No Doubt/Gwen Stefani News May 2007

Chartattack review-Gwen Stefani's Fans Buying Into The Brand

2007-05-31T13:37:00.000-07:00

Gwen Stefani at the Air Canada Centre on May 30, 2007.
Photo by Richard Beland

May 30, 2007
Air Canada Centre
Toronto, ON
by Jodi Goulart

Gwen Stefani is living out various fantasies for The Sweet Escape tour and took the audience along for a cavity-worthy visual ride on Wednesday night at the ACC. Stefani is an uber-celebrity at this point: a fashion designer, tabloid staple, actress and singer. But the audience didn't buy into Stefani the musician as much as Stefani the brand.

The show opened to the sounds of Elvis Costello's "Watching The Detectives" as the Harajuku girls, dressed in prison-stripe dresses, prowled through the crowd pursued by dancers dressed as policemen. Then a giant "G," in case you forgot who you were there to see, descended from the rafters and Stefani emerged from a makeshift prison cage wearing a sparkly black-and-white striped jumper. Opening act Akon, who the teen girls lost their shit for, joined Stefani for "The Sweet Escape."

For second song "Rich Girl," from her first solo album Love.Angel.Music.Baby, Stefani donned a black cape and acted out the role of bank robber with her back-up dancers. From there, we saw her as a sexed-up Betty Crocker ("Yummy"), a geisha ("Early Winter"), a prep school girl ("Wind It Up") and even a race-car driver ("Danger Zone"). One of the best moments came during the encore's acoustic version of "The Real Thing," when the only flash came from the collar of Stefani's black cape.

The audience went crazy for the hits, which had videos to back them up, including "Hollaback Girl," "Cool" and "What You Waiting For?" When Stefani came into the seats to sing "Cool," the fans seemed more interested in capturing the moment with their cell phones than actually being near their idol.

Stefani tried her hardest to get the audience's attention during tracks they haven't yet downloaded, but at least she had fabulous costumes and breakdancing back-up dancers to grab their interest. Her banter was limited to talking about how much she loved her fans and their support, but she also mentioned, more notably that the next album she works on will be for No Doubt.

It's hard to say whether teenage girls in tour T-shirts snapping their bubble-gum will even buy an album not labelled "Gwen Stefani." But I'm sure, as No Doubt's "Don't Speak" video showcased years ago, the platinum-haired singer will still be front and centre, ensuring the group's continued success among the masses

Stefani makes a clean getaway at the ACC

2007-05-31T13:26:00.000-07:00

May 31, 2007 04:30 AM
Ashante Infantry
Pop & Jazz Critic

Don't know why Paris Hilton acolytes are petitioning the Guvernator to spare her a jail term for probation violations when time in the clink seems to be the in thing.

No less than style-maker Gwen Stefani opened her show at the Air Canada Centre last night locked inside an albeit gilded cell clad in albeit fetching prison stripes.

The tie-in was a frenetic rendition of "The Sweet Escape," for which her recent album and tour are named. Accompanying her on the song was opening act Akon, the Senegalese rapper who credits his three-year stint in the pokey (for running a car theft ring) as the catalyst to pursue a music career.

Who'd figure that the capacity crowd of screaming tweens and teens (and chaperones) who adore Stefani's whimsical girl-power shtick would also lap up the shirt-baring, profanity-laced routine of the Atlanta hip-hopper, whose second album is called Konvicted (with a smash R.Kelly-esque paean to a stripper) and boasts a logo of crossed forearms with handcuffed/bejewelled wrists?

The tour recently lost U.S. cellphone provider Verizon as a sponsor after Akon was videotaped simulating sex with an underaged girl at a club show in Trinidad.

But Stefani hasn't given him the boot and the pair do have a few things in common: his nasal, sing-a-long hooks and her penchant for nonsense refrains – na na na na na na ("Rich Girl") – and their hardscrabble origins. Hers, of course, was the punk version in suburban Orange County.

But Stefani is definitely more accessible than, say Madonna, to whom she's most often compared. They have similar chameleonic images, but Stefani seems more playful and sexy, rather than deliberate and sexed-up.

Weary-eyed in the close-ups more than halfway through a North America tour, the 37-year-old pop songstress and mom to a year-old son admitted to having an off day.

"I was grumpy, like, 10 minutes ago, for no reason; just being a bitch, basically," she said in a confessional aside.

However, as she noted, it's hard not to have a good time when scrambling across stage in bat wings for a cops and robbers scenario, or doffing a checked coatdress to reveal red sequined shorts.

There were plenty of costume changes from the fashion label boss, but she was rarely off stage, since layering facilitated most of them.

The low point of the 90-minute set was the three consecutive ballads in the first half that resulted in a run to the restroom and refreshment stand. It's not that her voice couldn't carry the tunes, but the overwhelming six-piece band didn't give it a chance. Besides, she's a lot less fun in slo-mo.

Stefani is at her best skipping saucily across stage with her Harajuku Girls sidekicks and showcasing her theatrical flair on uptempo songs such as "Wind It Up" and "Hollaback Girl," when she most resembles a fantasy land escapee.

Her character is a mashup of Alice in Wonderland naivete, Barbie's glam, Miss Piggy's irreverence and Nancy Drew's resourcefulness – simply entertaining.

source

Adrian and Nina Young attend Punks Not Dead Los Angeles Premiere

2007-05-31T11:59:00.000-07:00

Concert review-Air Canada Centre, Toronto

2007-05-30T10:20:00.000-07:00

By JANE STEVENSON -- Sun Media
Gwen Stefani took her fans on a really sweet escape last night at the Air Canada Centre.

The ultra-blond pop-dance star and stylemaker, who’s on the road in support of her second solo album, The Sweet Escape, opened her hour-and-35-minute show with a prison-themed homage that saw Stefani emerge from a gold jail cell dressed in black-and-white-striped, sequined hotpants.

The evening actually began with Stefani’s so-called Harajuku Girls, originally introduced on her first solo effort, Love.Angel. Music. Baby, running through the seats on the floor pursued by police officers while Elvis Costello’s Watching the Detectives blared.

They all later turned out to be Stefani’s eight remarkable dancers, who joined her and opening act, rapper-singer Akon, on stage for the title track from The Sweet Escape, which provided a rousing start to the night.

That jail cell was later turned into a safe so that a robbery could be committed during Rich Girl, from L.A.M.B., and Stefani could update her outfit with a sequined black cape.

By the third song, Yummy, she was decked out in a silver sequined apron and white chef’s hat perched on her ponytailed head, while she pranced on a moving sidewalk with two of her six backing musicians. (One of whom was David Bowie’s exquisite bassist and backup singer, Gail Ann Dorsey.)

