MUSIC SCENE Eric Olsen interviews Robby Takac, Goo Goo Dolls Celebrating 40 Years

In this episode of Music Scene, Eric Olsen chats with Robby Takac,  the bassist, singer, songwriter, and co-founder of the Goo Goo Dolls, the Buffalo band celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2026. From Buffalo punk rooms like the Continental to global stages, Takac has anchored every era of the band — the breakthrough of "Name," the ubiquity of "Slide," and "Iris," which is having a massive 2026 moment (5–6 billion streams, Diamond certified, the most-streamed song of the entire '90s). Offstage, he founded Music is Art, the Buffalo nonprofit keeping music alive through its free annual festival, instrument donations, and youth music programs. He joined Music Scene to talk the 40th, persistence, and what four decades in the van teaches you. 
**Def Leppard 2027 North American Tour** — Def Leppard with the Goo Goo Dolls and special guest The Struts. 45 dates, March 2 through July 2, 2027.
**Sunday, June 13, 2027 — Tampa, FL at Benchmark International Arena.
** There's also a warmup show Thursday, October 15 at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, FL.
On-sale: Def Leppard Rock Brigade presale Monday, October 12 at 10am; general on-sale Friday, October 16 at 10am local via Live Nation.
Next Up: The second annual hometown benefit shows, Nov 20–21 at Buffalo's Town Ballroom (all proceeds to FeedMore WNY), and the first-ever vinyl pressing of "Borrowed" for Record Store Day Black Friday (Nov 27).
ABOUT ERIC OLSEN Eric Olsen joins Radio St Pete as our newest host. The  intrepid correspondent looks forward to sharing more conversations with the artists who shape our musical lives. A working drummer who came up in the San Francisco & LA scenes, Eric brings a musician's ear and a storyteller's instincts to every interview, honed by a career writing for television (*Dexter*, *Chicago PD*, Adult Swim) and performing stand-up at the Comedy Store and Hollywood Improv. His radio roots go back to the early '90s in Springfield, Illinois, where he handled news, sports, traffic, and DJ shifts. On *Music Scene*, he chases the stories behind the songs with Tampa Bay listening in.

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