When the heavens opened and rain began to pour down onto the enormous crowd at the Goo Goo Dolls 2004 concert in Buffalo, the show hung in a precarious balance. Would fans stick around to see the rest of the show? Or would they head home to escape the downpour? Luckily, the band had a trick up their sleeve to convince people to stick around – they had yet to play their biggest hit, ‘Iris.’ When they began to play their signature song, the atmosphere at the concert seemed to transform.
Music Man fans will be amazed at how the rainstorm became a blessing in disguise, as it turned their performance of ‘Iris’ into a magical and melodramatic performance that perfectly captured the deep emotions that underpin the song. Not only did the crowd stick around to listen, but they threw themselves into the experience, shouting the lyrics back at the band over the sound of the pouring rain. Since the powerful moment went viral online, the video has received over 122M views.
I was just as charmed by the magic of this performance as everyone else who stumbled across it. One commenter wrote, “This is a song that was MEANT to be played in rain just like this,” and I couldn’t agree more. The yearning and drama in this song always pull on my heartstrings, and the rain starting to pour at the concert seemed to turn the performance into something out of a film. To me, it felt like a reminder that often the most magical moments in life come along completely unplanned.
Iris wasn’t the only song the band played as the rain poured down. They continued the concert, launching into ‘Broadway’ as confetti burst out of cannons to fall alongside the rain, and the atmosphere seemed to light the band up with energy. It’s hard not to feel a touch of irony hearing them sing the lyric “It always rains like hell on the loser’s day parade.” While the rain may have been present, it is clear that they came out of this particular parade as triumphant as can be.
In 2025, we are living through an era of carefully planned and choreographed live concerts, where shows are carefully constructed, from gestures to anecdotes being repeated night after night. While ensuring a certain standard of performance for fans each night, it leaves little room for spontaneity or surprise.
Music Man readers are sure to agree that the Goo Goo Dolls’ concert is a welcome reminder that often those spontaneous and unexpected moments are what make an event truly magical. With fans now saying that this concert will go down in history as the band’s best ever, it just goes to show how that chance rainstorm created a concert that couldn’t possibly be planned or repeated, but will continue to be adored for years to come.