Concert Preview
No Doubt about it: Gwen Stefani rocks White River

By Patrick MacDonald
Seattle Times music critic

F. SCOTT SCHAFER No Doubt, above, with Gwen Stefani, kicks off the White River concert season 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

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White River Amphitheatre was to have opened its season May 13 with a newsworthy event: The first date on the international tour of the new, improved Christina Aguilera, with less makeup and more clothes.

The tour was canceled, however, supposedly because of the pop diva's throat problems. But it was probably due to lack of interest. Aguilera has a great voice, but she tarted herself up so much, and cheapened herself with the sexy stuff, that she became a joke.

Now the venue's season will open Wednesday with a genuine rock singer no one will ever call a diva, Gwen Stefani of No Doubt. And making the show even more hip, Blink-182, the prankster rock trio, which is showing signs of growing up (!), is co-headliner.

In fairness to Aguilera, No Doubt has had its career slumps, too. The group followed its 15-million-selling, 1995 smash album, "Tragic Kingdom," with a dud called "Return to Saturn," which sold only about 1.5 million. In an attempt to be "mature," they forgot to have fun. A No Doubt CD with few dance rhythms was a bad idea.

Blink-182, right, is the co-headliner.

	ESTEVANORIOL.COM Blink-182 co-headlines with No Doubt on Wednesday at White River Amphitheatre.

But Stefani could not be stopped. She teamed with techno/dance music star Moby on the single "Southside," giving the robotlike Moby his warmest, most appealing song, and biggest hit.

Then she got together with hip-hop star Eve for the Dr. Dre-produced "Let Me Blow Ya Mind," which became a rock and hip-hop hit, and won a Grammy for best pop vocal collaboration.

Those projects raised Stefani's profile and helped No Doubt line up Prince, the Neptunes (Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo) and Ric Ocasek of the Cars as producers for "Rock Steady" — a highly danceable CD, with reggae and ska accents, recorded in Jamaica. It was released in 2002 and is still yielding hits.

Concert preview No Doubt, Blink-182 and Phantom Planet, 7 p.m. Wednesday, White River Amphitheatre, Auburn; $25-$53.50 (206-628-0888, www.ticketmaster.com or www.cc.com; information, www.whiteriverconcerts.com).

And it's not surprising that Stefani has recorded a solo album, due out in August. She also has a role in "The Aviator," the Howard Hughes biopic starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Platinum blond Stefani plays the original platinum blond bombshell, 1930s movie star Jean Harlow.

Blink-182 also appeared headed for obscurity, as their naughty-children shtick seemed played out. But then came "Blink-182," the new CD, and it's surprisingly good, with improved musicianship, fewer potty-mouth lyrics and the band's first ballad hit, the ethereal "I Miss You."

Opening is Phantom Planet, the band known for the slow-building "California," the theme song to the hit TV show "The O.C."

Patrick MacDonald: 206-464-2312 or pmacdonald@seattletimes.com.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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