The Buffalo Bills will host their first-ever Thanksgiving Day game, and the team has selected a fitting hometown act for the occasion. The Bills announced that the Goo Goo Dolls will perform at halftime of the team's Thanksgiving night matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs at Highmark Stadium, according to TMZ.com.
The game, set to air on NBC, will feature Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce. It marks the first time in franchise history that the Bills have hosted a game on Thanksgiving.
The selection carries local significance: the Goo Goo Dolls formed in Buffalo, and frontmen John Rzeznik and Robby Takac are both Buffalo natives. The group is also marking its 40th anniversary this year.
The band has experienced a resurgence in popularity recently, and the Bills have demonstrated their fandom. The team used the Goo Goo Dolls' song "Iris" in a montage following the final game at the team's old stadium last season, per TMZ.com.
This will not be the band's first Thanksgiving Day performance. The Goo Goo Dolls headlined the halftime show in Detroit in 2007.
The Buffalo performance will close out a day packed with football and music. Earlier on Thanksgiving, Miranda Lambert is scheduled to perform at the Eagles versus Cowboys game. One day earlier, U2 will take the field at halftime of the Packers versus Rams game, according to TMZ.com.
For Buffalo, the halftime show represents a convergence of civic pride and sport: a hometown band celebrating four decades together, performing on a national stage as the city hosts its first Thanksgiving game.