No Doubt Rocks the Creek--6/8/09 (Raleigh NC)
Yes, folks this is my long-awaited review of the No Doubt show. Yes, I should have written it when it was fresher in my mind. No, I will never learn...
Now, on the good stuff...
Like many ND fans out there, I was getting bit worried that the group's days may have been numbered with lead singer Gwen Stefani's hot solo career and the fact the band hasn't had a studio album since 2001's Rock Steady. So, when the tour was announced I knew that I had to jump on the opportunity to see this truly original collective called No Doubt...
Armed with our tickets, mat (for sitting on the lawn), and a thirst for some righteous music, my best girlfriend Joolz and I headed to Alltel Pavilion at Walnut Creek (or whatever they are calling it this year) on the evening of June 8th. When No Doubt finally came on around 9:15/9:30, we knew we were going to witness something pretty spectacular when they entered the stage with all of the band members' shadows projected on a white screen that they were standing behind. As they walked in unison towards the front of the stage and their shadows grew larger, the crowd was whipped into a frenzy and clamoring for the show to begin. When the screen lifted up, it revealed a sparse, futuristic set with white risers and another giant screen at back of the stage. Clad in white with black accents, No Doubt launched into the night's festivities with the ska-flavored "Spiderwebs", which JUST happens to be my favorite song of theirs. After pinching myself in hearing/seeing the song played live, I was struck not only by the band's dramatic stage presence, but their sound and energy as well. Gwen, ever the fashion-forward goddess, began the concert wearing white pants with black accents, a white jacket (with a midriff bearing white tank), and mid-calf black combat boots. Even though she went through two more costume changes (not as many as Cher I bet) and battled the southern summer heat, Gwen's melodic voice, fluid dance moves, and charismatic on-stage persona remained constant throughout the evening. Of course, No Doubt would not be complete without the musicianship and contributions of bass player Tony Kanal, drummer Adrian Young, and guitarist Tom Dumont. Make no mistake about it folks; these guys are not a back-up band for Ms. Stefani. Think about it, ND would not be the same without Tony's thundering bass and performance chemistry with Gwen (they're exes if you didn't know), Tom's heavy guitar riffs, and Adrian's talents with the sticks (okay, his mowhawk is pretty awesome too).
When you go to a concert, it can sometimes be a crap shoot in regards to the song choices. Sometimes, bands may dig deep into their catalog to showcase some little-known songs while others play the big hits and fan favorites. In No Doubt's case, they performed a 19 song set mostly comprised of singles from Tragic Kingdom (i.e."Excuse Me Mr.","Different People", and "Don't Speak"), Return of Saturn (i.e. "Ex-Girlfriend", "Bathwater"), and Rock Steady (i.e. "Underneath It All", "Hey Baby"). In other words, just perfect for either the casual or die hard NB fan. Highlights include the danceable synth-pop of "Hella Good", their riveting cover of Talk Talk's "It's My Life", and the anthemic "Just a Girl". After the latter song, the band left the stage only to come back to play a three-song encore which was accented by a superb dead-on version of Adam Ant's thumping "Stand and Deliver". Not only was I surprised to hear their unrecorded cover, but was delighted when Adrian came from behind his drum kit to join his bandmates at the front of the stage clad in a pink tutu with a drum strapped on his shoulders.
The evening came to a definitive close with "Sunday Morning" (my second favorite tune) complete with Gwen's infectious refrain of "I thought I knew you" over and over. Driving home with tired muscles from dancing and scratchy throats after shouting "I'm Just a Girl" several times as commanded by Gwen, Joolz and I declared the No Doubt as a bona fide top ten show in our books.
You can see the complete concert song list at http://www.doghousegallery.net/blog/set-lists/
For some photos from the show check out http://www.wral.com/entertainment/image_gallery/5311061
Until next time, keep it on "11"...
Now, on the good stuff...
Like many ND fans out there, I was getting bit worried that the group's days may have been numbered with lead singer Gwen Stefani's hot solo career and the fact the band hasn't had a studio album since 2001's Rock Steady. So, when the tour was announced I knew that I had to jump on the opportunity to see this truly original collective called No Doubt...
Armed with our tickets, mat (for sitting on the lawn), and a thirst for some righteous music, my best girlfriend Joolz and I headed to Alltel Pavilion at Walnut Creek (or whatever they are calling it this year) on the evening of June 8th. When No Doubt finally came on around 9:15/9:30, we knew we were going to witness something pretty spectacular when they entered the stage with all of the band members' shadows projected on a white screen that they were standing behind. As they walked in unison towards the front of the stage and their shadows grew larger, the crowd was whipped into a frenzy and clamoring for the show to begin. When the screen lifted up, it revealed a sparse, futuristic set with white risers and another giant screen at back of the stage. Clad in white with black accents, No Doubt launched into the night's festivities with the ska-flavored "Spiderwebs", which JUST happens to be my favorite song of theirs. After pinching myself in hearing/seeing the song played live, I was struck not only by the band's dramatic stage presence, but their sound and energy as well. Gwen, ever the fashion-forward goddess, began the concert wearing white pants with black accents, a white jacket (with a midriff bearing white tank), and mid-calf black combat boots. Even though she went through two more costume changes (not as many as Cher I bet) and battled the southern summer heat, Gwen's melodic voice, fluid dance moves, and charismatic on-stage persona remained constant throughout the evening. Of course, No Doubt would not be complete without the musicianship and contributions of bass player Tony Kanal, drummer Adrian Young, and guitarist Tom Dumont. Make no mistake about it folks; these guys are not a back-up band for Ms. Stefani. Think about it, ND would not be the same without Tony's thundering bass and performance chemistry with Gwen (they're exes if you didn't know), Tom's heavy guitar riffs, and Adrian's talents with the sticks (okay, his mowhawk is pretty awesome too).
When you go to a concert, it can sometimes be a crap shoot in regards to the song choices. Sometimes, bands may dig deep into their catalog to showcase some little-known songs while others play the big hits and fan favorites. In No Doubt's case, they performed a 19 song set mostly comprised of singles from Tragic Kingdom (i.e."Excuse Me Mr.","Different People", and "Don't Speak"), Return of Saturn (i.e. "Ex-Girlfriend", "Bathwater"), and Rock Steady (i.e. "Underneath It All", "Hey Baby"). In other words, just perfect for either the casual or die hard NB fan. Highlights include the danceable synth-pop of "Hella Good", their riveting cover of Talk Talk's "It's My Life", and the anthemic "Just a Girl". After the latter song, the band left the stage only to come back to play a three-song encore which was accented by a superb dead-on version of Adam Ant's thumping "Stand and Deliver". Not only was I surprised to hear their unrecorded cover, but was delighted when Adrian came from behind his drum kit to join his bandmates at the front of the stage clad in a pink tutu with a drum strapped on his shoulders.
The evening came to a definitive close with "Sunday Morning" (my second favorite tune) complete with Gwen's infectious refrain of "I thought I knew you" over and over. Driving home with tired muscles from dancing and scratchy throats after shouting "I'm Just a Girl" several times as commanded by Gwen, Joolz and I declared the No Doubt as a bona fide top ten show in our books.
You can see the complete concert song list at http://www.doghousegallery.net/blog/set-lists/
For some photos from the show check out http://www.wral.com/entertainment/image_gallery/5311061
Until next time, keep it on "11"...
I was there too. Gwen's body was amazing. How the hell do you have abs like that at 39 and after having 2 kids?
ReplyDelete