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Gibson Amphitheatre hosted a hardbodied Gwen Stefani and the manboys of No Doubt for a hometown houseparty of seismic Socal proportions last night. A prelude to six more local dates, hands waived in the air, as if being there was their only care.
She's just a girl in the world, but from Los Angeles they came, and the motherland welcomed home its ska-touched sons and daughters for a pop rock sparklefest of jump-a-long songs. In other words, it was like seeing Bon Jovi perform in New Jersey.
Wearing (and clearly not drinking) a sixpack, the lady L.A.M.B. was gracious with the fans, as well as the sound crew (despite a snafu with two dead mics during the opening "Spiderwebs" number). Blonde, marbled and in Marilyn makeup ala Madonna, Stefani led the band through a catalogue of devotee favorites spanning the last decade and a half.
While the cat was away for an outfit change (cropped tank over two bras paired with disco tails attached to glam military cargo jams traded in for a taxi-print glitter jumper over tights and tall boots) the band did play, indulging the crowd with a rude-boy Bat Mitzvah interlude of instrumental brass.
Also noteworthy was the pantsless drummer's ever dwindling jock coverage, a Wonder Years-ish home movie montage of early band life in the OC and a Shirley Manson cameo during the encore.
Gibson Amphitheatre
Universal City, CA
Fri, Jul 31
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
Irvine, CA
Sat, Aug 1
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
Irvine, CA
Sun, Aug 2
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
Irvine, CA
Tue, Aug 4
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
Irvine, CA
Wed, Aug 5
Santa Barbara Bowl
Santa Barbara, CA
