taken from: Check It Out Music

The Sounds, Paramore and No Doubt
Sunday, July 19th at White River Amphitheater
Andrea@checkitoutmusic.com

After conquering a beautiful drive over to Seattle and through Auburn, Matty and I arrived to White River Amphitheater to see the one and only No Doubt. We arrived a little early to make sure we could get in the venue and when we arrived there was already a line around half of the venue full of people waiting to get in. Once we were able to get in I sat on the hill and watched White River slowly fill up, ever inch of green grass was covered with blankets and people all excited to see a great show. People were still filtering in to the packed venue once No Doubt took the stage, always come early to a show at White River. Two lane road not so friendly with 10,000 cars on it.

The Sounds ran out on stage first with a hot blonde singer known as Maja in a little black dress and high heels, kicking her legs up. Like all of the “front – women” of the night she was sexy, feisty, and full of spunk. The Sounds are a Sweden indie alternative band that was a little dancy and just made you want to get up and shake it. Maja was raunchy and full of F-word, which was fantastic because you should of seen the parents run to cover their kids ears every time she opened her mouth. I love the bands attitude and willingness to get the fucking show started. I hope they come back in the fall on their new album release tour!

I saw more Paramore shirts then any other type of shirt at White River, Paramore was written on hats, hand-bags, hoodies, and more. I didn’t know this band was that big. The second the Paramore backdrop dropped on stage the whole amphitheater rose to their feet and everyone was screaming. Running out on stage they kicked off the set with Misery Business and from there on out it was hit after hit new and old. This was the second time I have seen Paramore and on stage they have gotten sharper with simultaneous head banging and Hayley was a bouncy ball covering the whole stage. At one point Hayley stopped the whole band because there was a fight in the pit, she said “…hey we got beef, hey look up here…lets not fight, grow up, if you want to fight there is plenty of room in the parking lot.” That was outstanding and good for her, I respect that. I will admit they were a fun band to see and it’s cool to see how far they have come and I am sure it’s just the start.

Never ever did I think I was going to see No Doubt. I thought for sure Gwen was going to go solo be a mom and that was that. I remember listening to Tragic Kingdom on cassette when I was a kid, I was pretty excited to see them and know that they were going to rock No Doubt classics. Opening with Spiderwebs from there on out the night was packed with the hits. Matt saw No Doubt at White River six or so years ago and he said they sound just as good and look the same, which is impressive for not being out on the road in a while. Gwen killed it and looked FANTASTIC after having kids. During Simple Kind of Life she just glowed during “…I always thought I’d be a mom..” it was cool to hear her sing this song when that is what she has now. The entire sea of heads were jumping up and down and clapping hands, singing along and having a great time. No Doubt also brought two spunky very talented horn players on tour with her that sounded perfect and they even did a solo song with the boys of the band while Gwen changed into a checkered outfit. The theme of the stage was black and white which looked really cool from on top of the hill. With funny and artsy video graphics, lights, and everyone on stage dancing it made for a high energy & fun night. I left hearing all of the hits and I am sure that was the same for everyone else in the crowd. I am glad the band decided to do another tour it was fun to sing along to the same songs I do know and did when I was growing up. Thanks No Doubt!!

Check out more photos from the show HERE!

Tags: Concert Reviews, No Doubt, White River

I finally got my review finished… sorry it took so long!!! Click on the photo below to read it (it has lots of pictures and some videos):

taken from: Time Out Chicago

Live review: No Doubt + Paramore + Bedouin Soundclash at First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
Posted in Music by Raf Miastkowski on July 13th, 2009 at 4:21 pm

