I was with three of my good friends: two I met there because they were in college while the other shared the trip to Raleigh with me. We were all going to see the Counting crows and Goo Goo Dolls perform at the Alltel Pavilion in Raleigh, NC.

These bands had dominated the radio air waves from the mid to late ‘90s. These were times on which we were just growing up, and all of us hoped to relive them.

Counting Crows had hit it big in 1993 with their hit “Mr. Jones” from the album August and Everything After. This song was one of our favorites and one we hoped to hear with eager anticipation.

This band was not a one hit wonder but had a stream of hits consisting of “A Long December”, “Rain King”, “Hanginround” and “Big Yellow Taxi” among others.

Goo Goo Dolls made their mark on the music industry when they released the song “Name” in 1995. This was soon followed by “Iris” inspired by the tragic 1998 “Movie City of Angels.” They also had many other famous songs such as “Slide,” “Black Balloon,” and “Broadway.”

We had listened to the two bands’ CDs the entire trip to Raleigh, and predicted which songs the bands were going to play. We made our picks and hoped that they wouldn’t leave out any of our favorites.

Goo Goo Dolls were up first, and right off the bat they reeled off their hits to the awaiting fans, who sang along not missing a single beat. The lead Johnny Rzenik, worked the crowds magnificently, joking and encouraging tojoin in.

Embarrassing as it probably was for him, he even joked at himself when he messed up the last line of “Name” which the crowd laughed feverishly. His piercing voice complimented his excellent guitar playing, and all their songs went off without a hitch.

The downside to their performance was when bassist Robby Takoc attempted to sing some of their songs. His annoying voice only prompted us in the crowd to talk amongst ourselves. The climax of their performance came when Rzeznik stopped all the music and sang the chorus to “Iris” a cappella. Their performance was very catchy and passed the time well.

Counting Crows were the headlines, and soon came out after Goo Goo Dolls had finished. I remembered a line from one of my favorite songs which said, ”I think you better turn your ticket in…and get your money back at the door.”

These were the first thoughts going through my head when the band played their first two songs. There was no passion behind them, and no one in the crowd seemed to know what the band was doing. Ironically, it all turned around for me when the third song just happened to be “Omaha,” the song from which those previous lines were derived.

The rest of the concert went fine — with the climax coming with the brilliantly played “A Long December,” where it was just lead singer Adam Duritz by Himself, singing to the immense crowd while playing only a piano.

The encore, however, was one I wish to forget. We all knew it would be a time in which they would play their most famous hit “Mr. Jones,” a rock anthem of the “90s.

This was not the case.

Oh, they played the song, but in a rendition of sorts that could only define the song by its lyrics-- not music. The song sounded completely different, leaving the crowd with a feeling of utter let down. What an anti climactic close.

Overall, the concert was fun, but not to the extent we had hoped. We left a little disappointed, but reflected on the positive points.

Instead of staying the night in Raleigh with our friends, one friend and I left for home. We arrived home at home 3:30 am, with a feeling of excitement but still unfulfilled.

If you ever get the chance to see these bands together, go see them. There is only one piece of advice I could give you: make sure you just buy lawn seats.