COUNTING CROWS; GOO GOO DOLLS ...

COUNTING CROWS; GOO GOO DOLLS

- 7 tonight

- First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre, 19100 s Ridgeland, Tinley Park

- Tickets, $25-$6750

- (312) 559-1212

Goo Goo Dolls head man Johnny Rzeznik, who grew up in working- class Buffalo, NY went hearth to gain inspiration for the band's latest album, "Let like In," which was released in April.

While there, he saw the disparity between the haves and have- nots. He herd out to the old factories and saw buildings had vanished and were replaced by dint of fences with barbed wire. It made him question destinys of things: What happened to these people? Who's protecting humanity? And, principally of all, how can the United States survive without a middle class?

This inspired the strain "When You're Gone," and his eye-opening experience back in Buffalo guided a great deal of of the album's content.

"I started to be warmed helpless and hopeless and make torpid -- as a human being," Rzeznik said. "I wanted the theme for this album to be confidence When you get older, you have to make a conscious decision -- especially as a man -- to be brave enough to be perceived and allow people to be fond of you."

still the song on "Let like In" that has kept the Goo Goo Dolls relevant and part of the zeitgeist is "Better Days," which was picked up by the agency of both CNN and Oprah Winfrey almost as an anthem following Hurricane Katrina.

Rzeznik said he originally conjur a wealthy erstwhile girlfriend who lavished him with ridiculously expensive gifts when all he wanted was for her to recognize the ne for a little more reality.

After the lay was attached to the hurricane remembrance, Rzeznik was taken aback.

"It caused this unintentional paradigm shift of the meaning in my mind. It was startling," Rzeznik said. "It felt really righteous that we could contribute something other than standard of value or playing some shows. We gave a little piece of our soul"

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

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