Stefani is nothing if not a fashion plate.

For example, she updated the kimono into a mini-dress with white tank top and black bra, for 4 In the Morning, Luxurious and Early Winter.

A bigger production also seemed to be a priority this time out with a large video screen as a backdrop that split into two, and onto which both sleek lights and images were projected.

Particularly effective was the geisha dancing in a snowstorm during Early Winter, even if it seemed like Stefani had ripped a major page out of Madonna’s handbook, while Dorsey took over on lead vocals as the song came to a dramatic end.

Also good were the blue sky, clouds, pink sequined curtains and goats that accompanied Wind It Up, inspired by The Sound of Music, and another dazzling pair of sequined red shorts for the equally appealing Danger Zone , Wonderful Life and Hollaback Girl, the latter complete with a large gold “G” in bright lights hanging above the stage and two musicians forming a horn section.

Even more impressive was the mom-of-one’s flat stomach, showed off to great effect in a midriff-baring shirt during Now That You Got It and Don’t Get Twisted/Breakin’ Up, and when Stefani ran back to a smaller B-stage and eventually into the upper seats with part of her band to perform Cool.

All those bells and whistles aside, Stefani also had a nice stripped down encore, beginning with The Real Thing, with Dorsey again on harmonies, before cranking up the energy, costumes — more hotpants! — and effects again for the show-ending crowdpleaser What You Waiting For?

Akon, the Senegal-born, Atlanta-based rapper, and former convict (on car theft charges), earlier opened his 35-minute-set with Shake Down from his breakout sophomore disc, Konvicted, with the help of two female dancers dressed as police officers.

Is it just me, or where is Wentworth Miller — Prison Break’s hunk — when you need him?

Meanwhile, the screaming, mostly female fans in attendance seemed as psyched about seeing him as they were Stefani, as they sang along to hits like I Wanna Love You, Smack That, and Don’t Matter.

In fact, they roared their approval when the muscled performer stripped down to just a white tank top and eventually discarded it later in his show.

“Where my ladies at?” said the married, father of three, who got into trouble earlier this month when he did some dirty dancing with an underage girl during a concert in Trinidad.

In fact, the incident led Verizon to pull out of the Stefani tour as a sponsor, but she stuck by Akon and didn’t yank him off her road trip.

Maybe it’s because his heart’s in the right place?

When Akon, backed by a bassist, drummer and turntablist, discarded the yellow track suit jacket he was earlier wearing, he had a T-shirt on that said, “Believe in the future of Africa.”

Also opening last night was brash but funny British MC Lady Sovereign, the self-proclaimed “biggest midget in the game,” who is one of the biggest music stories of the last year in her native England.

The pigtailed singer rapped, burped and swore her way through a 20-minute set that highlighted songs from her 2006 debut, Public Warning, including the title track and her breakout out single, Love Me Or Hate Me, plus a cover of the Sex Pistols’ Pretty Vacant.

more pics and news at nodoubtweb

Gwen Stefani The Sweet Escape Tour May 30 - Toronto, Ontario - Air Canada Centre

2007-05-30T09:32:00.000-07:00

FAN POSTS ON THE NO DOUBT FORUM

NoDoubtsAngel-The Toronto show was AWESOME!
just got back...well half an hr ago from the toronto show. it was ***** awesome. gwen came out into the audience and went onto another stage and went out into the audience and did cool. she did wonderful life. what you waiting for? was the last song. she said she was miserable...like always when she comes to toronto...lol she was all over the place. she got stephen and gabe's names mixed up...she called gabe stephen...LOL. i bought the poster, tour book, harajuku stickers, the metallic 'g' sticker and two pins. we took alot of pix. i think gwen said toronto was better then montreal...i can't quite remember...akon came out and sang the sweet escape with her. lady soverign (sp?) was good. she was eating her candy bracelet in between. akon was good. he took off his shirt...and the end of his set he said gwen was asleep backstage with kingston...he said he's gonna count to three and wake her up...lol i had fun. oh yeah, she mentioned ND. Now That You Got It had a reggae feel to it. Gwen said this..."I was grumpy, like, 10 minutes ago, for no reason; just being a ***, basically." we heard Gwen doing sound check. we heard what you waiting for? and early winter and some guy was filming the concert..
read what else NoDoubtsAngel and other fans had to say on the forum.

Oh So Lux -My Life is completed (Spoilers) **UPDATED WITH PHOTOS**
Ok, Toronto show was pretty much the best night of my life. I'll post tons of pics tomorrow....So here's how it went down

======================================================

Gwen Stefani - talking about being grumpy

Sweet Escape part 1

part 2

Now That You Got It

videos thanks to makenzielee

YUMMY

4 IN THE MORNING

videos thanks to BrunetteGoddess23

Gwen Stefani The Sweet Escape Tour May 29 - Montreal, Quebec - Bell Centre

2007-05-29T07:31:00.000-07:00

two great pictures taken by Jo(thanks Jo:)x)
check out more hereJo's pics

Gwen Stefani in Montreal opening show / ouverture

Some great Video clips thanks to Davieboy1984

Gwen Stefani & Akon - The Sweet Escape

Rich Girl

What You Waiting For

The Real Thing

Hollaback Girl

Wind it up

Gwen Stefani in Montreal

Luxurious

4 in the Morning

Gwen Stefani Takes Kingston to Canada

2007-05-29T00:34:00.000-07:00

more at just jared

Gwen Stefani at Club mur.mur at Borgata Hotel, Casino and Spa-Borgata

2007-05-27T03:47:00.000-07:00

Atlantic City, New Jersey United States

Gwen Stefani The Sweet Escape Tour May 27 - Atlantic City, NJ - Borgata Hotel and Casino

2007-05-27T01:30:00.000-07:00

FAN POSTS ON THE NO DOUBT FORUM

HotTrack-Borgata Show:Fantastic
-------------------------------------

Raddest Queen(Katie)-My pictures from New Jersey and Atlantic City Shows
here are just two of the amazing pictures Katie took, go to the forum to see more

==============================================================

CLICK ON PICTURE FOR LARGER VIEW RETURN TO CONTINUE VIEWING

Gwen Stefani and husband Gavin Rossdale with son Kingston leaving their hotel in Manhattan

2007-05-27T01:00:00.000-07:00

more pics at nodoubtweb

Kingston Lives The Good Life

2007-05-26T22:21:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday Kingston!

Kingston James McGregor Rossdale, the son of Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale celebrated a happy first birthday today, May 26, 2007 in New York City by shopping with mom, pop, and grandparents in the historic SoHo district.

