Dolls rock Palumbo

The Goo Goo Dolls: Quick, what springs to mind? Sappy and mellow, almost bubblegum-pop movie… The Goo Goo Dolls: Quick, what springs to mind? Sappy and mellow, almost bubblegum-pop movie theme songs? Heart-throb lead singer with hair reminiscent of the “Rachel” cut circa late-’90s “Friends”? Well, it seems the band has fooled us all. For one thing, Johnny Rzeznik’s biceps are bigger in real life than on television – but more importantly, the Goo Goo Dolls really know how to rock. And rock they did at their July 29 A.J. Palumbo Center performance.

“It’s awesome to be here with you people tonight!” Rzeznik shouted to the mesmerized crowd. “This is gonna be a good one tonight. I feel it. I feel it.”

This being the band’s first real headlining tour in about three years, (last year they co-headlined with the Counting Crows; before that they opened for Bon Jovi; and they toured with Third Eye Blind and Vanessa Carlton back in 2002) it proved to be well worth the wait. Even openers, newcomer Colbie Caillat (check out her catchy single “Bubbly”) and Pitt Bigelow Bash vets Lifehouse (whose new album, Who We Are, just dropped in June) couldn’t compete with the Dolls’ energy and stage presence.

The crowd was a mixture of 30-something inebriated women, fists pounding the air fixed in the “I love you” gesture, teeny boppers screaming along and older men nodding to the beat. It’s safe to say that with such a widespread fan base, the Dolls are full of staying power.

Originally a punk ensemble, the Dolls kicked off their performance with a memento of their roots: an entirely black wardrobe and a swifter, rougher version of “Long Way Down” off 1995’s A Boy Named Goo. Bassist Robby Takac also lent his talents to the crowd with lead vocals on “Tucked Away” and “Slave Girl.”

Known for his unconventional ways, Takac put on a bit of a show himself. He pranced around the stage in tight black jeans sans shoes, a bandana wrapped around his jet black locks (long gone are the days of his signature rouge-tinted mane,) while Rzeznik tousled his hair and strummed.

With the fan response to old favorites, you wouldn’t even guess this summer tour to be one of promotion – the Doll’s new single, “Fiction (Before It’s Too Late)” described by Rzeznik as “about a girl and a guy and a gang of killer robots from outer space” is the theme of this summer’s Transformers flick.

During “Black Balloon,” scores of – you guessed it – black balloons were blown up and tossed around for what resembled a gigantic game of hot potato. Fans hogged the mike during “Iris,” and the boys added an extra touch to the tune with an electric mandolin.

“No, I’m not drunk, I just act like it,” Rzeznik teased as he transitioned into the never-gets-old “Name.” Note to fans: If you scored a ticket within the front few rows, make sure to bring along some markers and poster board – Rzeznik hammed it up with those who were clever enough to do so.

“They’re so in touch with their fans, they’re heartfelt,” beamed Jenny McLain, fan of the Dolls for nearly a decade. Lucky enough to get a hold of some backstage passes and chat up the band, McLain was obviously still in a star-struck stupor: “Every concert’s like an emotional experience.”

“You can tell they’re having a blast at every concert,” said Dolls devotee Bonnie Doyle, who once collapsed into Rzeznik’s arms at a 1999 meet-and-greet. “Their music keeps evolving. It keeps growing.”

The Dolls’ hour-and-a-half-long set proved they are in fact evolving past the misconceptions of being purely pop and into a truly legendary trio. The boys are inching their way west and will finish up their U.S. tour in Cedar City, Utah, on Sept. 21.