Nestled hills and lush greenery of Griffith Park sits the Greek Theatre. Complete with twinkling warm lighting, inviting lawn games and a labyrinth of cozy nooks to grab a beverage or snack with friends, it served as the perfect setting for the “Summer Anthem Tour” on Sept. 7.

September marked the home stretch of dates for the tour, which began in early July, where the headliner, Goo Goo Dolls, along with their opening act, American emo band Dashboard Confessional, peddled their songs across the country all summer long.

Though the tour was titled to reference and support the Goo Goo Dolls’ newly released EP of the same name, the moniker served a dual purpose.

Both Dashboard Confessional and the Goo Goo Dolls found fame in the early days of “Total Request Live” (TRL) and the “Unplugged” sessions on MTV in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Twenty years later, their music has had a resurgence with newer fans.

Last summer, “Deadpool & Wolverine” featured the Dolls’ “Iris” on its soundtrack, a song originally written by lead vocalist John Rzeznik for the 1998 film “City of Angels.” With the song being placed in pivotal scenes of the summer blockbuster, a new generation of fans discovered the alternative rock legends and shot their names back into the zeitgeist.

Similarly, Dashboard Confessional has remained steadily in the limelight for those familiar with the pioneering times of emo music, making its way into the mainstream. Lead singer Chris Carrabba initially began Dashboard as a solo project in 2000, but over the last quarter of a century, the act has gone through a rotation of lineups, nine studio albums, a hiatus and re-recordings, all of which seemingly came to a final halt in 2022.

However, in the same year, the music festival When We Were Young came to fruition. The festival aimed to reunite the “OGs” of emo music on one giant bill like never before. Dashboard was asked to join the festival, and the rest was history.

The success of the festival, which will be on its fourth installation in Las Vegas this fall, coupled with the revival of the “Vans Warped Tour,” has turned a wave of nostalgia into a permanent embrace of the older heads in alt-rock by not only Gen X and Millennials, but also the younger generations that did not get the opportunity during the first go-round.

The “Summer Anthem” tour was the perfect one-stop shop for those eager to indulge in the songs that were the soundtrack to summers past, as well as get a taste of something new from the two seasoned bands.

Just as the sun had almost set, stagehands cleared the way for Dashboard Confessional to set up shop. Carrabba donned a guitar and walked onstage along with touring band members Scott Schoenbeck, Armon Jay, Abigail Kelly and Chris Kamrada, and ripped into an 11-song setlist. Nearly every song was a deep cut from the band’s first two albums released in the early 2000s, allowing for diehards of the band to shine in the sing-alongs.

Halfway through their set, which featured hits like “Vindicated,” “Stolen” and “Screaming Infidelities,” Carrabba asked for audience participation, singing back the chorus to a newly written song called “No More Bad Days,” which the band premiered on the first day of tour. The audience obliged and quickly resumed singing the lyrics they knew well as the band closed out with fan favorite “Hands Down.”

After a set change, the full moon lit the Greek Theatre, and the Goo Goo Dolls made their way to the stage where they were met with an eruption of applause after beginning their set with their hit single “Slide.”

“We wanted to do this at the Rose Bowl, but it was booked,” Rzeznik said. “But this is like having a party and only the people you wanted there showed up.”

Rzeznik jokingly mentioned the Oasis performance at the Rose Bowl, which was happening only 12 miles to the east. Both acts came to California on the same weekend, sparking much discussion in the alt-rock community about which was more of a “can’t miss” opportunity. However, the Goo Goo Dolls were not remiss, as the 5,900-seat Greek Theatre had sold out months in advance.

Rzeznik and fellow founding member Robby Takac kept the same lively and playful energy throughout the hour and a half performance, including an instance where Rzeznik flubbed his guitar during the first few lines of the song, “Sympathy.”

“Do you think the record company is going to drop us? We are in L.A.,” Rzeznik said before restarting the emotional ballad.

The musicians took their time sharing short stories between songs and taking a few beats to banter with the audience, making it feel less like a rehearsed performance and more like a summer hangout with friends. Sprinkled throughout moments of laughter and joy were darker, personal stories and earnest expressions of gratitude from a band genuinely thankful for the audience they had garnered over the last thirty-plus years.

After an emotional halfway point of the set marked by the single, “Name,” Rzeznik addressed the crowd with locked eyes saying, “Thank you for remembering that song, and thank you for keeping this band alive.”

Filled with hit after hit, a special appearance by Sugar Ray’s Mark McGrath and performances of three songs from the new “Summer Anthem” EP, the night had fans in an elated frenzy. To close it out, the band chose their signature song, “Iris.” The sea of fans sang along with Rzeznik to the infamous chorus, with each band member playing the last chords while rocking smiles as wide and bright as the moon.

“[Iris] filled the air, the world stilled,” said fan Carl Calilung. “The song carried a wave of nostalgia so heavy, so beautiful. Some nights don’t just pass; they stay with you forever. This was one of them.”