Goo Goo Dolls • Dashboard Confessional • August 26, 2025 • Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre
Reviewed and Photographed by Josilyn Wakkuri Lybbert
Alternative pop-rock fans braved the rain and filled Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre on August 26, 2025, to catch the Goo Goo Dolls, joined by Dashboard Confessional, for their Summer Anthem Tour! Fans ranged from young to old, from families to groups of friends!
When I first arrived at the venue, the skies had cleared from the previously rainy day, so I had my hopes up that it would stay that way! It quickly turned grey again, but the crowd was beyond prepared, with the majority of people in ponchos and rain jackets, and seemed unfazed by the wet weather!
Dashboard Confessional
As I made my way to my seat, I noticed that a large number of fans were sporting Dashboard Confessional merch. Of course, those people, joined by many others, were thrilled when Dashboard Confessional took the stage! Fresh off the stage with the Jonas Brothers at Fenway Park, and on tour with the Goo Goo Dolls performing at the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheater, all in the same week, they brought a grateful, excited energy and kicked the night off with “The Best Deceptions!” It was really fun to see several different families that had the parents and children singing their hearts out from the get-go! There’s no doubt that those parents grew up with the music and passed on that love to their children!
Frontman Chris Carrabba expressed for the first of many times, that he loves Salt Lake City and that it’s his most favorite place to play in the whole world! I feel like it can be a go-to phrase to hear from the stage, but with the passion behind Chris’ sentiments and frequency of them throughout the set, there was no doubt that he truly meant it! He felt so at home in the Salt Lake valley that he even ventured out to a barber shop downtown to get a haircut earlier in the day!
Fans cheered when Chris shared that he could tell that there were new and old fans in the audience, and because he could sense the veteran Dashboard Confessional fans, they were going to favor the crowd with an older tune, “Saints and Sailors!”
One of the coolest moments of the night took place during the unreleased song, “No More Bad Days,” written based on a Mantra that encouraged Chris to keep in good spirits while touring away from his family. He instructed the crowd to sing a certain part of the chorus because they wanted to add audio of fans singing in the song when it’s released!
After one of the last songs, “Vindicated,” Chris, taken aback by the phenomenal crowd participation, said, “That’s how that song is supposed to sound – oh my God! I want to re-record all of my music with you all! How about a live album in Salt Lake City?”
I wasn’t familiar with Dashboard Confessional prior to the show, but I had listened to a few of their songs on the way to the venue, and I was really impressed by how unchanged and strong Chris’ voice was after nearly three decades of performing! He and his talented band brought a lot of energy to the stage, and it’s always so nice when a band so dearly loves the SLC fans, and the fans love them right back! There’s no doubt that the audience was sad to see Dashboard Confessional’s time come to an end!
Goo Goo Dolls
The rain really came down in full force in between the two bands, but luckily, right when I took my camera out, ready to photograph the Goo Goo Dolls, the rain stopped!
I was looking forward to this performance! While I’m not super knowledgeable about the Goo Goo Dolls, a handful of their songs were on a pretty heavy rotation on my local radio station when I was little, so I was excited to experience those particular songs live! It’s crazy how music can take you back in time – even twenty years – and some Goo Goo Dolls songs do just that for me!
I was immediately in awe of both lead singer, John Rzeznik, and bassist/vocalist, Robby Takac’s hyped up energy – especially Robby’s! It was very clear from the first song, “Naked,” that the whole band was simply thrilled to be there and performing! And wow, were they good! Like Dashboard Confessional, time didn’t change much for John and Robby’s voices! They were strong, steady, and just like I thought, they transported me back in time!
They really got the crowd excited when they played one of their biggest hits, “Slide,” as the second song! Those sorts of songs are usually reserved for later in the show, but I really liked that they threw in those popular tunes sporadically! It was so enjoyable to hear fans singing at the top of their lungs for this one!
I noticed that many of the fans who knew every word to every Dashboard Confessional song also knew every word to the Goo Goo Dolls’ songs. I feel like with most shows, people are super fans for one of the bands on the roster, but I loved seeing so many members of this audience so passionate about both bands! What a great concert experience for those fans!
A ways down the setlist, John checked in with the crowd and asked if they were happy. When they responded with cheers, he said, “Well, you won’t be after this!” That led into the song, “Sympathy,” which was interrupted when John laughed because he noticed himself up on the big screen and said to the camera person, “Whoa, that’s uncomfortably close, dude!” When he finished the song, he joked, “Now that you are all very familiar with the inside of my nose…” The song that was supposed to bring down ended up with some funny experiences!
An acoustic portion of the show, the beautiful “Acoustic #3,” which was followed by their first ever hit, “Name,” which they noted, they were still happy to play! It was another cool one – it started out very acoustic with just John and a guitar, then transitioned into an a cappella rendition, and by the end, the whole band was brought back in. It made for an intriguing progression that kept everyone watching and listening on their toes.
During the song “Ocean,” the stage lights glowed blue and fog rolled across the stage. That set up an ambiance that definitely felt like ocean vibes and added to the experience of the performance!
One of my favorite parts of the show was when Robby took over on the vocals, “Life’s A Message,” and “Bringing On The Light.” As their titles suggest, they were both very uplifting songs with very sweet, encouraging messages. The songs were great, but, for me, Robby’s obvious enthusiasm and happiness really made that bit of the set a highlight! He donned the biggest smile, and it was just a purely wholesome part of the night! Fans loved it too and made it clear by singing along and cheering!
Another good-hearted tune, “Better Days,” followed. I learned that it was initially released on a Christmas album, which makes sense lyrically now that I know that, but it has good reminders of what’s important for any time of year. John got pretty choked up throughout that song. There’s no doubt he’s sang it hundreds of times, so it was touching to see that it still packs an emotional power for him – and rightfully so! It was a beautiful performance!
Another highlight included a cover of the late, great Tom Petty’s “You Wreck Me.” John shared that he loves Tom Petty and that he’s his favorite songwriter and rock star. He sure did Tom proud with the cover of his song! It was a blast as the fans rocked out just as hard as the band on stage!
To end the night, John said, “I can’t wait to do this again with you soon! And I bet you know, we can’t get out of here until we play this one,” which led into the intro of the iconic, 2,000,000,000+ streamed hit, “Iris.” The crow lost it! Again, I was so impressed with John’s voice and the musicality produced by the band. “Iris” was simply stunning live! Cell phone lights illuminated the span of the venue, and there were several opportunities to sing along. It was a wonderful thing to experience!
The testy weather was well worth the incredible show put on by Dashboard Confessional and the Goo Goo Dolls’ Summer Anthem Tour! It certainly provided fans an opportunity to be engulfed in some of their favorite summer anthems. The night was filled with joy and great music, and it was one to remember!