Once upon a time, the fast-paced, ska-heavy punk music at which the group No Doubt excels was relegated to dingy, lawless hole-in-the-wall joints where only the brave and tattooed anarchists dared to venture. Now it’s pop. And as evidenced by No Doubt’s massive turnout at the Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater, a big enough draw to pack a stadium.

A crowd of more than 17,000 came out to the see the band, fronted by the phenomenal Gwen Stefani. Even though Stefani has in recent years become a pop star, she avoided the songs that made her a radio favorite and showed that this tour is all about the group that launched her career.

Plus, she showed she can still thrash and rock just as hard as the boys.

As No Doubt took the stage, silhouettes of them were projected onto a curtain for a few beats; it then dropped to the floor, revealing a pristine white stage consisting of ivory ramps and a band clad entirely in variations of white and black – the unofficial colors of the ska movement.

Stefani, whose sometimes kooky but always fresh sartorial choices have made her a style icon, rocked snow-colored pants with black piping, calf-high boots, chains from her waist and a glittery, sparkling top. The perhaps dubious message was that she’s authentically punk but glamorous, too – the irony is integral to swallowing their punk pop music.

But none of the nation of people there seemed bogged down in poseur discourse; they were too busy screaming hard to “D.J.s” and “Hella Good.”

“Virginia Beach!” she screamed. “You are amazing! I feel sparkly and glittery!” Then, top notch banter. “We had an amazing day at your beach yesterday! That electrical storm was great!” Proving that the group knows exactly where they are tonight? Giving props to our hometown, and conjuring an image of No Doubt milling near the Dairy Queen on the Oceanfront? Ten points.

Tony Kanal, the group’s second-most high profile member, was, like Stefani, completely engaged and present in the performance, wailing his neon pink guitar at the crowd below. Drummer Adrian Young wearing black lipstick, was on fire too, and touring band members Stephen Bradley and Gabriel McNair added depth and flair to the sound with their respective trumpet and trombone playing. In total the band sounded rich and full, and their nearly flawless playing made you almost forget there were videos playing behind them.

No doubt though, Stefani is the star of this outfit, and as she screeched out “Underneath It All” and “Simple Kind of Life” you got the sense that, pushing 40 years old, she’s still a fun California girl. (She is also apparently under the counsel of a great trainer and dietician; her cutoff tank top exposed a tummy bearing no trace of her two kids.)

As the show wore on through “Hey Baby,” “Different People” and “It’s My Life” – with Kamal soaked in sweat but Stefani fresh-faced – one wondered at what point the band would vanish and allow the lead singer to do a set of her solo hits like the once inescapable “Hollaback Girl,” but such an interlude never came.

Admirably, they remained a unit – cohesive and compelling and apparently looking to make the next move together.

“We’re trying to make a record,” Stefani screamed, “but we wanted to see you guys first, and that’s why we’re here!”

by Anne | No Doubt, tour 2009 | Trackback