Last night's top secret Blind Date concert at Barrymore's turned out to be, to paraphrase Ed Sullivan, a really big Goo, folks.  

Buffalo's Goo Goo Dolls were the hush-hush attraction for 500 contest winners transported from across Canada to Barrymore's last night.

  It's all part of an elaborate beer company promotion -- Molson's Blind Date -- which sees winners air-lifted to Canadian clubs to witness small-scale shows by big-name talent. Vancouver got Soundgarden. Toronto got Metallica and the Sex Pistols. We got the Goo Goo Dolls.

  Theoretically, at least, the Ottawa show had the potential to be a disappointment. After all, rumors had Pearl Jam, REM and The Cranberries performing here. And if the principal was for a big band to play an uncharacteristically small nightspot, the fact is the Dolls played Barrymore's just a while back.

  But it all worked, mostly thanks to the Dolls' scruffy work ethic and likeable onstage manner. If the audience WAS unfamiliar with the group, the Dolls gave them a tour through their five-album catalogue (with special attention to the recent, 2-million-selling A Boy Named Goo), and even obliged with Prince's I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man as an encore.

  Guitarist-vocalist Johnny Rzeznik is reserved and cool, and has a perfect onstage foil in jovial and tireless bassist Robby Takac. After maintaining a lightning pace throughout the early part of the set, Takac's bass melted down, but their good humor ("Ever have one of those Blind Dates that didn't go so well," Takac chuckled) saw them through.

  `We're not Pearl Jam. We're not Rage Against The Machine. Sorry," they mock apologized to the crowd, before later sincerely thanking the audience for the generous reception.

  The revelation of last night's starring attraction was greeted with cheers, and nobody made for the exits or lobbed beer cups at the stage (as reportedly happened at the Pistols' Blind Date). Everyone went home happy

  As Takac said: "Free beer. Free rock. What else?"

  Truly, what else could you ask for? This was a Blind Date, but definitely not a bland date.

  Review: Molson Blind Date (Goo Goo Dolls)

  Where: Barrymore's, last night  

Sun Rating: three and a half out of five