| TRANSFORMATION: Neighbors and friends of neighbors, from left above, Sylvia Torres, Lula Jordan and Ken Franklin peek over the wall to the Goo Goo Dolls set up for a backyard concert in El Rio on Monday while Mike Carroll, part of the concert support team, stands guard. The Goo Goo Dolls, below, perform for Brian Ahara and 100 of his friends. |
| It's
a good thing Brian Ahara
didn't have other plans for Labor Day because when a hot rock band comes to your back yard to play a private concert, everything else must be put on hold. Ahara, 26, was this year's winner of VH1's "Big Backyard Barbecue" contest. And on Monday afternoon, his in-law's El Rio home was transformed into a concert stage, featuring the hit- making Goo Goo Dolls. "I never knew I had so many friends," Ahara, who, as part of his prize, invited 100 of his closest friends to the barbecue feast provided by the network. |
Judy, his wife of five months,
said they approached the guest list the same way they did for their wedding. But all similarity to the two events ended there. The quiet residential neighborhood where the Aharas live with Judy's parents, Raphael and Carmen Vaca, became an anthill of high-profile activity. Tour buses parked in front of the house stored band members before the show. Police and security blocked off the street to all but the crew and residents. Outback Steakhouse in Oxnard served hundreds of pounds of food to the guests, all of whom |
crowded into the mere
third of an
acre of yard space. Not even the house was spared transformation. "It's OK. We will never have it again," said Carmen Vaca, while looking nervously into what was once her living room and now was a sound booth. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing," said 25-year-old Judy, who added that her folks were really great about the temporary home invasion. At final count, about 300 people -- including executives, crew, food workers and security -- |
| MAKING FRIENDS: Brian Ahara introduces the band Goo Goo Dolls on Monday before a live national VH1 audience. Ahara was the grand-prize winner in the VH1 Big Backyard Barbecue contest. |
| filled the Vaca property.
Another 30 were planted on nearby rooftops to view the happenings.
More lined the streets in folding chairs with drinks in hand.
Throngs of people aside, nothing went wrong. After four years of creating backyard concerts, VH1 knows how to stop potential problems. Many neighbors were invited to the concert, and those next door to the Vacas even donated their yard to serve as a food court. |
"I was on my
cell phone on the freeway and I was blown away," said Ahara, a Goo fan.
"At first I thought it was a joke. Then it was pretty clear that
it wasn't."
"I thought we'd won a futon or something," said Judy, who had a hard time believing her husband. For the hourlong concert, the Goo Goo Dolls performedmany of their hit songs, including "Black Balloon" and "Slide." The audience, many wearing Goo T-shirts, went wild.
|
After years
of obscurity the group hit the charts after contributing "Iris" to the
"City of Angels" soundtrack. Since then, their latest album, "Dizzy
Up the Girl" has gone double platinum.
This wasn't the first backyard concert they've performed. Lead singer and guitarist Johnny Rzeznik said they played another in Australia in January. "I had a great time," Rzeznik said afterward. "This is a totally different and special event." |
| GRAND-PRIZE WINNER: Brian Ahara, 26, is the winner of the VH1 Big Backyard Barbecue contest with the band Goo Goo Dolls. Behind him neighbors on Orange Drive in El Rio hope to get a look or autograph from members of the band. |
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