Tuesday, July 28, 2009

NO DOUBT STILL ROCKS THE HOUSE

No Doubt never fails to deliver a great performance!

Last night I saw No Doubt at the Universal Amphitheater. It not only exceeded my expectations, but was so amazing I teared up numerous times! I felt like I was fifteen all over again, jumping up and down and singing at the top of my lungs to songs that shaped much of my youth. I first saw No Doubt in 1997 and was obsessed, and I mean obsessed, all through my High School and early college years. I used to want to live in Southern California just so I could go to every No Doubt show possible and be part of the ska scene when it was big. This was my tenth No Doubt show, and still as impressive as the first.

The show brought back so many old memories and feelings of when I used to go to No Doubt concerts with my friends. No Doubt has always been one of the best live performing groups I have ever seen. This show was no exception. They had great graphics projected on the background, fun lighting effects, and a set that looked like mix of something between a space ship and the Los Angeles Airport's Encounter Restaurant. They played early tour footage in the background during Running, paying homage to their beginnings. There was also prerecorded videos giving a nod to the 60s and James Bond. They played most of their well known singles, yet gave the fans a little something extra with resurrected old favorites like Different People, Tragic Kingdom, and Sunday Morning from the Tragic Kingdom album. The band played an old ska classic, the Skatalites Guns of Navarone, while Gwen did an outfit change. The finale surprise included Shirley Manson of Garbage (another old time favorite of mine) joining No Doubt and the Sounds to sing Adam & The Ants Stand and Deliver for the Encore. Below is the set list, partially based off other show lists since I couldn't recall the exact order.

Battle Star Galactica Intro
Spiderwebs
Hella Good
Underneath It All
Excuse Me Mr.
Ex-Girlfriend
Tragic Kingdom
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 (with Shirley Manson and The Sounds)
Sunday Morning

They have always been very into connecting with their fans in the audience, and Gwen even brought some fans up on stage during the show. They also did the classic move, throwing out the setlists and Adrian's drumsticks at the end.

These are the ticket stubs and some photos from all the No Doubt shows I've seen, except I don't seem to have the ticket stubs from when I saw them with U2 in 2001 and at Rockfest in 1997. Although, I have the one from the first show I would have seen in Dallas that got cancelled (but I saved the ticket to). Memories.

Long Beach, CA. Last No Doubt show I saw. Garbage performed with them at this show too.


New York City, NY.



Las Vegas, NV. I met all the No Doubt guys!!



Dallas, TX.



San Francisco, CA. This was where I went instead of prom.



Las Vegas, Nevada. Day before Gwen's 30th Birthday.

My first No Doubt Show in Forth Worth, TX. We skipped school and camped out all day. It was worth it because we met the whole band. Gwen called us "nutsies".

Dallas, TX show. Cancelled. Last club dates before they started their arena tours.

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