After all these years, why would the 39-year old Gwen Stefani choose to go back on tour with her old SoCal bandmates and ex-boyfriend? Considering she got married to Gavin Rossdale, had a pair of kids, launched a massively successful solo career, and cashed in on a couple of clothing lines, jumping around on stage and screaming “I’m just a girl!” at the top of her lungs just doesn’t seem to make much sense anymore. Perhaps Gwen simply misses strutting around as a rock goddess as opposed to pursuing the pop-star-turned-entrepreneur career track of someone like Diddy. After all, many people forget just how instrumental the strikingly spazzy songstress was in shattering the glass ceiling for female rockers in the 90’s. Why is it so hard to believe she wants to re-capture some of that old magic? No Doubt has said the new tour is about reconnecting with its audience and inspiring the band to write new material. Sure, there’s all that cheddar too, but maybe Gwen would prefer to recruit another generation of fans as a bona-fide rocker rather than a quirky pop diva. After experiencing the ska-pop group’s epic, indefatigable, nostalgia-fueled show Saturday night at Tinley Park’s First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre, that’s not such a hard pill to swallow.

Walking up to the stage as a quartet of silhouettes projected onto a massive white scrim, No Doubt showed early on that everything was going to be turned up to 11. As the white fabric dropped, it revealed a massive, spider-like walkway structure with Adrian Young’s drum kit resting in the middle. The band sported white wardrobes and matching blonde-mohawked haircuts, with Gwen rocking black boots, a tiny tank top, and a toned figure that rivaled G.I. Jane’s. The stage was so polished, so impressive, that the band’s previous Rock Steady tour looked like a county fair gig in comparison. Launching into “Spiderwebs,” No Doubt instantly riled up the noticeably older crowd and soon had the capacity crowd of 25,000 people jumping up and down to “Hella Good.” By the time “Underneath It All” finished up, Gwen was proclaiming that it was “The loudest show of the tour so far.” During “Ex-Girlfriend,” a retro-cool spy montage featuring the band appeared in the background, with the entire stage turning red as the songstress screamed “Why am I so Jealous!?”. Surprisingly, The Beacon Street Collection’s “Squeal” made an appearance, though it was truncated because Gwen admittedly forgot the lyrics. Before “New,” Stefani made sure to freshen up with a new outfit consisting of a sparkly checkerboard hot-pants dress and black tights. Undoubtedly, one of the highlights of the night was when Gwen got the entire lawn section going absolutely bonkers with concertgoers up front looking on in awe during the funky, trumpet-backed “Different People.” Of course, the obligatory push-up demonstration occurred before the set ended with “Just A Girl.” Gwen effortlessly pumped out ten reps before amping up the seething crowd to a memorably ear-splitting boy vs. girl shout-off.

For the encore, Gwen dressed down to more comfortable camo pants and a sparkly polo before picking up the action again with “Rock Steady.” Though I liked how the band decided to play their go-to power pop ballad “Don’t Speak” earlier on, I thought that opening the encore with “Rock Steady” didn’t sustain the frenzied energy of the crowd. Next came the band’s new cover of “Stand And Deliver,” which saw the entire band and a young boy from the crowd banging on drums at the front of the stage while Adrian pranced around the stage hilariously in a pink tutu. Hoping that the band would close out the evening with the barreling “Sunday Morning,” I was pleasantly surprised when they actually chose to do so. The crowd summoned whatever energy they had left to close out the night with a bang, and stuck around to applaud the band copiously as No Doubt lingered on stage waving to their fans. Sure, No Doubt chose to postpone developing new, mature material for this tour, instead wanting one more go-round with their old catalog of songs about breakups and youthful enthusiasm. Though at first glance it doesn’t seem like a winning formula, when it’s pulled off with this much shimmer and swagger it’s not to be missed.

Opening for No Doubt was a pair of compatible and competent bands. First up was Bedouin Soundclash, which skillfully performed crisp, uppity, reggae-influenced jams reminiscent of the Clash. This time around No Doubt didn’t pack quite as much dancehall ammunition, so Bedouin Soundclash’s reggae flavor and tiki lounge vibe was a welcome addition. Then came Paramore, a tight, energetic pop-punk group that features 20-year-old orange-haired banshee Hayden Williams. Though some of the band’s songs felt a little stagnant and manufactured, riot girl Williams showed some serious spunk while hopping around on stage just like Stefani did when she started out so many years ago. The band also exhibited some surprising showmanship, which was appreciated by the numerous fans cheering them on.

