The summer concert season literally kicked off with a powerful performance by one of today’s most revered So-Cal pop bands. Gwen Stefani of No Doubt burst onto the stage, cursing, kicking and jumping, while the cheers of a roaring sold-out crowd filled Santa Ana Star Casino Monday, May 13.
No Doubt performed at the casino’s intimate stadium to a crowd of young and old fans. The stadium started thumping to the sounds of their first song “Hella Good,” from its newest album Rock Steady, followed by “Sunday Morning” from the band’s first hit album Tragic Kingdom.
No Doubt has been performing for quite some time now, but this most recent show was an excellent culmination of tunes from their long road to rock stardom. Stefani’s stage performance dominated the first eight songs. Her black and white striped pants had “Hella Good” written across her booty in sparkly sequins. Her signature cropped shirt, which matched her knee high red boots and her platinum blonde hair, met the crowd’s expectations.
Tony Kanal put on a thumping display of bass playing wizardry. He seemed to lurk around the stage guided by his thumping bass beat. Of course, he is the favorite of all the girls in the audience, and his past relationship with Stefani is demonstrated by their antics on stage. Tom Dumont reeled out guitar riffs on the side and was impressive with his humble guitar playing ability.
Adrian Young, the Mohawk sporting, lanky drummer, was very exuberant in demonstrating his skills. I particularly liked when he approached the front of the stage to play the bells for “Detective,” off the Rock Steady album. While this is my favorite song on the album, it wasn’t as edgy when performed live.
The trumpeters and keyboardists were an excellent raggae support. Gabriel McNair and Stephen Bradley’s dreadlocks and their rastafari colors reminded the audience of the strong raggae influence that permeates No Doubt’s sound.
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Stefani’s singing was impressive. She managed to reach some amazingly high trills during the performance and most of her vocals meshed well with the rest of the band. However, the singing during the slow songs was a little flat and the band members were hard pressed to cover.
The set design was bright and clean with the backdrop consisting of drapes imprinted with graphics from the cover of their Rock Steady album. After the band’s first set of about 12 songs, the backdrop changed to a large golden ND symbol. Stefani began the second set with “I’m Just a Girl” and the crowd went wild. Her characteristic pouting lips and girly innocence were truly apparent in this song.
No Doubt put on a great show. In addition to its catchy tunes, the stage dynamics really reflected this band’s identity. The clarity of the playing combined with crisp stage performance provided the audience with a nice welcome into the summer concert season.
