Concert review | No Doubt all energy and hits at White River show

Concert Review |

Before she arrived in the Seattle area, Gwen Stefani remarked that she would give her all at the No Doubt concert Sunday night at Auburn's White River Amphitheatre, and she made good on her promise.

Through three glittery outfit changes and lots of kicking, dancing and rocking, Stefani and the rest of No Doubt transported the packed audience through many of their classics, such as "Spiderwebs," "Don't Speak" and "Just a Girl."

The Anaheim ska band has been around since 1987, and recently came back on the scene after a five-year hiatus. The break didn't hamper their style. Stefani, sporting a sculpted abdomen, is still as cut as can be after popping out two kids, and drummer Adrian Young was up to his usual antics, topless with a bright red tutu.

Stefani was also as charismatic as ever — getting into the audience, signing a fan's arm and grabbing a fan's camera to take a picture. The rest of the band — Young, bassist Tony Kanal and guitarist-keyboard player Tom Dumont — matched her never-ending energy.

Most of the show went exactly as what Stefani said during the show that they'd deliver — "nice and juicy," prepared after some 40 shows on tour. But a few songs, including "It's My Life" and "Simple Kind of Life," were either badly mixed or strangely updated, causing the audience — who were rocking along — to stand silently confused.

Paramore, who opened for No Doubt, was a nice fit. No Doubt has a tradition of showcasing female-fronted bands as openers — such as Garbage and the Distillers — and lead singer Haley Williams of Paramore could well be a future pint-size version of Stefani. She certainly has the energy. Time will tell if Paramore has the same staying power.

Marian Liu: 206-464-3825 or mliu@seattletimes.com