Gwen, 37, and Gavin, 41, bought Kingston a shirt that read “Good Life Begins At 1″ from Trico Field.

Kingston certainly has the good life! What great parents!

More photos of the cute and happy 1 year-old at justjared

and there are more Birthday photos at justnodoubt

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY KINGSTON!!!

2007-05-26T21:33:00.000-07:00

Kingston James McGregor Rossdale

Akon and Stefani: Good for each other

2007-05-26T12:17:00.000-07:00

By Sam Adams
For The Inquirer
Aggressively masculine and militantly girly, hip-hop singer Akon and pop princess Gwen Stefani make an unlikely duo. He croons about his time in jail; she crafts rhythmic, often sung-spoken odes to her own fabulousness. But their pairing at the Tweeter Center on Thursday worked to both performers' advantage. Stefani gleaned a bit of Akon's bad-boy allure, while Akon demonstrated that he can behave himself in mixed company.
Performing beneath a pair of shackled forearms that looked oddly like gilded drumsticks (and backed by a drummer and bassist and recorded tracks), Akon both flaunted and repented his criminal past, establishing his street cred and his desire to move beyond it.

It wasn't drug dealing but dirty dancing that prompted the exit of the tour's former sponsor, Verizon. It made for the hills after after cultural watchdogs howled about a widely circulated Trinidad concert video of Akon rapidly thrusting against a female fan who turned out to be underage.

At the Tweeter, Akon still sang about strippers, but it was he who removed his shirt, to the audible approval of the overwhelmingly female crowd. Was he a lover or a player? He let listeners decide, leaving them to fill in the blank on "I Wanna Love You," which goes by another, more carnally direct name on the uncensored album.

It seemed like an even split between those who wanted to take him home to meet their parents and those who just wanted to take him home. Akon's lyrics might not meet some definitions of family fare, but that didn't stop numerous preteen girls from mouthing every word, which made his tales of prison life seem as harmless as a clown at a birthday party. Perhaps what he needs is not fewer underage girls in his audience, but more of them.

Clad in spangled jailhouse stripes, Stefani emerged from a gilded cage and spent the rest of her set flexing her freedoms. Liberated from No Doubt (she promises that a new record with them is forthcoming) and backed by a six-piece band, Stefani has gleefully trampled her way through clattering dance-pop and grandiose power ballads on her two solo albums.

It's clear she's having the time of her life - during her final bows, she bounced and clapped her hands as if she'd just been given a pony - and the sense of fun is infectious. It's too bad about the songs, which remain grating and unfocused no matter how vigorous their presentation. Stefani, who at one point dolled herself up as a pastry chef, should know that even the most decadent cake can't be all frosting.

source

Gwen Stefani: From The O.C. to The A.C.

2007-05-25T22:41:00.000-07:00

Because Gwen Stefani was one of my first big interviews, I can say with authority that she looks better than ever: Impossibly flawless skin, legs that go on forever (and then some) and a rockin’ bod that looks like it belongs to a Pilates instructor. How does she do it?

Chasing after her adorable kid Kingston (who celebrated his first birthday over the weekend) would be my guess after seeing the hands-on mom in action at a party hosted by her friend, the best-selling author Vicki Iovine.. The soiree was intended to be a fun and relaxing afternoon for Hollywood moms (as seen in In Style’s May issue and on InStyle.com), so I think I was the only guy in attendance aside from, well, Kingston. But I couldn’t pass up an invite to one of Vicki’s fabulous parties, and I had the opportunity to meet Gwen’s mother, who told me: “I always say that the grandchildren grow faster than the children!” And I’m thrilled that I had a chance to catch up with Gwen and remind her that I first interviewed her when No Doubt released “Just a Girl” seven years ago. “That was more like ten years ago, dude!” Gwen reminded me. But hey, who’s counting?

James, Gwen Stefani and Kingston

Vicki Iovine, James and Amanda Schuon
Photo by Silvia Mautner

When I first arrived, I joked to Vicki that I had been tempted to stuff a pillow under my shirt so that I could fit in with her other guests; her good friend Maria Shriver overheard me and said: “My husband did that in a movie once!” That would be Governor Schwarzenegger. (And I think the movie was Junior but don’t quote me on that.)

I’ve had Gwen on my mind because I was planning to catch her concert in Atlantic City (or “The A.C.,” as I like to call it) this weekend. But instead I’ll be spending the holiday weekend in “wild, wonderful West Virginia”—or so the state license plates claim—catching up with my own cool mom.

And wherever the rest of In Style’s staff spends their weekend, I’m sure they will be enjoying Gwen’s latest hit CD, for which we have Vicki to thank (as well as her husband Jimmy, the Chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M Records). I’d also like to give a shout-out to the other record labels that donated hot music to include in our staff’s summer goody bags: Geffen sent Nelly Furtado CDs; RCA sent Kelly Clarkson CDs; Six Degrees sent Bebel Gilberto CDs; and Jive sent a selection of Ciara, Chris Brown and J.T. CDs. Thanks so much for helping me put together a gift bag that really rocks!
partyhopper

Gwen Stefani husband Gavin Rossdale and Gwen's parents leave their hotel in Manhattan taking baby Kingston for a walk

2007-05-25T22:03:00.000-07:00

more pics at WENN

Gwen Stefain The Sweet Escape Tour May 24 - Camden, NJ - Tweeter Center at The Waterfront

2007-05-24T21:06:00.000-07:00

FAN POSTS ON THE NO DOUBT FORUM

hystericalconfession-My pictures from Camden, NJ show last night and some little things

Some little things

-Lady Sovereign cancelled, most likely due to her "breakdown" in NYC, so Akon's group Brick & lace opened instead

-She replaced "Wonderful Life" with "U Started It" :[

-They had everything in stock at the merch booths (dolls, necklaces, WIU hoodies, etc.) and some of the booths at the other side of the building had absolutely no one buying anything

-Gwen mentioned they had a birthday party in the "backyard" for Kingston

-She actually went out on the lawn for "Cool"

-Sho Tyme was one of her back-up dancers

photosHere

PREVIOUS POSTalexintragickingdom-I'm gonna meet Gwen!!!!!
Im soo excited!!! I can't even believe it!! Here's what happened: I live in the philly area and I planed to go to the Va. Beach Show, Philly Show, and The Borgata. So, we bought all of our tickets and me and my friend had paid for our other friend cause she was just in an accident that totalled her car, and she didn't have any money. THEN this sunday I was getting done work and I had 7 missed calls from one of my friends who I made a huge gwen fan, that was also coming with us. And when I called her back she was freaking out cause she won 2 tickets and 2 backstage passes from a radio station for the 5/24 concert in Philly!!! I still can't believe it!! I like shake everytime I think of it!!!! Ahhhhh!

