Blue October was on a run of dates opening up for the Goo Goo Dolls on their summer tour. They made a stop at the Red Hat Amphitheater in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina on August 23. It can be tough being the opener on a tour like this, but the Blue October t-shirts were seen all throughout the amphitheater shortly after the doors opened. Their fans showed up early to show their guys some support, even with the sun beating down on them on this hot and humid (typical North Carolina summer weather) evening. For me, it was odd seeing the guys in a bigger venue like this one. I’m used to seeing them in smaller venues and usually in-doors. I was curious as to how that intimacy and lead singer Justin Furstenfeld’s emotional connection with his fans would translate in a venue this size. The guys were wearing matching outfits, if that’s even the right word here, of black t-shirts and blue jeans and sporting black shades. They opened with “Coal Makes Diamonds” and they sounded great! I knew we would be getting a rather short set due to the opening slot. Seeing so many headlining shows by Blue October really spoils you when you then see them opening up for someone. The setlist mixed classic Blue October with some of the more current things in their arsenal. I was surprised that their new single “Spinning The Truth” wasn’t played. They have an arsenal’s worth of material that they can play and have played in the past, so I know it has to be tough coming up with a setlist for the amount of time that they have to play. The guys did pack as much as they could into it and it was a great set. Justin was seen kneeling down and reaching out into the audience throughout the set. Was it as intimate as one of those smaller venue shows? For me, it wasn’t but that’s just my opinion. It did help to expose some people to their music that may not be fans already. I heard several Goo Goo Dolls fans commenting on how good the band was and more than one commented that they weren’t expecting them to be as good as they were. Who knows? Maybe a few people were coverted over into Blue Octobe fans as well. I loved the show, but if I am being personally honest, I can’t wait for Blue October’s headlining run of dates. The setlist for the show is included here at the end of the photo gallery.