sure, a highlight of the interview was the frank discussion of their return to home turf.

Rzeznik spoke for everyone when he chatted about the edgier yet more hopeful feel of the new album, repeatedly peppering his comments with words like "passion" and "the experience." Maybe it's the return home - to roots and the hopefulness of their humble beginnings - that drives their current optimism. Or maybe it was producer Glen Ballard's encouraging them to "take more chances" and "experiment." Maybe it was both.

THE COMMENTARY:

The Magic of The Goo Goo Dolls
The Goo Goo Dolls are a rare breed of band indeed. Not many aspirants to the crown of rock have experienced the longevity they have in a field that has more than its fair share of casualties. Their songs evoke timelessness from the very moment of release and force us to look deeper inside ourselves. Perhaps that's the magic of what they do. From the first note of each new song, each new album, each new listen, they've got us feeling things we may not always want to feel but often do.

THE POST-SCRIPT:

Even More Than We'd Expected
We'd been looking forward to getting The Goo Goo Dolls into the studio for a long time; when the session finally came, they didn't disappoint. In fact, their professionalism and brimming creativity lit up the entire time for all of us.

So that's our rock story for today, Soundcheck visitors. Thanks for joining us and enjoy the show ...

- The Crew at Wal-Mart Soundcheck