Goo Goo Dolls make their mark on history
By: Matthew Scott
John Rzeznik, lead singer and guitarist of the Goo Goo Dolls, would occasionally spend time at the Buffalo History Museum as a student at McKinley High School. The museum being right across the street, all he had to do was cross Elmwood Avenue.Now decades later, Rzeznik and the iconic band have their own exhibit, remembering every iconic chorus and legendary performance of the past 40 years.
The Buffalo History Museum was closed to the public as its newest Goo Goo Dolls-themed exhibit opened up on Wednesday, Sept. 16. The opening featured an appearance by the Buffalo natives themselves, the Goo Goo Dolls.
The exhibit marks the group's 40th anniversary and is titled “Long Way Home,” after their song from the album “Boxes.”
Anthony Greco, director of exhibits & interpretive planning, talked about the grand opening being open only to VIPs until the doors were open to members at 7 p.m.
During the VIP tour, band members John Rzeznik and Robby Takac saw the exhibit, saying they loved it and even gave a shout-out to the team that made it happen.
“The people that were with them when they got going, and the people that have been with them through their entire career were with them,” Greco said. “We limited the event tto 200 people.”
However, when the doors were open to the public, and all was said and done, an estimate of around 300 to 400 people showed up.
“It was great to see this building full,” Katie McIntyre, director of advancement, said. “The nicest thing for me to see was the new group of people coming into the museum.”
According to Greco, the new exhibit could boost attendance by 30 percent; their sports exhibit did the same.
The museum worked directly with the band, and the idea came up almost four to five years ago. Anthony talked to Goo Goo Dolls manager Pat Magnarella, floating the idea about doing an exhibit knowing that the 40th anniversary was coming up.
John and Robby said they loved the museum and would do anything for them, so it was perfect to do. Working with them, Anthony said that both John and Robby couldn’t have been any nicer, very humble, and down-to-earth. At the opening, John asked questions, curious about the museum and the history of Buffalo.
“A huge positive response from not only the band but the management as well,” Emilie Burt, the museum communications coordinator, said. “It couldn’t have gone any better.”
Now, while making the exhibit, one thing many will miss is the color scheme. It starts off with dark greys and light greys. Towards the middle, it gets more vibrant, but at the end it goes back to grey. Anthony believes it to be reinforcing the title “Long Way Home.”
Buffalo hasn’t forgotten the Goo Goo Dolls, and sure enough, they haven’t forgotten about us. The exhibit took two years to make and is Greco's favorite one he’s worked on.
“How often do you get to do an exhibit about something so personal, something that is so part of your life?” Greco said.
Burt says her favorite part of the exhibit is the make-your-own mixtape section. Each of the band members made their own playlists. Songs that inspired them.
For McIntyre, she said her favorite part was actually the idea of how it all came to be, which was the scrapbook Robbie’s mom made. Each page was filled with every headline and story the band was in. Being a mother herself, she found that touching.
It’s a huge hit so far, boosting attendance with a newer generation walking through the door. The exhibit is up for a year before it’s taken down. The Goo Goo Dolls have made history once again in the city of Buffalo.
