Twenty years after the release of their first album, the Goo Goo Dolls
are revving on all cylinders. The band’s latest tour in support of 10th
album,
“Let Love In,” launched December 5 and blankets the United
States through March.
Frontman Johnny Rzeznik told Billboard.com the trio will then head to the United Kingdom and Ireland, and return to the
States for a summer tour of amphitheaters.
The Goos are also building a record studio in their hometown of Buffalo, N.Y.
“We’re never going to make a dime out of it, but the city has
never had a proper recording studio and it’s something we want to do,”
Rzeznik said. “It’s completely a not-for-profit thing for friends and
family and some local talent that we want to help out. If we were
trying to go into the studio business, we’d be killed and
disillusioned.”
In December, the group earned the distinction as the biggest
act in the history of Billboard’s adult top 40 chart, with 12 top 10
hits, including the recent “Let Love In.” Its first was “Name” in 1995,
followed by the No. 1s “Iris” and
“Slide” in 1998.
On the road, Rzeznik says he is all about sharing those
well-known titles with fans. “I’ve seen bands who almost get resentful
of their hits; they look at success with contempt.
It’s a very artsy thing to do. F— that,” he said. “I say, be
grateful that you have the hits, because most people would give their
left nut to have even one. Play your ass off and prove yourself every
night that you have the chance.”
