Johnny Rzeznik, 44, is the guitarist and lead singer for the Goo Goo Dolls, an American rock band that has gained popularity with the 1990s songs “Name,” “Iris” and “Slide.” In 2008, Rzeznik was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and was awarded the Hal David Starlight award. Originally from Buffalo, N.Y., the band also includes bass player/singer Robby Takac, right, and drummer Mike Malinin, center. The band will release its ninth studio album, “Something for the Rest of Us,” on Aug. 31, including the new single “Home.” The Goo Goo Dolls, with special guests Switchfoot and Green River Ordinance, will perform Aug. 19 at the Independence Events Center. The show starts at 7 p.m. Visit GetTix.net; call 866-443-8849; visit the Events Center’s box office; or visit the Independence Hy-Vee locations at 1525 E. 23rd St. and 4545 Noland Road for more information on purchasing tickets.
Rzeznik encourages show attendees to bring several canned goods for the Goo Goo Dolls food drive with USA Harvest. “There are a lot of people dealing with hard times right now and now more than ever it’s important,” Rzeznik says.
1 I’m sure this is the question on most diehard Goo Goo Dolls’ fans minds: What happened to the heavy metal, punk-loving Dolls of the late 1980s and early 1990s? Do you still perform any of the original songs at shows, and do you ever miss playing that type of sound? As far as our first couple of albums, I feel ridiculous playing them. I don’t play music off of the first couple of albums for the same reason I don’t play with G.I. Joe dolls anymore. I’ve just sort of grown out of that. It doesn’t feel comfortable playing it anymore.
2 The Goo Goo Dolls are among the biggest acts to appear at the Independence Events Center in its first year, with other big names including the final Riverdance tour, Kenny Rogers and Sarah Palin. How do you feel about these people who’ve set the stage for you guys? (Laughs) I don’t care. That’s fine. I don’t know. It’s none of my business who played there before me or after me.
3 Next year, the Goo Goo Dolls will celebrate 25 years as a band. Where are you at now compared to where you thought you’d be in 1986? How do you still aim to remain relevant to your fans? Oh, and is Robby Takac (the Dolls’ bass player) your best friend? To me, we were always part-timers. We’ve only been doing this professionally for 15 years. Robby (Takac) and I started playing music together 25 years ago. Yeah, it depends on what day you talk to me. Generally, I’d say he’s more like my brother. I’ve gone so much further than I ever thought we’d ever go that if it ended today, I’d be satisfied with where we’ve been. As long as you stay honest with yourself, you’ll remain relevant with your fans. If you speak honestly, I think you’ll remain relevant.