Tags: Chicago, Concert Reviews, No Doubt, Tour

Hey Guys!!

Wow, it’s been a really long time since I’ve posted here. Anyway I wanted to share with you all the great great great experience I had last month when I went to No Doubt’s concert in Montreal and got to meet them right before the show. It was one of these moments I’ll just never forget! I have to say Tom was really nice, he really took the time to talk to us and answer our questions. Of course Gwen was absolutely gorgeous and sweet. She was nice enough to sign my Return Of Saturn booklet, yay!! So yeah, sorry if it took me almost a month to post this, but here’s a pic of me and the band and also I would like to share with you a video of Excuse Me Mr. live I’ve filmed myself that night. See ya.

taken from: Back To Rockville

n its first tour in seven years, No Doubt might be packing large venues like Starlight Theater on Monday night, but they’re playing them like a hungry band, working the crowd for a place to crash afterward.

The few times the band paused during its 95-minute set, singer Gwen Stefani read the homemade signs held up in the crowd and calling fans with gifts up to the stage to receive them personally. After tossing a sign spray-painted with a request for “Total Hate 95” onstage, one fan was rewarded with a performance of the rare number. Later, after accepting the cross-stitched logos another fan made, a genuinely touched Stefani hauled her admirer onstage for a quick photo.
When she wasn’t speaking directly to the fans, Stefani and company were giving them exactly what they wanted: a heavy dose of the hits that made the band big in the first place. The setlist resembled the tracklist of the greatest hits album No Doubt released before going on hiatus and jumped off the stage like a celebration of the 11 years they’d shared prior.

The opening ska bounce of “Spiderwebs” had the crowd eating out of Stefani’s hand, singing, swaying and dancing on cue. That number fell into the electro pop of “Hella Good.” The tempos may have changed throughout the night, but the energy never lagged. Through it all, Stefani was never still, dancing, spinning, jumping and unceasingly working the crowd.

The other five musicians onstage gave no evidence of any time apart. Drummer Adrian Young sat in the middle of the all-white stage, his kit the centerpiece of a six-legged platform that looked like a futuristic insect. He was flanked by multi-instrumentalists Stephen Bradley and Gabrial McNair who handled horns, keyboards and backing vocals. Stefani, guitarist Tom Dumont and bass player Tony Kanal navigated the rest of the stage.

Behind them all, a large screen played videos during most songs. The best bits were the James Bond parody during “”Ex-Girlfriend” and the homemade videos of the band’s early days accompanying the ballad “Running.”

“Don’t Speak” drew the biggest response, but it was nearly matched by “Just a Girl,” which closed the main set. As Dumont played its spidery opening riff, Stefani dropped to the floor and counted out push-ups with the crowd. After reaching 10, she sprung to her feet and launched into the verse. Both feats drew massive cheers.

One got the feeling during Paramore’s 40-minute set that they brought as many fans as the headliners. The quintet’s set was marked by a constant stream of young fans rushing as close to the stage as their parents would let them to snap a souvenir photo. The setlist tipped heavily toward their 2007 album “Riot,” which delighted the devoted, who hung on singer Hayley Williams’ every word. The two new songs -– which blended almost too well with the older material -– and set-closing “Decode,” from the “Twilight” soundtrack were extra treats.

Bedouin Soundclash opened the evening with a 30-minute set. Their sound was indebted to the Two-Tone sound of the Specials and did a good job of establishing the evening’s feel.

After No Doubt returned for “Rock Steady,” Bedouin Soundclash and Paramore joined them for “Stand and Deliver.” Nearly all of the dozen musicians onstage pounded the various drums brought out while Stefani and Williams swapped verses. No Doubt drummer Young managed to stand out in the crowd by parading around wearing only a pink-and-white tutu, marching snare drum and calf-high athletic socks.

