Two bands that rose to massive mainstream success in the wake of the '90s alternative rock revolution share the stage when local boys made good the Counting Crows bring their co-headlining tour with the Goo Goo Dolls to town.

Drawing influences from respected classic rockers (particularly Van Morrison) as well as the more rustic end of alternative rock (think early R.E.M.), Bay Area favorites the Counting Crows became national stars after the release of 'August & Everything After' in 1993. Built around the weighty songs and emotive vocals of singer Adam Duritz, the dark album rose up the charts on the strength of its one uptempo song, "Mr. Jones."

Where many bands would have imploded after scaling the heights so quickly, the Crows have maintained a healthy fan base by focusing on solid roots-rock tunes and appealing to a broad audience. Though they haven't been particularly prolific (producing only four albums over 15 years), Duritz and company continue to evoke the classic, songwriter-oriented sounds of the '70s without coming across like a tribute band. Duritz's literate, emotional tunes are starting to be recognized as a precursor to the huge success of neo-folk rockers like John Meyer (who has co-headlined past tours with the band) and Dave Matthews.

The Goo Goo Dolls got their start as a trashy, garage-punk outfit out of Buffalo, NY, during the mid-1980s, frequently drawing comparisons to influential Minneapolis band the Replacements. By the time they scored a college-radio hit with 1990's 'Hold Me Up,' principle songwriter Johnny Reznik had shifted towards more of a power-pop sound. The band finally struck gold after the release of 'A Boy Named Goo' and its acoustic-guitar ballad hit "Name" pushed album to multi-platinum sales for the first time.

In 1998, "Iris" was released on the 'City of Angels' soundtrack and the Goos achieved even greater stardom as the song stayed on the Billboard charts at number one for 18 weeks and earned the group three Grammy nominations that year. Anchored by Reznik's nuanced songwriting and the band's polished sound, the Goo Goo Dolls continue their mainstream success with their latest effort, 'Let Love In.'

Date(s):
2006 Jun: 27

Location: Mountain View

Venue: Shoreline Amphitheatre

Time Info: 7 p.m.

Price Info: $26.75-$67.50