alexintragickingdom-ME AND GWEN RENEE STEFANI ROSSDALE FINALLY MET<3>
and I looked like such a crazy looser fan haha. So heres how it all went down: Well, after speeding down 42 me and my friends got to the Tweeter Center at 6 o'clock. From there we called this woman "Bobby" from interscope, whose number we got from the radio station that we won the tickets. Bobby proceded to say: "I have nothing to do with those tickets." After going through with being told by 5 people that we coulden't go in, someone came up and said "The meet and greet's over." So, I freaked out, maintaining composure, and she was like "Ok, hold on." A few moments later, she came running back and was like "I'm so sorry I made a mistake, come with me. Run!" So me and my friend sprint down and she takes us behind a fence that leads to a patio covered by a tent.......................
read the rest Here

chzeball -Camden Fun!!
hey y'all... sooo i know lots of peeps have posted about the show already, but i def need to share with u all as well! it's gonna be long. sorry. first of all, it was AMAZING! gwen's voice was on point, and the energy in the air was just so great. i was kinda bummed about lady sov not being there cuz i actually like her. but anyways, i also thought akon was rad too. my sis really likes him. she caught his wife beater when he threw it out into the crowd. the whole show was just so freakin rad, the lights, the band, gwen (obviously), everything. the only bummer for me was that she didnt do wonderful life and thats one of my very fav songs, but its cool. i think i took like 40 pics (not exxagerating at all) with random strangers who thought i looked like gwen and wanted their pic taken with me. haha. it was INSANE! i really didnt think the reaction would be like that. but it was kinda fun. it gave me something to do while i was waiting for the show to start! haha.
go here to finish reading this post
Here is a picture of Heather(chzeball)looking very much like Gwen:)

thank you for letting me post your pics Heather:)x

and below is the link to some more great pictures Heather took
chzeball -Pictures from Camden's show!!!

Forget Madonna: Gwen’s the blond with ambition

2007-05-24T10:19:00.000-07:00

By Jed Gottlieb
Thursday, May 24, 2007 - Updated: 12:12 PM EST

The material girl wowed the crowd with a glittering pop spectacle at the packed Tweeter Center last night. No, Madonna wasn’t in town - she hasn’t been the material girl since she (relatively) shunned materialism for kabbalah. Gwen Stefani’s the girl with most blond ambition these days.

Unlike the majority of pop stars today, Gwen wasn’t manufactured by a creatively bankrupt Disney or “American Idol.” Like Madonna, she came from the streets (the suburban streets anyway). She developed her style rocking dirty little Southern California punk clubs with No Doubt.
At last night’s show she combined her punk energy with her growing penchant for the theatrical. As the stage split in two, a giant gold prison cell popped out with a jailed Gwen - all legs, lipstick and platinum hair - singing “The Sweet Escape.” Around her the four Harajuku girls and four male dancers in convict uniforms spun, popped, stepped and flipped. Not quite an extravaganza of “Confessions on the Dance Floor” proportions, but pound for pound as elaborate.

While Gwen doesn’t have Madge’s hits, her two solo albums had enough hooks to fill 100 minutes. “Rich Girl,” “Wind It Up” and “Yummy” got the crowd of mostly teens, tweens and moms squealing with costume changes, choreography and revolving, evolving stage show. Like a true pop diva, Gwen dropped “Hollaback Girl” - her can’t-fail-to-thrill anthem - in after a few filler songs to reignite the set.

Madonna and Gwen part ways when it comes to persona. Madonna’s all about affectation, Gwen’s genuine. For “Cool” she climbed into the center of the crowd with a guitarist and keyboardist in tow to sing surrounded by a paparazzi of camera phones.

Opener Akon smartly avoided incurring the wrath of the soccer moms by skipping his Trinidad shenanigans - Akon’s now infamous for simulating sex with a minor at a show in Trinidad a few weeks ago.

His hits thrilled a fair amount of the crowd - most notably “Don’t Matter” and “I Wanna Love You” - but they were flat and thin, even with some painfully obvious backing tracks filling in the sound. Nobody is advocating he go the illegal and immoral route, but surely he can figure out some way to make his music seem dangerous, or at least more fun.

Gwen Stefani with AKON and LADY SOVEREIGN At the Tweeter Center, Mansfield, last night.

(Matt Stone photos)
click on photo for larger view then click back to continue viewing.

A sweet escape with Stefani

2007-05-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

By Joan Anderman, Globe Staff May 24, 2007

MANSFIELD -- Gwen Stefani rolled onstage in a jail cell at the Tweeter Center last night singing "The Sweet Escape." Of course she escaped, sweet as can be in sparkling prison hot pants, singing with Akon under a giant blinged-out "G" while the Harajuku Girls pranced in policewoman garb.

Rarely has a road show delivered so literally on its name as Stefani's "The Sweet Escape" tour. "Rich Girl" was the soundtrack to an adorable robbery, featuring Gwen and the Girls in bat capes. A glimmery apron and postmodern toque turned "Yummy" into a celebration of pastries, as doughnuts scrolled across video screens. And then Gwen was the pastry, frosted in impossible folds of pink and gold fabric for "4 in the Morning."

The production, like its star, was compact and clever, devoid of pomp but full of whimsy. Costumes, a lot of them, were layered for a minimum of diva-like delays, which only works if you're a woman inclined to wear sequined ruby gym shorts under a houndstooth coat.

Ironically, for a performer so enamored of artifice, Stefani perpetually comes off as one of the more genuine chart-toppers. Her voice was built for amped-up cheers like "Hollaback Girl," not slow jams like "Luxurious," but her bad notes were hers, part of a real personality rather than a standard-issue pop star. It's hard to picture Fergie lamenting that her tour is half over by noting that "it makes me want to throw up," or Madonna climbing over seats cautioning "everybody be calm !" so she could lead a massive singalong of "Cool" from the middle of the house.

Stefani performed nearly all of her new album and a handful of tracks from 2004's "Love.Angel. Music.Baby. ," her solo debut. Her backup band had no trouble sating Stefani's fickle appetite for '80s pop, contemporary club, new wave, and yodeling -- sometimes all in the same song. "Wind It Up" is an endearing mess that samples strings from "The Sound of Music" and beats from the Neptunes, and in Stefani's wacky world it made perfect sense to sequence it on the heels of "Early Winter," a winsome anthem that featured longtime Bowie bassist Gail Ann Dorsey singing a thrilling coda. A sweet escape, indeed.

Hip-hop star Akon was on his best behavior after an explicit dancing incident with an underage concertgoer last month caused Verizon to pull its tour sponsorship, leaving U K rapper Lady Sovereign to get down and dirty on the microphone.

