Las Vegas Weekly

August 8, 2009 · 2:22 PM

Photo Galleries: There’s no doubting that No Doubt rules

By Don Chareunsy

No Doubt performs at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel.

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabikphoto.com

By Don Chareunsy, Vegas DeLuxe editor

Two strong and fabulous women. Two very different musical genres. Two amazing concerts.

I didn’t think there’d be topping Beyonce’s phenomenal I Am … Yours concert last weekend at the Encore Theater in Wynn Las Vegas any time soon, but No Doubt, with phenomenal frontwoman Gwen Stefani, gave Sasha Fierce a run for her money last night at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel.

If I wasn’t a fan of Gwen and No Doubt before, I’m a fan now. To be fair, I own a few of their CDs and like their music. But Gwen and No Doubt take it to a whole new level in their concert performances. Last night, No Doubt was high-energy and thoroughly engaging, with Gwen getting the audience to jump up and down, chant and stand up (for those who had seats instead of being on the floor) throughout the evening. Our amazing contributing photographer Erik Kabik was onsite and snapped these photos for our two galleries.

Gwen’s voice and unique vocal stylings were in top form. As if the band weren’t enthralling enough, the background images -- from music videos to old band footage (a younger Gwen, with much longer and natural hair, bears a striking resemblance to Madonna and Drew Barrymore) to 007 and Mod sequences -- complemented their concert.

I can’t say enough about Gwen; she is amazing. She is stunning, her six-pack abs would make any woman -- and most men -- green with envy. And the L.A.M.B. creator showcased her flair for fashion onstage, from the first all-white outfit with jacket and cropped top to showcase her amazing stomach to the adorable and fun black-and-silver, glittery checkerboard mini shorts with black leggings and boots. For the encore, it was a glittery black short-sleeve polo and black and white pants.

The 15-song set started off with “Spiderwebs” and finished, as I predicted to my guest, with “Just a Girl,” and it was like an 80-minute aerobics workout with Gwen and the band jumping, moving and dancing all over the stage. If 80 minutes is short in time span, the concert wasn’t short on energy and hits, including “Hella Good,” “Underneath It All,” “Ex-Girlfriend,” “Simple Kind of Life,” “Bathwater,” “Hey Baby,” "Running" and “Don’t Speak.” The encore was a mellow “Rock Steady” and a crowd pumpin’ and jumpin’ “Sunday Morning.”

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabikphoto.com

No Doubt performs at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel.

A major highlight was Gwen’s interaction with her fans. After “Underneath It All,” she talked with the audience and accepted a scrapbook from a fan, which she seemed to genuinely like. After telling the audience that this is No Doubt’s 55th show on their current tour (they have three more to go), she autographed a fan’s old-school photo of her. She snapped numerous digital camera pics. And she brought two fans up onstage, one woman who had a No Doubt tattoo on her back shoulder, and the other an excited young man who had seen No Doubt/Gwen Stefani 21 times.

“This guy deserves something. Can we get him a T-shirt or something?” she said. He wanted a hug, and Gwen obliged, joking, “I’m totally pimping myself right now.” He got a photo with her, too. She also went into the crowd a few times while singing and accepted a sign from a fan made out to her hairdresser!

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabikphoto.com

No Doubt performs at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel.

Gwen has her two feet on the ground and is like an Everywoman, except that she’s a millionaire, famous, award winning and has a super hot husband with an accent (British singer Gavin Rossdale of Bush fame, in case you don’t follow such things).

After last night’s concert, I’m feelin’ hella good and gonna keep on dancin’. And that’s not even my favorite No Doubt song.

Final note/question: Does drummer Adrian Young always perform in his underwear and knee-high socks? Last night, it was black briefs. For the encore, Adrian covered up … in a pink tutu.

Panic! At the Disco

Last night was one of Panic! At the Disco’s first performances since guitarist, co-founder and songwriter Ryan Ross and bassist Jon Walker left the band about a month ago due to musical differences, leaving lead singer and keyboardist Brendon Urie and co-founder and drummer Spencer Smith in a (state of?) Panic.

I couldn’t help but think of the similarities between the five-year-old band and The Killers, who’ve been together for seven years. Panic sounds like The Killers. They’re both from Las Vegas. And both have pretty boy front men. Brendon, however, lacks the charisma of Brandon Flowers, although he’s clearly working on it, dedicating a song to his family -- and Megan Fox, because he can. And last night, Brendon, in a hip and sexy silver-gray skinny suit, was channeling a cleaned-up version of Robert Pattinson and ran his fingers through his hair repeatedly during the set.

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabikphoto.com

Panic! At the Disco performs at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel.

“It’s an incredible honor to be playing with No Doubt,” Brendon told the audience. “I stole Tragic Kingdom from my sister in the ninth grade.”

Panic saved their two biggest hits, “Nine in the Afternoon” and “I Write Sins Not Tragedies,” for their last two songs and was fairly well received by the audience. The real test, though, will be the band’s third album, without the talents of songwriter Ryan.

The Sounds were the first opening act.

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