The night ended with “Sunday Morning,” which like so many No Doubt triumphs hit the sweet spot between pop, ska, dance and rock. When the music ended, the band lingered onstage signing autographs, tossing souvenirs and shaking hands. Just like they did in their native Southern California clubs a lifetime ago.

Joel Francis, Special to The Star

SETLISTS
No Doubt: Spiderwebs, Hella Good, Underneath It All, Excuse Me Mr., Ex-Girlfriend, End It On This, Total Hate 95, Simple Kind of Life, Bathwater, Guns of Navarone, New, Hey Baby, Running, Different People, Don’t Speak, It’s My Life, Just a Girl//encore: Rock Steady, Stand and Deliver, Sunday Morning

Paramore: Misery Business, For a Pessimist, I’m Pretty Optimistic, Pressure, Ignorance (new song), Crush Crush Crush, When It Rains, Where the Lines Overlap (new song), That’s What You Get, Let the Flames Begin, Decode

taken from: Review Chicago

No Doubt stands and delivers: Part I (Milwaukee)
July 6, 2009
Charlotte Mutesha | Review Chicago

“I want my ears to drip blood!” Gwen Stefani said to me last Thursday, after doing ten perfect pushups. So myself and about 23,000 other women screamed back at her, “I’M JUST A GIRL!” The Marcus Ampitheatre at the Summerfest grounds shook.

We clearly outnumbered the men in the crowd, probably by 20 to 1. When Gwen had told the Wisconsin boys to shout, “I’m just a girl,” they tried, but it was weak. Gwen paused and said, “That was a good try, but that was shit!” Like a mighty chorus, we sang the bridge and the rocking out continued.

The show opens with the epic intro music to Battlestar Galactica. A giant white sheet drops to the floor and four huge silhouettes of Tony, Gwen, Tom Adrian walk up, growing larger with each step. Gwen’s silhouette does a cute little dance, and the four stand together in all their reunited glory. She yells, the curtain drops, and the horn-laden introduction to “Spiderwebs” blares into your soul:

After a five-year hiatus, No Doubt has hit the road for a highly anticipated national tour. Gwen (vocals), Tom Dumont (guitar), Tony Kanal (bass), and Adrian Young (drums) are back with their touring partners and backup vocalists Steven Bradley (keys and trumpet) and Gabrial McNair (keys and trombone).

The iconic, Grammy-winning, two-decade-spanning band clearly still has “it,” giving the fans their classic, epically energetic live performance. Gwen, who is 39 and the mother of two young children (the youngest is 10 months), looks better than ever with her six-pack abs and the incredible ability to dance, run and jump around nonstop for two hours.

I want to be Gwen Stefani when I grow up. She’s my style muse, fashion twin, and favorite entrepreneur with her clothing labels and fragrances. As a young girl listening to her lyrics, she sang the words right out of my diary. She’s married to a hot guy, has two beautiful babies, and a rockin’ body to die for.

It’s hard for me to believe that No Doubt’s last full-length original album, Rock Steady, was released EIGHT years ago in 2001. I was in high school and didn’t even have my driver’s license at the time. Furthermore, I was a wee lass when Tragic Kingdom and Return of Saturn came into my regular rotation of CDs.

What truly astonishes me, though, is the impact that No Doubt’s music has had on my life, and the fact that it’s still so relevant and inspiring all these years later.

The proof of their timeless relevancy is in their dedicated fan base. It may have been nearly nine years since their last record, but No Doubt is packing arenas and ampitheatres to the brim–and the fans are eating it up.

The band gives the crowd what they want: wild, energetic dancing; genuine interaction with the audience; bright, colorful stage set design; creative and mesmerizing background video; funky, exciting costume changes. Gwen periodically pulls people onstage with her to take pictures and wish them happy birthday.

