Last night, The Plain White T’s, Daughtry and the Goo Goo Dolls played the Cuthbert Amphitheatre, filling a Eugene summer night with rock music.
The Plain White T’s was the quintessential opening band. Confined to far downstage as a result of all of Daughtry’s and Goo Goo Doll’s equipment, Plain White T’s were spread horizontally across the stage. They used it well, especially frontman Tom Higgenson, running around and interacting with the pit, which was about one third full. The band, with their boyish look, seamless harmonies and light-hearted hits that made any college-aged student in the audience think of their crush, was the ideal opener.
Daughtry was next up, whose significantly harder rock approach was a bit jolting at first, but served to further pump up the crowd, who was getting drunker and more sun tired by the minute. The number of people in the pit tripled. Daughtry addressed the crowd, most likely wooing several women with his slight Southern twang, blue v-neck and tight black pants. The Daughtry crew was given more stage space, as well as a projection behind them, which was mostly filled with vague American images of canyons, roads and motorcycles in pop art colors.
If there was one thing Daughtry enjoyed more than smacking the tambourine, it was yelling. Some of the more memorable yells, amplified to an abrasive volume with the help of his mic: “Ya’ll remember 2006?”, “Ya’ll got a lot of pollen out here. It’s killin me,” “I’m gonna play my favorite song. Yes, it’s all about me right now” and the crowd-pleaser “Got to see your people and your culture and what they’re about…I wanna move here.” Daughtry sang “I’m Going Home” half an hour before he actually left the stage, much to my disappointment. However, a magical Eugene crowd psychology moment happened when he encouraged people to sing along to the “ohhh”s in “Long Live Rock & Roll”. One by one, people started throwing up the Oregon O, and suddenly dozens of people, both singing along and not, proudly held up the “O”, the lights of the stage shining through the opening in their hands instead of a football field.
Daughtry’s set ended just as the sun was setting. By the time Goo Goo Dolls struck their first chord, the sky was dark, the stage was covered with smoke and red lights and at least two women in my eyeline had gotten up and began to gyrate. Goo Goo Dolls were given the entire stage, as well as 18-some guitars stage right, which frontman Johnny Rzeznik took full advantage of. Rzeznik’s subdued yet melodic voice exemplified everything good about early ’90s alternative rock, as did his favoring of the rockstar power stance.
Rzeznik playfulls interacted with the crowd, calling Eugene citizens “Eugeniuses” and giving shoutouts to the men who got dragged to the show by their girlfriends. Like any good rock show, at least three people’s crowdsurfing dream came true. Rzeznik even validated one guy, shouting, “Hey you look good up there!”
Upon first glance, the night’s lineup seemed a bit random- like creating an unconventional meal out of the last ingredients in your pantry. I wasn’t convinced the three bands had much cohesion until the Goo Goo Dolls third song- “Slide.” Goo Goo Dolls are a blending of the melodic, harmony-laden romantic Plain White T’s and the rock energy and driving electric guitar of Daughtry. Even Rzezznik himself seemed to be a blend of the two openers, with his long-bangs boyish rockstar look and scruffy voice. Whether it be a good headbanger or the cathartic release of romantic frustation/love/the frustration of being in love, I’d like to think everyone left satisfied.