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Let’s start by getting the obvious out of the way, Gwen Stefani the solo artist is not Gwen Stefani the No Doubt front woman. Currently on break from No Doubt, Gwen has entered the solo ranks with a somewhat different sonic demeanor with the release of her past two solo outings. In place of her ska/punk princess is pop at its purest form, with outfits and slick stage shows that are much closer to say a Madonna concert than the No Doubt vibe.
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Gwen Stefani
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 Entertainment
 Art
First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
Tinley Park, Ill.
June 8, 2007
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And while No Doubt’s songs are generally catchier and its concerts much more crazy, sizing that group up with Stefani’s current strides is like comparing apples to oranges.
That that being said, Gwen strutted on stage all by her lonesome with an air of confidence, emerging from a jail cell wearing pinstripes to add some sugary sweetness to the recent single “The Sweet Escape” (accompanied by the raps of opening act bad boy Akon). But the prison theme (especially timely in wake of Paris Hilton’s ongoing saga) was short lived as Stefani quickly changed gears and outfits to dawn a cape for the glamorous “Rich Girl” followed by a chef’s hat ala Chef Boyardee for “Yummy.”
Gwen has the vogue looks and pure showmanship down throughout the 100-minute set and is a part of the puzzle that has turned Stefani into a worldwide superstar and those elements also made her somewhat lackluster new CD “The Sweet Escape” possess the punch it missed in the studio. “Orange County Girl” was perhaps the most overt example, tracing old photos from the her childhood on the jumbotron as her six piece band (anchored by David Bowie’s exceptional bassist/vocalist Gail Ann Dorsey) jammed with reggae and rock infused rhythms.
Her eight member break dancing entourage was even more effective during the call and response of “Hollaback Girl” from her much more warmly received 2004 CD “Love.Angel.Music.Baby.” For the festive tune, that background troupe ripped a page out of their high school yearbooks linking scenes of cheerleaders dancing with jocks to simple but joyous results. The encore “What You Waiting For?” also amplified Stefani’s recent obsession with Japanese culture, transforming the female dancers into the Harajuku Girls (a reference from her first solo CD).
And just for the record, Stefani skipped the No Doubt catalogue entirely, which was an obvious disappointment for die-hard followers, but also a respectable decision in hopes of keeping the two entities completely separate. Yet her charisma from that era carried into the summertime single “Cool,” which unexpectedly featured the leading lady leaping from the stage and sprinting through the crowd. She wound up on the lawn creating the hands down mob scene of the night, securing her place in modern day diva-dome without forgetting the fans who’ve gotten her this far. |
GWEN
Written by Guest on 2007-06-19 10:31:06
This photo is fantastic! |
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