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Forget the economy. Forget the weather. Serious fun prevailed Tuesday night at the Ford Amphitheatre in Tampa. Ska-pop superstars No Doubt, on tour for the first time in five years, effortlessly delighted a giddy, sold-out, rain-soaked crowd of 20,000.
Wearing a form-fitting white sci-fi suit like the rest of her bandmates, 39-year-old frontwoman and mother of two Gwen Stefani looked and sounded every bit as naturally beautiful and vibrant as she did back when No Doubt's new wave/ska mash up "Tragic Kingdom" became a blockbuster in the mid-1990s. With no new album to push this go around, the quartet, which was aided by a trumpeter and trombonist, stuck to the hits. The bouncy "Spiderwebs" opened the 90-minute set that also included near-studio-perfect renditions of smashes like "Hella Good," "Underneath It All," "Running" and "Simple Kind of Life." Three-quarters of the crowd were women - of practically all ages - and they gleefully transformed the anthems "Just a Girl" and "Don't Speak" into massive sing a-longs.
Stefani skipped her solo hits but no one seemed disappointed. Her charisma shined on every number as she bounded about the spacey stage that featured multiple silver walkways leading up to the drum riser. Stefani even brought a few awestruck fans on stage and, like the band's opening night show in Los Angeles, informed the crowd that, "We're here because we want to be inspired." And get paid. But unlike most high-profile reunion shows, this one actually did feel inspired.
As for the first act of the night, The Sounds, the excellent Swedish synth-pop band had the misfortune of performing during a thunderstorm and while many concertgoers were stuck in traffic due to an accident on I-4. Nevertheless, hottie, highly talented frontwoman Maja Ivarsson and her five-piece issued a short but endearing set of memorably catchy tunes put across with maximum attitude.
The Sounds were followed by emo standouts Paramore. Once again, a female lead singer, Hayley Williams, dominated the stage. The slender, red-haired singer has a huge, raspy voice that easily filled the giant shed. Williams, age 20, exude star quality like few performers her age. She whipped the crowd into a frenzy that could only be topped by the headliner, and the night's leading lady, Gwen Stefani.
See photos from the Tampa show: No Doubt photo gallery
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