The Palomino scene of the Stagecoach Country Music Festival turned into a wave of nostalgia Sunday evening while the Goo Goo dolls delivered a sincere and full of strike in their beginnings in Stagecoach and, from what the fans shared with enthusiasm of each other, one of the performance of the most anticipated genre cross.
The singer John Rzeznik has not lost time to pass the crowd, bouncing on the stage with a quick “What’s new, people?” Before entering directly into “Stay with you”. The energy remained high as they moved directly into the sounds of “slide”, with Rzeznik stopping to smile, saying: “I knew I loved you guys”, after hearing the crowd sing.
While Stagecoach continues to embrace the diversity of genres more than ever this year – mixing the classic influences of the country, rock and pop through its range – all Goo Goo dolls felt like a perfect reflection of this spirit. Most of the crowds gathered in Palomino were millennials and older fans of the Z generation, many people who grew up with the successes of the late 90s and the early 2000s, creating a sea of fans of the same age singing their hearts with each word.
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Bassist Robby Takac of Goo GOOLS performs during the Stagecoach Music Festival in Indio on Sunday April 27, 2025. (Photo by Andy Holzman, contributing photographer)
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Bassist Robby Takac of Goo GOOLS performs during the Stagecoach Music Festival in Indio on Sunday April 27, 2025. (Photo by Andy Holzman, contributing photographer)
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By keeping the momentum, the group embarked on “here is gone” and “miracle pill”, before slowing down to introduce “name”. By reflecting on their beginnings, Rzeznik shared: “This is the first song that we have never had that was a target cite hit” and “thank you for keeping this group alive”.
Halfway, the Goo Goo dolls raised emotional energy by bringing out a live string section – with violins and a cello – which accompanied the rest of the performance, adding a beautiful cinematographic layer for successes like a “black ball” and beyond. “It’s fun – there are many people who know us and some who do not do it, but I hope that we have made you smile today. Take care of each other, okay,” said Rzeznik, winning the crowds of the crowd.
An out -of -competition moment came with “Run All Night”, an autonomous single released in 2023. Rzeznik, calling him an “orphan”, a song that is not attached to any album, thanked the public for having allowed him to share something deeply personal.
While the first notes of “Better Days” piano resounded through the field of the festival, Rzeznik shared laughing, “Merry Christmas, everyone”, joking about the longtime crossing of the song in the vacation reading lists. And of course, they saved the biggest moment for the end: “Well, we have to play this song otherwise we would be killed,” said Rzeznik before embarking on “Iris”, the massive ballad of 1998 which had the whole crowd completely belted.
During a festival built on the roots of the countryside but more and more celebrating the crossing, the goo goo dolls have proven that the writing of timeless songs can find a house anywhere, even in the heart of the desert.
Originally published:
California Daily Newspapers