Joan Anderman can be reached at anderman@globe.com. For more on music visit boston.com/ music/blog.

© Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company.

Gwen Stefain The Sweet Escape Tour May 23 - Mansfield, MA - Tweeter Center

2007-05-23T12:29:00.001-07:00

FAN POSTS ON THE NO DOUBT FORUM

jiji7-Yay I saw her Boston last night...
It was absolutely amazing and my seats were so incredibly close. I will have to post pics later for you guys. I got great shots!.............more here

mojetta-BOSTON SHOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
OMG it was amazing!!! Gwen sounded incredible!! Akon and Lady S were great too! Anyway, I'll post pictures sometime tomorrow.. I'm sleepy!! I was sooo happy to hear her sing You Started It!! The show was a nice mix of the two albums. Saw some folks from the forum there too!!
mojetta-Link to the rest of my Boston Pics

csnow197-Special Night @ Boston

There were some big difference tonite at the concert.....more Here

Gwen Stefani Wallhogs Available Now

2007-05-22T13:04:00.000-07:00

News » Posted: 5/22/2007 # on gwenstefani.com

Gwen is working with a new company called Wallhogs to create fun, removable artwork to put on your wall. The art ranges in size from two to seven feet and there are tons of super cute designs to choose from. Click here to see the designs and order online.

Stefani delivers 'Sweet' concert

2007-05-20T23:08:00.000-07:00

By DONNIE MOORHOUSEMusic writer

UNCASVILLE, Conn. -

Gwen Stefani brought her "Sweet Escape" tour to the Mohegan Sun Arena on Monday night, performing a 90-minute set in front of a sold-out crowd.

Akon and Lady Sovereign opened the show.

The stage setup for Stefani's performance involved multiple video screens, conveyor belts and elaborate light rigging. Add in the eight dancers and there were a lot of moving parts.

Stefani, an electric performer with a flair for the dramatic, opened the show with a theatrical skit that involved her dancers being chased through the crowd by faux-police and dragged back to the stage to join Stefani and Akon on "Sweet Escape."

Confetti bills dropped from the ceiling as Stefani followed up with "Rich Girl."

Stefani has been playing the shed circuit, opening up a series of summer concerts at places like Jones Beach and other outdoor venues. She seemed genuinely relieved to be in the more intimate confines of Mohegan Sun Arena.

"It seems like I can see every person in here," she said. "You can't get away from me tonight."

As if to prove her point, Stefani took time during "Cool" to run through the crowd, dragging two band members back to the soundboard to deliver the song.

Stefani worked from her two solo albums, "Love. Angel. Music. Baby.," and the more recent "Sweet Escape," offering the Devo-ish "Danger Zone" from the former and "Yummy" from the latter.

She hailed "Early Winter" as her favorite song from the latest release and delivered an anthemic version backed by her seven-piece band.

After a quick costume change, Stefani yodeled her way to the stage to perform "Wind It Up," and brought the crowd to its feet with the signature "Hollaback Girl."

She closed her set with "Orange County Girl," and was called back for an encore that included "The Real Thing" and "What You Waiting For."

Akon nearly stole the show with his infectious brand of hip hop. His set included "Shake Down," "Soul Survivor" and "I'm N Luv (Wit a Stripper)."

(SOURCE)The Republican

Gwen Stefani The Sweet Escape Tour May 21 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena

2007-05-20T20:09:00.000-07:00

FAN POST ON THE NO DOUBT FORUM
ickyvicky-Last night at Mohegan Sun! (w/ pics)

Boy oh boy! Gwen was wonderful!! She had so much energy and looked so beautiful! Gwen came into the crowd while singing "Cool" and she was right next to me! It was awesome. Here are some pictures I took.

Gwen Stefani The Sweet Escape Tour May 20 - Wantagh, NY - Nikon at Jones Beach Theatre

2007-05-20T00:51:00.000-07:00

FAN POSTS ON THE NO DOUBT FORUM

lenaapple1974 on the forum has posted some great pics-CLICK HERE

here is just one of her pics

(Shelbywo0o on the forum )I HELD GWENS HAND!!!!!!!!! SHE SANG TO ME!
OH MY GOD IT WAS THE BEST NIGHT EVER. LETS START WITH...
LADY SOV-, she is SO cute, we fuckkin TALKED to her she kept on looking at us a giving us kisses, she even gave us the finger. She was playin arround with us...

(Detective3 on the forum )Back from the NY Show!
"The show was absolutely amazing. I see her definitely going back towards her No Doubt roots. This was more like a No Doubt show than Harajuku Lovers was. The opening number was so cute with the dancers running through the audience and Gwen entering from behind bars"...........

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TO VIEW LARGER PICTURE CLICK ON PICTURE-CLICK BACK TO CARRY ON VIEWING

Gwen Stefani-The Sweet Escape Tour May 18 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center

2007-05-18T09:39:00.001-07:00

FAN POSTS ON THE NO DOUBT FORUM

excuse me?
-pnc show! i stood right next to gwen and she touched me!!!

Gwen Stefani-The Sweet Escape Tour May 17 - Bristow, VA - Nissan Pavilion

2007-05-17T21:37:00.000-07:00

Thank you Lizzie:)x
follow this link to check out more amazing pics and a video from lizzie along with her great review

PRECIOUS CARGO

2007-05-17T09:35:00.000-07:00

With her tour underway, Gwen Stefani continues making her little man Kingston her No. 1 priority as she arrives in Bristow, Va., before her Thursday night concert.

source

Gwen Stefani Talks With DC's Hot 99.5

2007-05-16T21:07:00.000-07:00

No Doubt singer Gwen Stefani was backstage with Kane of Hot 99.5 in Washington, DC last night, where she talked about Kingston having a fever, how tour life is totally different with the baby, how No Doubt is now writing songs and if she feels their sound will change, what she thinks about the 'Idol' finale with Blake Lewis and Jordin Sparks, and losing a male dancer on the tour due to an ankle injury.

Download and Listen HERE

Gwen Stefani And Kingston at Rock Creek Park Washington DC

2007-05-16T09:32:00.000-07:00

Gwen Stefani, 37, and her son Kingston James McGregor, 11 months, were spotted out for a walk and playing at Rock Creek park in Washington DC on Wednesday. Gwen and Kingston are currently traveling the country on her Sweet Escape tour. Kingston rides in his custom Bugaboo with L.A.M.B. fabric!

more pics and
news at nodoubtweb

Gwen Stefani The Sweet Escape Tour May 15 - Virginia Beach, VA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

2007-05-15T21:21:00.000-07:00

FAN POSTS ON THE NO DOUBT FORUM

GrittyKitty22- Va Beach show photos

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ChemistrysCorrect v.2 -i finally put up my tour photos.

