Goo Goo Dolls deliver spirited, high-energy performance at Musikfest

are known for their numerous crowd-friendly, arena-tailored sing-alongs.

Tonight the band gave the people exactly what they wanted: a spirited and energetic blast of up- and mid-tempo pop rock. The band didn't waste any time jumping into the hits. By the second song, "Slide," the crowd was already on their feet, singing along in full force.

"Here is Gone," and later, "Naked," also had a good portion of the crowd sharing vocal duties with singer-guitarist Johnny Rzeznik.

Rzeznik's voice, though showing the faintest trace of hoarseness, was the strongest of the night. Bassist Robby Takac, thumping along his four-string, came off flat and, dare I say, a tad whiny when handling leads (this was especially true of the punkier "Tucked Away"), but they were enthusiastic attempts nonetheless.

Vocal discrepancies aside, the music was solid, punctuated by driving numbers such as "Stay With You" and their hit ballad, "Name." There is no doubt that the Goo Goo Dolls have serious musical chops. The group sounded tight and flawless throughout their set.

"Some of you are old enough to remember when this song came out," Rzeznik said of "Name," which hit radio airwaves all the way back in 1995.

It's hard to argue against Rzeznik and Takac's songwriting skills. Skills that, since their inception in 1985, have yielded a plethora of well-crafted, infectious pop rock that the crowd ate up.

From the opening notes to final chord strums, fans stood at attention, mouthing along to Rzeznik and the band as they kept spirits high with favorites such as "Black Balloon" and "Let Love In."

Rzeznik took a moment under the spotlight for a solo run through "Can't Let It Go," easily one of the highlights of the evening.

Hailing from Virginia, guitarist

set the mood early on with a two-song opening set. Dennehy, born in Romania without arms, played an acoustic guitar with his feet. It was a moving and unabashedly impressive performance that drew the crowd to its feet for a standing ovation. Dennehy later joined the band on stage to play acoustic guitar on "Iris."