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When Goo Goo Dolls braved torrential rain to sing ‘Iris’ to 60,000 adoring fans
20 April 2026, 14:54
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There's a valid reason why this song keeps cropping back up.
The song in question is 'Iris', the Goo Goo Dolls' gorgeous 1998 ballad that's had us weeping for nearly 30 years.
For anyone perusing social media, you would have noticed that the song is consistently used in multiple viral trends.
The most recent example is the "What were you like in the 90s?" trend that has taken both Instagram and TikTok by storm.
Throughout March and April this year, users and celebrities have shared a series of photo/video montages of their lives in the 90s whilst the song plays in the background.
- The Story of... 'Iris' by Goo Goo Dolls
- Billy Joel joined by Goo Goo Dolls’ John Rzeznik for mesmerising performance of ‘Iris’
- Has Brad Pitt finally impressed Shania Twain after 1998 hit 'That Don’t Impress Me Much'?
- How George Michael bravely defended his sexuality with 1998 single 'Outside' and became a gay icon
Funnily enough, 'Iris' has a habit of going down a storm – particularly for one classic performance by the band.
In 2004, the band braved torrential weather (and the risk od electrocution) to make sure their adoring fans didn't leave the show disappointed.
Safe to say, it became one of the most epic concert performances of this century.
This memorable musical moment took place in 2004, as the Goo Goo Dolls returned to their home turf.
After years on the road becoming one of the country's most beloved groups, they played to 60,000 of their hometown fans in Buffalo, New York.
With singles like 'Name', 'Slide', 'Name', 'Black Balloon', 'Better Days', 'Come To Me' and 'Here Is Gone', the band wowed the enormous crowd who turned out to sing along to their pop rock anthems.
But disappointment nearly struck – as did lightning – when the heavens opened, and the gig was very nearly cut short.
Goo Goo Dolls - Iris (Live in Buffalo, NY, 7/4/2004) [Official Video]
Trying to avoid any potential health hazards and to save the incredibly expensive audio equipment, with the rain pouring buckets, the concert crew attempted to cancel the show.
Lead singer Johnny Rzeznik wasn't having any of it, however, and continued to play through the wall of wind and rain.
By not letting down the fans that had turned out in droves to see their hometown heroes, he created memories that will last for a lifetime.
Despite the turn in the weather, 60,000 people in attendance stayed put, living in the moment.
Buoyed by the fact nobody in the audience wanted the show to end, Rzeznik went on to perform their hit single 'Iris' – and I don't think there was a more perfect time or place for this song to be heard live.
"You have no idea how much we love you," he told the crowd as the band left the stage, knowing that this experience would be etched in his heart forever.
Not to mention the thousands of people staring back at him.
'Iris' has not only lived long in the minds of fans from this era, but it's captured an entirely new generation of fans since.
After being used in the 2024 superhero movie Deadpool & Wolverine, the song became the most-streamed song from the 1990s in 2025, amassing over three billion streams.
Mega stars like Taylor Swift have helped bring it to a new audience, as have various celebrities who have jumped on to the "What were you like in the 90s?" trend on social media.
The likes of Courteney Cox, Kevin Bacon, Reese Witherspoon, Usher, Drew Barrymore, members of the Spice Girls and Backstreet Boys, Darius Rucker and more have shared their nostalgic trips down memory lane to the soundtrack of 'Iris' over the past few weeks.
"I'd give up forever to touch you," Rzeznik sings in the first line of the song, and it'll no doubt keep touching more and more fans' hearts as the years go by.