And for the fans (YOU know the kind) that prefer the Tragic Kingdom sound to the Rock Steady vibe, a lot of the ska-influenced songs from the earlier days make the setlist. On July 2 at their Milwaukee Summerfest stop, seven songs were from Tragic Kingdom, four songs were from Return of Saturn, and Rock Steady tracks appeared five times.

No Doubt does not currently have a new record to promote, but who wouldn’t love a greatest hits setlist with all the favorites that haven’t been performed in years? Gwen explained that this tour was being used as a springboard to inspire new music to be written.

“Honestly, it’s procrastination,” she told Billboard. “My plan was to get pregnant and write a record, but instead of writing, I just ate all the time…Writing is always really hard for me — I hate it and hate it and then I do it, and I’m happy it’s done. I was blocked and I needed to get inspired, and I thought playing live would get the creative juices flowing again.” I feel ya, homegirl. In order to write music, she plays music. For me, when I need the inspiration to write, I read books.
Despite the lack of a record, the band did, however, perform their two cover songs, “It’s My Life” (originally by Talk Talk) and their latest recording, “Stand and Deliver,” by Adam and the Ants.

The thing I love about No Doubt is the fact that they don’t have a SINGLE BAD SONG. They could literally play any song from any record, and it would still be dance party central singalong time, and the crowd would still know every word.

I saw Gwen on her solo Sweet Escape tour two summers ago, which was of course, energetic and entertaining, but to see No Doubt for the first time was a fantastic experience, hearing the songs I listened to as a teenager.

Complete Setlist from July 2 in Milwaukee:
Spiderwebs
Hella Good
Underneath it All
Excuse Me, Mr.
Ex-Girlfriend
End it on This
Simple Kind of Life
Bathwater
New
Hey Baby
Running
Different People
Don’t Speak
It’s My Life
Just a Girl
Rock Steady
Stand and Deliver
Sunday Morning

The Marcus Ampitheatre is a great venue for a live show—there’s really not a bad seat in the house. Even if you’re up on the lawn, the jumbotrons abound, the graphics screen behind the band is gigantic, and the sound is flawless.

I also will be attending the No Doubt concert on Saturday, July 11 at the First Midwest Bank Ampitheatre in Tinley Park, IL for a second dosage–and will be back with a Part II of my No Doubt summer tour review series, comparing and contrasting the two experiences.

Tickets are still available (some as inexpensive as $15!), so if you’re a longtime fan, I strongly suggest attending this one.

In my book, No Doubt isn’t the Artist of the Week or the Artist of the Month–they are the artist of my LIFE.

taken from: Boston.com

(click on photo to go to gallery)

No Doubt hasn’t lost its bounce
By Sarah Rodman
Globe Staff / June 22, 2009

MANSFIELD – It’s been eight years since No Doubt’s last studio album. Since then lead singer Gwen Stefani has produced two successful solo albums and two kids. But evidence of either was scant during the band’s exuberant regrouping Saturday night at the Comcast Center.

It was as if the antic ska popsters had been cryogenically frozen in 2003 after the release of their greatest hits album and thawed just in time for the show.

The quartet, aided and abetted by endlessly energetic horn blowers-keyboardists-backing vocalists Stephen Bradley and Gabriel McNair, bounced, skipped, skanked, and pogoed through a delightfully high-octane, hit-rich 90 minutes.

Stefani was her typical tireless self, balancing her girlie lyrics and tough-chick rock-star cheek with veteran skill. No doubt many of the moms in the largely female crowd of 17,000 were more amazed at Stefani’s sculpted abs than perturbed that her solo material wasn’t included.

But there was honestly no room for “Hollaback Girl’’ as the live No Doubt jukebox kept issuing forth can’t-misses: the bubble-pop electricity of “Hella Good,’’ the ska stomp of “Bathwater,’’ the dancehall curves of “Hey Baby,’’ the caffeinated guitar riffs of “Just a Girl,’’ the lighter-beckoning break-up ballad “Don’t Speak.’’

