DeKALB | A roar of guitars, a flash of lights, and the ‘90s-rock staples the Goo Goo Dolls hit the stage in front of a near-capacity crowd at the Convocation Center Friday night. The show was a stop on the band’s “Let Love In” tour with piano-rockers Augustana. Frontman Johnny Rzeznik’s legendary hairdo was covered by a hat, and bassist Robby Takac was decked out in classic punk rocker attire.

The night’s set primarily drew from 1998’s “Dizzy up the Girl” and last year’s “Let Love In,” the one notable exception being the band’s 1995 career-launching hit “Name.”

From the set’s opener, “Dizzy,” it was apparent that the Goo Goo Dolls were not the same scrappy punk band who debuted in 1985. Nor were they the aggressive radio-rockers from a decade later. No, the best adjective to describe this Goo Goo Dolls was definitely “older.”

Rzeznik didn’t even try to hit the high notes that made songs like “Iris” and “Slide” so spine-tinglingly irresistible in their day. However, even in their more subdued states, songs like “Iris,” “Slide” and “Broadway” sound even better than ever when stacked up against the band’s newer, more predictable fare.

Enthusiastic fans didn’t seem disappointed.

“It was a very mature, impressive show,” said Andrew Miller, freshman music education major. “The lighting was very good. I showed up a little bit late, but got here in time for ‘Slide,’ which is the song I was really hoping to hear.”

And, despite the blizzard-like weather conditions, some fans drove more than an hour to come see the show.

“I definitely think it’ll be worth the drive,” said Willowbrook native Robert Klaus, 18, before the show. “If they just play ‘Slide,’ it’ll be worth it.”

Luckily for the Convo, many of the tickets were sold on presale.

“The weather might hurt our walkup,” said Kevin Selover, assistant director of marketing at the Convocation Center. “But we’ve nearly sold out on presale alone.”

This show, along with John Mayer (2/20) and Sugarland (2/25), marks the third big-ticket show the Convo has hosted in less than two weeks. The timing, however, wasn’t intentional.

“This time of year, we have a smaller window of opportunity,” said Selover. “With Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks, most of the concerts we host this time of year wind up close together. It’s definitely not on purpose. The great thing about these three shows, though, is that they are three completely different types of music, so they aren’t competing for an audience.”

Warming up the crowd was Augustana, known for the piano-driven single “Boston.” The band’s sprawling arrangements were marred by poor acoustics and a bad mix, which resulted in frontman Dan Layus’ voice sounding shrill and harsh. The stage was crowded with equipment, which was OK, as the band barely moved during their performance.

The band attempted some rock-star posturing, but it was rendered ineffective due to the fact that the majority of the crowd were unfamiliar with most of the band’s catalog. Toward the end, the members seemed to loosen up, the soundman seemed to figure out the problem, and the band’s last two songs were far easier to watch and listen to.