NO DOUBT & PARAMORE... Mansfield, MA, 6/20/2009, Boston Concert Review
VIDEO HERE: http://www.facebook.com/video/?id=691736415
It's the morning after, and I'm still trying to catch my breath. A hot date? An all nighter? A heavy workout? NO DOUBT! Last night I traveled back in time to the 1990s, when the magical Pop Ska of "Tragic Kingdom" floated to the top of the music scene like cream in our grunge coffee, the major music staple of the decade. Every guy wanted to be with her. Every girl wanted to be her. Gwen Stefani... A name that's become a noun, a verb and an adjective... a sentence all by herself. "Make it sound more Gwen Stefani," and "let's Gwen Stefani the vocals a bit more." Being a Pop vocalist in the 90s, and also a vocal teacher, it was not uncommon for girls to request I help them "sound like Gwen Stefani." The woman created her own sound, style, clothes and culture. If Madonna ruled the 80s with layered slips, head scarves and rubber bracelets, then Stefani stole the 90s with layered tops, plaid shorts and baggy pants. We were awash with platinum blonde girls, braving black eye brows and cherry red lips... and loving it. But I digress...About last night...
No Doubt was preceded by modern day chart toppers, Paramore, who put on a full length show themselves. The concert started at 7:30, and didn't end until 11:00. Now that's value for your ticket dollar, and the sold out 17,000 seat venue was a triumph over a poor economy. Paramore's lead singer, Hayley Williams, appeared to have an imaginary pogo stick, and an endless supply of energy to power it's bounce. Too bad the sound was so muddy we couldn't understand a word she said. No worries, their loyal fans sang along with every line, not deterred in the least by a bad mix. A stand out moment of magic came from the bass guitarist, who did a running flip across the entire stage, guitar in hand, as if he was performing a floor routine in Olympic gymnastics. Definitely take time to catch a video clip of that feat on YouTube.
Before the headliners took over, the wizards behind the curtain turned the stage into a vision in white, rolling out countless pieces of white flooring, white swirling ramps and white curtain. Imagine Willy Wonka in white. True to form, No Doubt appeared larger than life, in gigantic black shadows on the white back drop, setting the tone for the band acting out many James Bond themed roles on the giant video screen throughout the show. From the opening chords of "Spiderwebs," to the encore of "Rock Steady," No Doubt left none in any fans' mind: they still
rock. Seemingly without the aid of backing tracks, their live songs still sounded as vibrant as their CDs, leaving no room for disappointment. Gwen gave multiple shout outs to fevered fans in the front, some covered in No Doubt tattoos, all begging to join her on stage. One lucky girl did just that, as Stefani thanked her, and all the fans profusely for their undying support. The Platinum Powerhouse seemed to swing effortlessly from Power-Pop Icon to grateful, girl next door. This Rocker-Mom's sincerity refreshingly reassured us that, even though she's a Superstar, but her feet are planted firmly on the ground. The double Grammy winning pop/ska Cali sensation that is "No Doubt" will release a new album next year that is being recorded this summer while they are on their first real tour in seven years, consisting of 60 shows. Tickets purchased via certain web venues came with a free download of their entire catalogue as well. Welcome back to our arenas, our hearts... and our Ipods.
No Doubt Setlist:
Spiderwebs
Hella Good
Underneath It All
Excuse Me Mr.
Ex-Girlfriend
End It On This
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
Posts
1 comment:
Nice review! I wish I was there...
Gwen's abs were amazing! And she wore those white pants so dangerously low ... :D
Post a Comment