The Goo Goo Dolls hit the stage in Charlotte, North Carolina, on July 25, 2025, for a sold-out night with special guests Dashboard Confessional. The 95° F didn’t stop the night from being another wonderful summer evening filled with good music. The venue was buzzing with fans even with the insane and muggy southern heat.

The night started off with Dashboard Confessional playing an incredible opening set. Well, my night started off trying to find a way to say hello to the puppies that the tour brought in from a local puppy rescue for the crew to meet and decompress with! Even with the elevated temperatures, Dashboard Confessional kept the energy going throughout their entire set. Starting off their set with “The Best Deceptions” off their 2001 album, The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most. The crowd was trickling in due to backed up traffic getting into the venue, but I was happy to see so many people already in their seats for the opening set! I’m a firm believer of getting to shows early and seeing the opener, because they might become your new favorite artist! While I was wading through the line of people to get into the venue, I was hearing fans talking about who they were excited to see and it was an equal amount of excitement to see both bands! The night felt like it was taken straight out of an early/mid 2000’s summer movie and I loved every second of it! They played songs from all over their discography like “Stolen” and “Vindicated” off their 2007 album, Dusk and Summer, and “Screaming Infidelities,” “The Sharp Hint of New Tears,” and “Again I go Unnoticed” off their 2000 album, The Swiss Army Romance. Their set was full of long, crescendoing instrumentals and amazing vocals. I ended up taking a break from the heat in the VIP section and the walls were shaking with how loud their set was! Dashboard Confessional made a stop at this venue on their tour last year, but unfortunately I was not able to see them. I am so glad I was able to come out tonight and finally get to experience one of their sets! Their set ending was timed perfectly with the beautiful sunset spreading across the Charlotte skyline. I couldn’t think of a more perfect way to start out the night! 

After a reprieve from the summer, southern heat and a scare of incoming rain, the Goo Goo Dolls hit the stage! Their set started a little earlier so fans were jumping to their feet when they walked on stage and started playing “Naked.” The venue was packed with people, you couldn’t see the end of the lawn. The night felt like a huge summer party, everyone was dancing and having a good time! While many people know the Goo Goo Dolls from their releases in the mid ’90s and early 2000s, the band has been releasing album after album all through the 2010s and now in the 2020s! They played their most recent single, “Nothing Lasts Forever,” which was released earlier this year. They played their most popular hits like “Slide,” “Black Balloon,” and “Better Days.” They also played some songs like “Naked” and “Name” off their album A Boy Name Goo, which they just re-released as a 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition this year! They also played a bunch of songs off their 2002 album Gutterflower like “Big Machine,” “Think About Me,” “Here Is Gone,” and “Symphony.” While they kept the majority of their setlist full of older releases, they included “Miracle Pill’ and “Life’s A Message” off their 2019 album Miracle Pill. They ended their set with “Iris” off their 1998 album, Dizzy Up The Girl, which has accumulated over 2 billion streams on Spotify.  There is no shortage of music from the band, I can’t wait to take an even deeper dive into their newer releases!

Even with the heat and the hustle off the night, their touring crew was working their butts off to keep the night running smoothly! It must be reassuring to the band to hear me say that their crowd was full of some of the nicest people I had ever met. We were invited into some private/VIP boxes while we were shooting and so many people were chatting and making new friends before, during, and after the show! I look forward to the next time they roll through North Carolina because I know I will have an amazing night!

For those who missed the Charlotte date, the “Summer Anthem Tour” continues in North Carolina on July 26 at the Red Hat Amphitheater in Raleigh. But don’t worry, their tour continues on well into the fall with dates all over North America. Dashboard Confessional will be along for the ride as well! Make sure to get your tickets for a date near you – if there are any left – because they are going fast!