Gwen Stefani The Sweet Escape Tour May 14 - Raleigh, NC - Alltel Pavilion

2007-05-14T20:44:00.000-07:00

FAN POSTS ON THE NO DOUBT FORUM

Acid_Angel - RALEIGH, N.CAROLINA MAY 14TH REVIEW!-PICTURES

Gwen Stefani & Kingston on Mother’s Day

2007-05-13T21:42:00.000-07:00

click on picture for larger view click back to return to page
source

Dishing It Out

2007-05-13T13:10:00.000-07:00

Gwen Stefani chose the luxurious, relaxing atmosphere of Charlotte's Ballantyne Resort for her brief stay in town this weekend.

Gwen got off her tour bus and checked straight into the south Charlotte resort Saturday with hot hubbie Gavin Rossdale and baby Kingston in tow.

Gwen was scheduled to perform at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre on Saturday night as part of her "Sweet Escape" tour.

Singer Akon, who has been performing with Gwen on the tour, was expected to appear at the Charlotte concert, despite increasing flak over a sexually explicit dance with a 14-year-old girl that was caught on tape at a concert in Trinidad.

And really, what would Gwen's "Sweet Escape" be without Akon singing the insanely catchy "Whooo-hooo!" verse?

source

Essential Gwen Stefani

2007-05-13T00:22:00.000-07:00

A Great Gwen Interview

Go to nodoubtweb to view on their Youtube or download it

Review | Gwen Stefani at Verizon

2007-05-12T19:03:00.000-07:00

COURTNEY DEVORES
Special to the Observer
Singer, songwriter and fashionista Gwen Stefani will perform at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre on Saturday.
Dishing It Out
You'd be hard-pressed to find a more current triple bill in Charlotte this summer than pop superstar Stefani, hip-hop hit maker Akon, and British rapper Lady Sovereign, who played Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Saturday.

Akon's recent controversy involving a sexually explicit on-stage dance with a 14-year-old female fan in Trinidad caused Verizon to pull its sponsorship from the tour, but it didn't hurt the show's turnout. The singer/rapper refrained from any fan-related bumping and grinding Saturday.

Following a five-song set by funny, 21-year-old female rapper Lady Sovereign, which included her two singles and the Sex Pistol's "Pretty Vacant," Akon fired up the crowd with "Shake Down" and "Ghetto." The a capella segment of the latter showed off his impressive pipes. His performance of his recent hits "I Wanna Love You," "Smack That," and "Don't Matter" nearly rivaled the crowd's enthusiasm for Stefani.

Despite the opening act's star power, it was still Stefani's night. She emerged from a gold prison cell to the "whoohoo!" of "The Sweet Escape" wearing a black-and-white striped short jumpsuit flanked by four male dancers and her Harajuku girls dressed in inmate and cop costumes. Akon joined her for the recent hit. The scene turned to a theatrical bank robbery for "Rich Girl." Then she and her Harajuku dancers donned sparkly aprons for the food-themed rap "Yummy," which Charlotte's Kym Motley described as "What would happen if Willy Wonka and Prince came together."

The aptly named, visually impressive tour drew mostly from Stefani's latest dance record "The Sweet Escape." Versions of "4 in the Morning" and "Early Winter" turned down the theatrical bent of the show and showcased her surprisingly strong, unkewpie-doll-like vocals. Some tracks from "The Sweet Escape" came off better live than on record, while stronger, but slower album tracks didn't lend themselves as well to the upbeat nature of the show.

"Wind It Up" and "Hollaback Girl" set things back on the dance track. The latter would have been the biggest hit of the night if Stefani hadn't sang "Cool" while teetering on (what appeared to be) a guardrail in the middle of the pavilion with the help of about seven security guards.

She may be as glammed up as Madonna, but as she stressed in her closing performance of "Orange County Girl" she proved she's much more down-to-earth and approachable wading out into the crowd and almost daring to step foot on the sold-out lawn.

She returned for an encore of "The Real Thing" and her first solo hit "What You Waiting For?"

For those still holding out for a No Doubt track, there was none. She'll regroup with No Doubt following this tour.

"We're totally planning it," she said Wednesday morning. "They're already in the studio."

source

Dishing It Out

2007-05-12T19:00:00.000-07:00

source

Gwen Stefan Sweet Escape Tour May 12 - Charlotte, NC - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

2007-05-12T05:54:00.000-07:00

FAN POSTS ON THE NO DOUBT FORUM

( BK1870 on ND forum) I'm at the Charlotte concert now!!

Natalie (Sweet Euphoria in OC on the forum)CHARLOTTE SHOW!Now with pictures!
OMG IT WAS AWESOME!

Brooks (BK1870 on ND forum) MORE Charlotte Photos
"You've heard it once, you've heard it a million times, but you'll still here it again...the show was.......AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

( PlayB3yond on ND forum) Queen City Show (Charlotte) Picture OVERLOAD. 56K GTFO and UPGRADE.

PlayB3yond - As promised! PlayB3yond's HIGH QUALITY Charlotte Pictures. 56K Pain and Suffering.

Q&A with Gwen | That's what she said....

2007-05-11T09:24:00.000-07:00

COURTNEY DEVORES
Special to the Observer
On the eve of her concert at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, here's what Gwen Stefani had to say to us about ...

Her tour: "The audiences have been mind-blowing. I'm surprised how much fun I'm having. My life got so crazy-busy with making the record and having the baby and the clothing line. Now that I'm on tour, everybody has to back off a bit. You should've seen the tantrum I had when I found out I had to do an interview this morning (laughs)."

Her persona: "I'm a big fake in that I like to glam up and (do elaborate things with my) hair and makeup. But on stage I am who I am."

Her imitators: "It's a huge compliment. Completely inspiring -- it adds fuel to my fire. I still can't believe I've had any impact."

Her longevity: "My 15 minutes have been drawn out. I didn't know I was going to get any minutes."

Her new single, "4 in the Morning": I never thought it would be a single. It's probably my favorite song on the record. It's kind of the underdog song.

Her success with "The Sweet Escape": "I thought, `Oh my God, this song is so stupid. I can't believe we just wrote this!' But anytime I would play it for anyone, people would love it."

Her ability to stay relevant: "I just follow my heart and inspiration. If I'm into it, I don't question it."

