LIVE: GOO GOO DOLLS – Tampa, FL, USA – August 24, 2026

Venue: MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre

City: Tampa, FL

Date: August 24, 2026

Review and Photographs by: Kassidy Griffin (https://kassidyraephoto.wixsite.com/mysite/projects-7)

Monday night at MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheater brought together two different corners of alternative music as Neon Trees joined Goo Goo Dolls for their Summer Tour 2026. I admit that right away, I didn’t walk into the show as a major fan of either band. I knew only a couple of Goo Goo Doll songs. And when it came to Neon Trees, the songs “Animal” and “Everybody Talks” were really the extent of my knowledge. Sometimes that makes reviewing a concert even more interesting. There are no expectations to live up to and no nostalgia doing the heavy lifting. It comes down to what the bands really do on that stage. As a photographer, I started the evening at the front of house for some songs before putting the camera away to experience the rest of the show from the crowd. By the end of the night, one band in particular had caught me completely by surprise.

Neon trees wasted no time getting Tampa moving with their opener “Songs I Can’t Listen To” and shortly after, with “Animal,” which was one of the few songs I already knew. But as the set continued, I really quickly realized there was much more to their sound than the radio hits I remembered. There was a strong alternative pop, new wave influence, running through their performance that immediately caught my attention. Their sound had moments of colorful synth-driven music of decades past without feeling like they were trying to simply recreate it. Frontman Tyler Glenn was impossible to ignore. His stage presence was energetic, theatrical, and wonderfully eccentric, giving the stage performance a personality that extended further than the songs.  One of my favorite surprises was their cover of the Human League’s, “Don’t You Want Me.” Glenn took the male vocals while drummer, Elaine Bradley, sang the female part all while continuing to play behind the kit. I already have a soft spot for female drummers, but a female drummer who can sing while playing? Double the respect. Hearing Neon Trees take on such a recognizable, new wave song made the influences I had been picking up throughout their performance click even more. Of course, “Everybody Talks” was another familiar moment and hearing thousands of people sing along gave me a new appreciation for the song I had heard countless times before in my life. Neon trees walked onto the stage as a band I knew, through essentially two songs and walked off as one I genuinely wanted to hear more from. For me, that is one of the best things an opening act can accomplish.

I’ll be equally upfront about Goo Goo dolls. I am not personally a fan and going into the night, I really only knew two of their songs. That being said, there’s a difference between something not being your taste yet still recognizing when a band knows exactly what it’s doing. The Goo Goo Dolls put on a confident performance backed by their decades of experience. More importantly, one glance around the amphitheater made it obvious just how much their music means to their fans. The stands were filled. Throughout the set, I watched people sing along to songs that had clearly carried years of memories for them. “Slide” was one of the tracks I recognized, but much of the set was new territory for me. John Rzeznik commanded the stage comfortably with his guitar in hand as the band sounded tight throughout the night. Even without having a personal connection to most of the material, it was easy to respect their longevity, and the connection Goo Goo Dolls still have with their audience. And then of course there was “Iris.” A song bigger than the band. “Iris” was the other Goo Goo Doll song I knew. Going into the show and hearing it, surrounded by thousands of fans, gave me a much better understanding of what the song means to people. Phones went into the air almost instantly, as the opening chords called through the amphitheatre. Around me, people who had spent their entire evening waiting for that moment, sang nearly every word. That is one of my favorite parts about concert photography in live music in general. You do not necessarily have to love the artist to appreciate what their music means to the person standing next to you.

I walked into the amphitheater expecting Goo Goo Dolls to be the obvious centerpiece of the evening.  Judging by the packed stands and reaction from their fans, they absolutely were for a large portion of the Tampa area. For me, though, the surprise was Neon Trees. Their combination of alternative pop, new wave influence, colorful personality, and infectious stage presence connected with me far more than I expected. Goo Goo dolls earned my respect as performers, but Neon Tees earned a spot on my playlist. Sometimes, the best thing you can take away from a concert isn’t hearing a song you already love. It’s discovering the next one.

Goo Goo Dolls Setlist: Over and Over – Dizzy – Slide – Think About Me – Here Is Gone – Smash – Big Machine – Naked – Black Balloon – I’m Still Here – Miracle Pill – Sympathy – Acoustic #3 – Name – Long Way Down – Run All Night – Life’s a Message – Nothing Lasts Forever – Stay With You – Let Love In – Ocean – Bringing On the Light – Better Days – Broadway – Iris

Neon Trees setlist: Songs I Can’t Listen To – Nights – Recover – Animal – Moving in the Dark – Teenager in Love – Secret – Bad Dreams – Don’t You Want Me – Sleeping With a Friend – New Best Friend – Everybody Talks

[Show as slideshow]

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Category: Live Reviews, Photo Galleries