The band frolicked on a stark white stage with an octopod-like riser hoisting drummer Adrian Young – resplendent in two-tone mohawk, black briefs, and checkered thigh-high hose and later, a tutu. They amped up the mood with stylish, colorful new videos to accompany the songs, including a spy motif for the dizzying “Ex-Girlfriend’’ and, appropriately, a futuristic cityscape for “New.’’

The night’s two sweetest moments came when vintage home video of the fresh-faced No Doubt-ers floated by during “Running’’ and when Stefani hauled a female fan from the pit onstage to show off her devotion in the way of elaborate band tattoos.

It would behoove the group to make a new record as soon as possible. They clearly still have the juice and if they wait much longer they could get trapped in turn-of-the-century amber, relegated to oldies status before their time.

Points to No Doubt for bringing along the outre and extremely limber Janelle Monae to spice up the beginning of the night. Monae, jitterbugging around the stage like a female André 3000 sporting a fluffy pompadour and Colonel Sanders tuxedo, was a sight to behold, but the sounds weren’t quite as beguiling as her industrial space funk was hampered by typical opening act sound issues.

If Monae’s act was treated like something to be withstood by most in the audience, middle act Paramore was embraced wholeheartedly. The chipper pop-rockers, led by spitfire Hayley Williams, buzzed genially and energetically through their stack of bouncy radio hits.

Tags: Boston, Concert Reviews, Live, Photos, Tour

taken from: Boston Herald

No Doubt delivers Hella Good show

By Lauren Carter / Review
Monday, June 22, 2009

You could say they left No Doubt about their live-performance prowess.

For just over 90 minutes at the Comcast Center in Mansfield Saturday night, lead singer Gwen Stefani and her larger-than-life band mates ignited the venue as if their multiyear hiatus from music never was.

The dynamic, uber-stylish Stefani, now a 39-year-old mom with her own clothing line, could have passed for a 23-year-old fitness instructor as she sprinted across the stage, danced, pranced – and leading into “Just a Girl” – launched into a push-up session, all without compromising her vocals.

The band, now at work on their next project, hasn’t released a studio album since 2001’s “Rock Steady,” but apparently it’s only a matter of getting back into the ska-pop groove rather than trying to find it, as the show was a marriage of superb audio and visual detail.

A futuristic white set matched the band’s white get-ups, including the midriff-baring tank top that served as a window to Stefani’s chiseled abs. Bassist Tony Kanal and guitarist Tom Dumont played subtle, faux-hawked counterpoint to Stefani’s punk-feminine style while drummer Adrian Young performed in knee socks and underwear, later appearing in a tutu.

Yes, the look is as much a part of No Doubt’s cheeky, carefree appeal as their sound.

From the feisty opener “Spiderwebs,” the band – which included dreadlocked horn and keyboard players Stephen Bradley and Gabriel McNair – never faltered while Stefani cooed and worked the stage.

On the sinewy bass of “Hella Good,” the frenetic “Ex-Girlfriend” and the rap-infused “Hey Baby,” Stefani was all boundless energy. On mellow tracks “Don’t Let It Go Away,” “Simple Kind of Life” and the reggae-laced “Underneath It All,” she scaled it back and let swagger take a backseat to singing.

Stefani has had a successful solo career while the band took a break, but none of her hits surfaced Saturday; it was all about bringing No Doubt in all its facets back to the masses, from monster smash “Don’t Speak” to the synth-heavy cover of Talk Talk’s “It’s My Life.”

Judging by the capacity crowd’s thunderous demand for an encore, which included “Rock Steady” and “Sunday Morning,” the masses have missed them.

Opening act Paramore is a band modeled after No Doubt: melodic, punk-infused power pop featuring a dynamic frontwoman in Hayley Williams and an all-male band. The fivesome delivered a brilliant set that included the buoyant “Where the Lines Overlap” and their track from the vampire flick “Twilight,” “Decode.”

Tags: Boston, Concert Reviews, Live, Tour