Her band: "(Bassist) Tony (Kanal) might come out on tour this summer to write some No Doubt tracks. We're all kind of starved for each other, so it could be one of the most inspired No Doubt records yet. You never know, though. The Lord could bless me with another little you-know-who ..."

more news at nodoubtweb

Gwen Stefan Sweet Escape Tour May 11 - Atlanta, GA - HiFi Buys Amphitheatre

2007-05-11T05:53:00.000-07:00

FAN POSTS ON THE NO DOUBT FORUM

(Andrew)poison flower-Photos from the ATL show

go to the forum to check out the rest of Andrews great pics

more photos can be found on Andrews deviant art

and check out Andrews videos HERE

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Amy (amynxdx1982 on the forum)-Gwen in Atlanta

more from Amy (amynxdx1982 on the forum)-my Atlanta review

Everything In Time have added the videos from Gwens Atlanta Concert, filmed by Amy.go there to download them or watch them on Youtube
Cool Live in Atlanta

Everything In Time Youtube
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(tupperino on the forum)-Atlanta Show

twilkins - My Atlanta Pictures

Cee-Lo, Gwen Stefani and Jazze Pha

2007-05-10T22:24:00.000-07:00

Cee-Lo Green Does Le Cirque Fantastique to Launch His New Label, Radiculture
more pics and
news at nodoubtweb

Stefani moves from singer toward artist

2007-05-10T00:46:00.000-07:00

By Charles Passy
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Thursday, May 10, 2007

We've come a long way from Orange County.

True, Gwen Stefani, with her bleached-blonde hair and voice full of innocence, will always have a bit of California girl to her. But she's not the California girl of No Doubt fame - a young, playful creature trying to fit in with the boys in that lovable ska-based band.

See more photos-HERE

Now, Gwen is a star in her own right.

Proof of that came Wednesday night at the Sound Advice Amphitheatre, where Stefani, supporting her latest solo album, sailed through an hour-plus of her post-No Doubt catalog for a near-capacity crowd of 17,000.

It was a big show, to be sure. Stefani has fashioned an evening of song wedded to video projections and dance routines reminiscent of what Madonna and Janet Jackson have staged in their glory years.

At times, the visual language was cute, clever, even enthralling, such as in the candy-shop imagery that accompanied her amusing take on Yummy.

At other times, it was a tad too much: The prison-break routine that opened the show didn't quite seem to hit whatever mark it was aiming for.

But if Janet Jackson staged such spectacles to hide the fact she wasn't much of a singer (and if Madonna staged them simply because she could), Stefani is finding a way to make it work because she's such an intriguing singer/actress - as complex and bizarre as the pop-art theatrics of her show.

The girlish squeal will always be a reliable weapon in her vocal arsenal. But she's got a feel for rhythm in general - and hip-hop in particular - that gives so much of her music an irresistible bounciness.

The songs never quite stray out of pop territory, but it's a dynamic, urban-informed pop for sure.

A case in point: Hollaback Girl, which became a mini-party of a tune on Wednesday night. By contrast, opening act Akon, though a charmer, can't seem to navigate the terrain between rap and pop as well.

Finally, Stefani is growing more confident as a balladeer. She picks (or writes) her songs carefully and sings them just as carefully, finding depth and emotion but rarely crossing a line that would put her in lite-FM territory. As a balladeer, she still finds the beat - and the edge.

It will be interesting to see where future tours, and albums, take Stefani.

She's already proved she's a star. Now, she may be ready to showcase herself as an artist for the ages.

Gwen Stefani escapes controversy with style and class

2007-05-10T00:44:00.000-07:00

BY EVELYN McDONNELL
emcdonnell@miamiherald.com
It's no surprise that Gwen Stefani puts on one of the best stage shows in current pop music, given her love of musicals. The California singer has mixed quotes from Fiddler on the Roof and The Sound of Music in with the hip-hop and ska beats of two of her biggest hits. Wednesday night at the Sound Advice Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach, wearing glittery, hip costumes and dancing deftly with a smartly choreographed crew of eight amid impressive stage sets, the No Doubt frontwoman worked the vocal and physical projection of a Broadway star. Someone give the woman a script.

The self-described Orange County girl has earned leading lady status. What Stefani lacks in operatic pipes she makes up for in style. And Wednesday, her sometimes thin voice sounded warm and strong on ballads like 4 in the Morning, one of a couple songs she said had been inspired by her baby boy, Kingston (who was asleep in the tour bus, she later told the audience).

Stefani, like her idols Madonna and Deborah Harry, is a rhythmic vocal singer, not a soul belter. Fusing dancehall toasting, the wide beats of West Coast rap, and pop anthems, she's forged a style all her own (that the Black Eyed Peas' Fergie has now lifted and taken to the bank). She has a great feel for hooks and loves a good adventure. Live, she played with a six-piece band -- including singer/bassist Gail Ann Dorsey -- that matched her cut-and-paste sensibility perfectly. This is a woman who can keep a melody going over the mere accompaniment of the vamping bass hand of a piano and some martial drum beats.

But mostly, it was about the visuals. Following on the heels of the Konvict set by controversial hitmaker Akon, Stefani took the stage in a jail cell, wearing jailbird black and white (her favorite colors), singing the theme song of The Sweet Escape Tour: ``I've been a real bad girl.''

She could have been explaining why she's kept Akon as an opening act, even though he cost the tour its sponsor: Verizon dropped The Sweet Escape after video footage of Akon roughly simulating sex with a teenage girl onstage in Trinidad got him in hot water. Stefani's standing by her man: Akon came out to sing his parts on The Sweet Escape and Gwen wrapped her arm around him.

This was a family-friendly show, appropriately, since there were lots of families in the audience. Stefani is the rare pop starlet who doesn't flaunt cleavage or booty -- though she did show off her impossibly long torso in one of the last of the many killer outfits she wore. She's more the tomboy, suburban girl-next-door type -- athletic, a surfer or skateboarder -- than a singing stripper.

Stefani played 16 songs from her two albums and no No Doubt tunes. She seemed ecstatic with the reaction of the crowded amphitheatre despite the Verizon/Akon controversy -- or perhaps because of her triumph over it. Who needs sponsors, when you've got some 14,000 fans singing along to Cool, a song Stefani sang from the sound board to the people with lawn seats. The singer noted that several numbers had been written in Miami; two of her talented dancers were also Dade County progeny.

Akon seemed eager to put adversity behind him, though his voice and show were understandably somewhat strained. He let the audience sing the provocative words of Smack That and I Wanna Love You. ''If I sing it I might end up on CNN again,'' he said, in the night's only direct reference to the controversy. It seemed incongruous when the Senegalese singer, whose name is a reference to his own experience as a convicted felon, asked the suburban-looking crowd how many were from the ghetto, and if they were convicts.

