On September 28, 1996, the Goo Goo Dolls — Buffalo’s own — became the first act ever booked into the brand-new Marine Midland Arena, with fellow up-and-comers Barenaked Ladies opening. It was a genuine hometown-boys-make-good moment: a band that had spent years grinding it out at the old Aud now headlining a 20,000-capacity arena in their own city, riding the breakout success of “A Boy Named Goo” and the hit single “Name.” Bassist Robby Takac later called it unforgettable — his grandmother was in the building that night. Thirty years on, it’s still one of the great full-circle Buffalo music stories.
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