Interview with Robby Takac of the Goo Goo Dolls

by Rebecca Clark

Tuesday November 5 was a day of excitement for all at Utica College. The Goo Goo Dolls were in town to entertain UC students giving them a break from homework, and a night of fun, unlike any normal Tuesday night. Bassist/singer Robby Takac from the Goo Goo Dolls took time out of his busy schedule to have a chat with The Tangerine a few hours before the show.

            After an absence of performing in Utica since May of 1999, the Goo Goo Dolls decided to come back because “It is the seventh leg of the tour, we are playing smaller venues that hold two-thousand to six-thousand people and we wanted to hit some of the smaller markets like Utica,” Takac said.

            Many fans do not know that Takac sings and writes songs on the Goo Goo Doll’s albums. “I usually just write and take the songs that I wrote and see what fits into what Johnny wants to put on the record, I actually have more songs on (Gutterflower) and it was a cool experience,” Takac said. Since all the singles on the radio are songs that Johnny wrote, it is sad not to hear some of Takac’s songs on the radio, but “I really do not need the pressure” Takac said.

            Lisa Loeb being the opening act on this leg of the tour is an out of the ordinary choice to have warming up the stage for the Goo Goo Dolls. “We admire her as a songwriter and we really wanted the leg to be seven weeks, (Lisa) is a really cool and a nice girl. I saw her a lot at the taco shop down the street from where I live in LA,” Takac said.

            Although the Goo Goo Dolls are well known around the world, playing at their home town of Buffalo, NY has a different feeling for them “(Buffalo) has been supporting and been behind us and there is a feeling of pride when we play there. It is a good feeling,” Takac said. Although they have a sense of pride playing at home, it is evident seeing the Goo Goo Dolls perform, that they love and enjoy playing for their fans, no matter what city they are at.

            The craziest thing a fan has done for the Goo Goo Dolls is “when a girl sent us plane tickets to fly out to Hawaii and meet her. What would you do if someone sends you three thousand dollars worth of plane tickets? There has to be something wrong with them,” Takac says, as he laughs about the whole situation.

            Inspiration for the Goo Goo Dolls music and song writing comes from their personal experiences, “we pretty much do write about things we see and things that happen to us and to other people (around us),” Takac said.

            The next single to come from Gutterflower is still kind of in the air “’Think about me’ or ‘Sympathy’ (will be next), but we are leaning towards ‘Think about me’,” Takac said. The label ultimately makes the decision on the next single, “we basically turn in our record and (the label) does the rest. A shoe maker is not always the best shoe salesman you know?” Takac said.

            The Goo Goo Dolls have reached success all over the world, but fame has not gone to their heads. Takac is very down to earth and has a remarkable personality, being funny, laid back and easy to talk to. The Goo Goo Dolls will be finishing up their tour with Lisa Loeb until the beginning of December and in February they will head out to open for Bon Jovi.