Exclusive high-definition photos from two 1990 concerts, courtesy of Carla Trujillo

We briefly wrote about Carla Trujillo a few days ago when she got in touch with us. Today, we are proud to share with all of our readers the first (of we hope many other) footage material she wants to share with the Temple community.

Along with the some exclusive, high-quality shots from two Goo Goo Dolls concerts she attended to with her husband back in late 1990, Carla also included three pictures are a way to introduce herself to you all. Let’s take a look at them below:

One of the photos […] is my husband Vernon wearing a GGD shirt from the late 1980s that he still has. The back of it has all the signatures of the band. I guess I need an another photo! The other two photos are when my nieces Julie and Jenna along with their friend ran into the GGD in 2007 outside the Craig Ferguson show. We were on a private tour of CBS Studios and we decided to go upstairs since I heard music that seemed familiar. We get out of the elevator to the side entrance of the soundstage and there they were Robby and Johnny. Robby recognized me. They were sweet to take photos with my nieces.

Below is a close up of the shirt we see being wore by Carla’s husband. John and Robby signed it and also wrote comments about Vernon having hit the gym:

Carla and Vernon have had direct connections with the band since the late 1980’s. Below is Carla’s formal introduction to our community. Take your time to read it thoroughly. She has met John, Robby, and George on several occasions and they have established a friendly relationship with the trio ever since.

My name is Carla Trujillo and I attended Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles from 1987 to 1990. My husband and I met in March of 1987 right before we attended the university together. I wanted to go to that university because they had a great radio station called KXLU. That station played bands before KROQ did! Think R. E. M. and the Replacements. I wanted to be a d.j. while majoring in mathematics and I convinced my boyfriend (now husband) to join the radio program  with me to eventually become a KXLU d.j. He was really good at playing records and picking out sets of music so he got a radio show. I only got to work at the am station which no one could hear. 

After a year or so he had a radio show at 12-3 pm and that’s when Diana of Metal Blade Records called asking if someone could interview the GGD. He found out about them a few months earlier when he was looking at the record stacks and pulled out their first and second albums, played them, and then became a fan. He was happy to interview them and I have that on cassette tape but I need to get that digitized. He saw them play 6 shows in a two week period and that’s when he became friends with the band. He played so many of their songs during his weekly radio from Jed that he got thanked on Hold Me Up.

I called a local tv show in 1990 or 1991 that had the band on and I’m in the process of editing that clip which was originally on a vhs tape. When you hear my voice, Johnny only recognizes me because I mention Vernon. Then, it’s very clear he knows me. You hear the question is about why they didn’t tour in the summer. We had planned to take them to Disneyland when they returned to LA. 

One time Vern got permission to videotape their gig at the Country Club in Reseda. It’s been converted from VHS to DVD so I’m in the process of editing that as well. They were in their barefoot phase and running around the stage. They told us they bought cordless pickups because they spent too much money on cords that would wear out because of their stage antics. 

The photos are from December 1990 when we saw the band play a showcase at the Roxy Theater on Sunset Boulevard (which is next to the famous Rainbow Room) and the Casbah in San Diego. You can tell we got backstage for both shows and the guys were very relaxed with us. Johnny insisted that he take our picture after we took his. We had a blast following them around. 

One time they were on the radio show Loveline with Dr. Drew and possibly the Poor Man. It was on from 10 pm to midnight and they take questions related to relationships, drug addiction, and guest questions when they had special guests. It was probably 1992 or 1993. I called up and got through and asked a dumb question about Johnny’s hair color since it had been red as you can see in the club photos and why did he dyed it blonde. You have to say your name and where you are calling from so it was Carla from Los Angeles. The next day when I was teaching my math class a student asked me if I called into Loveline. I had to admit it was me. My car had a Google Goo Doll sticker so my students knew I liked the band. 

We continued to see them whenever they played in Los Angeles for a few years until 1993 when we got married. We had serious jobs with longs hours and moved outside of Los Angeles to Calabasas (before the Kardashians put it on the map.) We stopped going to clubs especially since Vern used to get free tickets because he worked at KXLU and it was no fun paying for tickets. 

I knew the GGD were playing at the Palace in 1993 (or Avalon, it changed name) and it’s on my way to work. I decided to stop by after work which was their sound check time. They had a nice tour bus out front. I walked inside the theater (seriously terrible security!) and asked where the band was. They were in the bus. It was only Robby and George. George had a shaved head and he wasn’t his happy self at this point. I showed them both a photo from our wedding that happened earlier that year. They knew us as a couple so I thought it would be nice to show them that we were still together and made it official. Robby was excited about the news. 

I saw the GGD play one more time after that and I couldn’t get backstage. I also got tickets to see them on Carson Daly’s show. Interesting fact, my niece Jessica worked at a radio station in San Diego and she found out that Carson Daly used to listen to Vern’s radio show!! 

I hope this explains our connection to the band. […] We loved the band but once their music stopped being punkish, we stopped following them. Hold Me Up is my favorite album. It’s not their super fast stuff and their lyrics are great. I love when Robby and Johnny sing together. Up Yours is another perfect song. 

-Carla

Carla also offered a little glimpse into what could potentially be the next releases coming from her.

Now, on to the footage! The two concerts she attended were December 4th, 1990 live at the Roxy and the December 8th, 1990 one at The Casbah.

Let’s take a loot at the shots for the former. Prepare to be amazed in terms of quality and fidelity. Keep in mind these photos are 35 years old!

Gotta love the shots with George, who looks very easy going and relaxed here. That was before the 1993 drama which eventually led to his detachment from the band. On another note, Carla and George are still talking as of today and are on friendly terms.

And here is the next set of pictures, this time taken at the San Diego event:

Again, the quality for this content is impressive to say the least.

Thanks again Carla for sharing your story and for the marvelous takes. I bet our readers’ mouths are foaming profusely.