Pop Music Blog

BY RICK MASSIMO
Journal Pop Music Writer

UNCASVILLE, Conn. -- It may have seemed as though singer Gwen Stefani didn't need the band No Doubt anymore, not after two hit solo albums. But Wednesday night at the Arena at the Mohegan Sun casino, the group identity that had been on hiatus made itself felt.

As did the back catalog. With no new record to tour behind yet, the California ska-pop-punk band had to rely on the old stuff to make it through the nearly two-hour show, throwing in a few rarities among the masive hits from albums such as Tragic Kingdom and Rock Steady.

Coming out to an all-white stage set and all dressed in white, with bassist Tony Kanal, drummer Adrian Young and guitarist Tom Dumont sporting matching blond Mohawks and Stefnai's hair tied up to look similar, the band started off with a slightly ska-ified version of the rave-up "Spiderwebs" (courtesy of horn players/dancers/keybaordists/backup singers Stephen Bradley and Gabrial McNair), the Madonna-esque dance pop of "Hella Good" followed, before the swaying "Underneath It All" and a Police-styled "Excuse Me Mr." After that, it was off to the races.

The set list basically followed that of the other shows on this summer's tour; the bounce of "Bathwater" came a little later than our friend the Internet tells us in other towns, but that's about all.

The only clinker was a cover of Adam and the Ants' "Stand and Deliver," which came off as a light, breezy shuffle despite, at one point, all six musicians banging away on drums. Even the sight of Young in a tutu striding deep into the audience while playing a marching snare drum couldn't save it.

On the other hand, the cover of Talk Talk's "It's My Life" was elegant and lush, with Kanal's growling bass leading the way, as it did for most of the evening. (Hats off to the soundmen; Young's bass drum was insistent but not overpowering, letting Kanal shine through.)

On such songs as "It's My Life" and the breakthrough ballad "Don't Speak," Stefani's voice felt like it had gained confidence, bass and power over the years, losing the hiccupy quality that had defined much of her early work. She also retained her trademark onstage athleticism (really, the whole band did) without looking or sounding like she was trying too hard.

Indeed, to these ears most of the No Doubt recorded ouevre has sounded a little too tightly wound, more like hints at, and templates for, live performances. Even though it's been five years since their last tour and eight since their last studio record, they delivered on that promise, even on the nervous electrop-pop of "New," which unfolded into a rock anthem.

Paramore, who preceded No Doubt, made an interesting contrast in terms of group dynamics - while they had the arena-filling sound, the hits that most of the crowd knew and reacted to immediately and plenty of onstage energy, it still felt like singer Hayley Williams and four other guys. Maybe it's just a matter of seasoning and having a big stage set to work with.

Paramore tore through high-drama, high-tempo sing-along anthems such as "Misery Business" and "For a Pessimist, I'm Pretty Optimistic." With Williams' strong vocals and the snarling, hook-laden guitar parts of Josh Farro and Taylor York, they were infectious.

And when it all started to sound very similar (including the new "Ignorance" from their forthcoming album), they were able to change things up -- a little, anyway -- with the hit single "Decode," from the Twilight soundtrack, which merged the Paramore sound with a hit-single melody, and the new "Where Lines Overlap," with a catchy piano figure.

Singer Janelle Monae opened the show with a short set that threw in influences from Tin Pan Alley ("Smile," starting with the diminutive Monae standing on a stool singing the song as "Small") and '70s soul, courtesy of a band consisting of drummer, guitarist and DJ, on the cataclysmic "Sincerely," which heard her yowling with her powerful voice and also heading deep into the crowd.

rmassimo@projo.com / (401) 277-7206

 Tags  Janelle Monae No Doubt Paramore

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