Rapid City, SD – After nearly seven years away from the Black Hills, the Goo Goo Dolls are set to return to Rapid City for a summer concert packed with chart-topping hits, fan favorites, and a renewed appreciation for the shared experience of live music.

The multi-platinum rock band will perform at Summit Arena at The Monument on Saturday, August 1, joined by special guests Neon Trees. The show marks the band’s third visit to Rapid City, following appearances in 1996—when they opened for Bush and No Doubt—and again in 2019 at what was then Rushmore Plaza Civic Center.

Speaking ahead of the show, frontman John Rzeznik reflected on the challenge of crafting a setlist after more than 40 years together.

“You’ve got to play the hits,” Rzeznik said. “We’ve been lucky enough to have a bunch of hits. Then you’ve got to go for the deeper cuts for the more hardcore fans. It’s getting difficult because we’ve been a band for forty years.”

That catalog includes beloved songs like “Iris,” “Slide,” “Black Balloon,” “Name,” “Broadway,” and “Better Days,” helping the band become one of the defining rock acts of the 1990s and early 2000s. Formed in Buffalo, New York, in 1986, the Goo Goo Dolls have sold millions of albums worldwide while earning multiple Grammy nominations and dozens of hit singles.

Despite decades of success, Rzeznik says the band’s approach to performing has evolved considerably.

Reflecting on the difference between the group that first stepped onto a Rapid City stage in 1996 and the one fans will see this summer, he laughed.

“Everybody is married and has kids… we’re not blacking out on stage. Everybody’s sober. It’s a different lifestyle for sure.”

Rzeznik also spoke candidly about his own sobriety journey, explaining that he once believed alcohol was tied to his creativity.

“I always felt like all that nonsense was somehow attached to being creative. And that is not true. It’s definitely not true.”

For Rzeznik, one of the greatest rewards of performing isn’t just playing the songs—it’s hearing thousands of voices sing them back.

“When there’s five, six, seven thousand people and they’re all singing… that’s the greatest part,” he said. “It’s humbling.”

He believes concerts offer something increasingly valuable in today’s world: genuine human connection.

“I think we all need more of those experiences where we’re all shoulder to shoulder… we’re all here for the same thing. We’re all here to have a good time.”

That sense of community is something the band hopes to recreate every night on tour, regardless of whether fans have followed them since the 1980s or are discovering them for the first time.

Asked what first-time concertgoers should expect in Rapid City, Rzeznik joked that audiences would see “five uncomfortably handsome men,” before promising a night filled with familiar songs, audience participation, and plenty of energy.

“You’re gonna hear a ton of songs… the show is really beautiful. A lot of participation with the audience, and the Neon Trees are amazing. It’s gonna be a big night of fun, hits, and just rocking out. Come on—that’s the way summer should be.”

With more than four decades of music behind them and another summer tour ahead, the Goo Goo Dolls continue to prove why their songs have remained staples of rock radio for generations. Whether fans have seen the band before or are experiencing them live for the first time, August 1 promises to be an evening celebrating timeless music, nostalgia, and the power of thousands of voices singing together.

The Goo Goo Dolls with special guest Neon Trees take the stage at Summit Arena at The Monument in Rapid City on Saturday, August 1. Tickets are available through The Monument box office and official ticketing outlets.