Akon has an interesting, reggae-style tenor and the physique of a narcissist. Until the recent setback, he was poised to be the biggest success story of the year, with a top-selling album and several hits. If he can escape from the consequences of his own foolish actions, life will be sweet for him indeed.

How Gwen Stefani has grown up and stayed cool

2007-05-09T13:03:00.000-07:00

By Leslie Gray Streeter

Palm Beach Post Music Writer

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

On the surface, "It" girl Gwen Stefani, who appears at Sound Advice Amphitheatre tonight, has followed a curiously similar personal and professional path to that of Madonna, her sister in rarefied blond goddesshood.

Dig: Both began their careers as brightly attractive but deceptively lightweight-seeming MTV vixens. There was certainly little in their vocal ability that suggested they'd fight their way out of the crowded pop singer jungle to longevity and undisputed icon status.

They journeyed through myriad musical and sartorial identities, gained hot famous British husbands, established fashionable mommydom, and habitually adopted facets of foreign cultures to varying degrees of success and offensiveness, depending on whom you ask.

But those similarities are just skin deep, or, more specifically, a question of how deep beneath the shiny skin of fastidious celebrity wrapping the Material Mom and She Who Was Never "Just A Girl" allow us.

Gwen Stefani has consistently been, as much as a celebrity can be, an expertly made-up open book. The 37-year-old singer is like a cool big sister, or a contemporary who's candidly and attractively been through the same stuff we have, albeit with a lot less body fat. And that's why she's loved so much.

Madonna's many personae have been conspicuous but not actually confessional. She's invited us into her weddings, her childbirths and adoption, religious explorations and an almost gynecological examination of her sexuality (Hellooo, Vanilla Ice!)

But her music has always contained a coolly constructed wall of ace choreography and characterization. She's been everyone from a rubber-braceleted nymphette to a matador's tortured sweetheart, but unless she was lyrically slapping around her critics, her songs have been more the mirror of that era's persona than a window into her soul.

But Gwen Stefani, despite her carefully diet-honed physique and well-maintained platinum hair, ever changing fashion and slick Judy Garland-gone-pop-hop production numbers, has pretty much been all window.

Since her days as No Doubt's impressively charismatic ska-lite mistress of ceremonies, the Anaheim-raised Stefani has offered a delicious mixture of vulnerability and toughness, of being just one of the boys while not-so-secretly pining for one of them, for being a kick-butt chick who's not afraid to show the chinks in her couture armor.

Lyrically, No Doubt's 1995 debut Tragic Kingdom is a ska-pop Rumours, famously detailing Stefani's breakup with bassist Tony Kanal. Sunday Morning and especially the huge hit Don't Speak read like the "Why don't you love me" poetry written by every 16-year-old I've ever met, including the one I used to be, except it's actually good. Who among us can't relate to gut-busting lines like "It looks as though you're letting go/and if it's real then I don't want to know?"

The thing is, it was real, and Gwen Stefani had to sing those words every night right downstage from the guy who'd inspired that combination of confrontation and denial. Look, we've all been there. Even when you're more or less over it, who hasn't walked by the used-to-be object of our desire and had one of those "Aacck!" moments? I wasn't initially a fan of Stefani's - I found those early videos where she was all up in the camera highly annoying. But I loved her the minute I heard "Don't Speak" because I admired her ability to put herself out there with dignity, or as much dignity as a broken heart can hold.

A different stage in the Stefani/Kanal relationship inspired my favorite of her solo songs, Cool, from her Love/Angel/Music/Baby album. By this time, she was married to the impossibly dashing former Bush singer Gavin Rossdale, and Kanal was in a relationship as well. Cool is about waking up and realizing that the drama has burned off and left two adults with a history that translates into a knowing friendship. There's no going back, and that's finally OK - "... And now we're hanging out with your new girlfriend/so far from where we've been, I know we're cool," she sings.

Everyone wants to get to that stage, eventually, and once again, there's something both voyeuristic and reassuring in knowing what and who she is talking about. Of course, the Tony/Gwen relationship isn't the only one about which Stefani's been musically open. Underneath It All, written during her courtship with Rossdale, is about declaring yourself in a relationship for the long haul, even when that haul is less than perfect - " You've used up all your coupons, and all you've got left is me," she sings. "And somehow I'm full of forgiveness/ I guess it's meant to be."

To me, Stefani's most interesting lyrics are the ones about her relationship with her own inner struggling and image. Orange County Girl acknowledges how far her current high-fashion image is from her former endearing scruffiness - "For a girl from OC it's almost unheard of," she sings.

But my favorite is Love/Angel/Music/Baby's What Are You Waiting For?, which stands out among the gleefully profane punchiness of Hollaback Girl and the awkward admiration of Harajuku Girls (I'm one of those people who was always a little uneasy with the objectification of Stefani's four Asian sidekicks, who bop along behind her but usually, er ... don't speak.)

For a song written by an almost-40-year-old whose stage outfits seem plucked from the Juniors department, What Are You Waiting For? tackles a solidly adult conundrum - should you interrupt your career to have a baby?

"Look at your watch now, you're still a super-hot female," she sings. "You've got your million-dollar contract and they're all waiting for your hot track."

Now substitute "Master's degree" or "the novel you were supposed to write" or "awesome promotion" for "million-dollar contract" and you've captured one of the biggest issues for a 30-something woman. Gwen Stefani eventually made her choice and had a baby boy named Kingston.

We're not the same person - I will probably never be married to a British rock star, create a top-selling fashion line or be cast as a screen legend in a Martin Scorsese movie. But I have been dumped and had to deal. I have had to decide whether to stay with a guy I wasn't sure of. And I am weighing the choices I made that have put me on a billboard but haven't given me a baby.

At 36, I no longer look to pop stars to relate to, to define or complete me. But I have to admit that while I admire Madonna's upper arm strength and apparent decision not to ever age, I'm a lot more drawn to Gwen Stefani.

I respect her ability to cleverly chart her development as a woman and a human in three-minute increments and still smile that perfect red-lipsticked smile. She hasn't let us in completely, but just enough to make it count.

source

Gwen Stefan Sweet Escape Tour May 9 - West Palm Beach, FL - Sound Advice Amphitheatre

2007-05-09T05:53:00.000-07:00

More pics HERE

view more great pics -HERE

you can download the Full Audio from W Palm Beach 9 May 2007 at Everything In Time

beli8 Photos

Gohere to see a nice pic of HellaGoose with Stephen Bradly and pics of Gwen and the tour busses

xrockste4dyx- west palm pictures

Akon Apologizes For Racy Onstage Dance

2007-05-09T00:56:00.000-07:00

Akon, under fire for a sexually explicit dance onstage with a 14-year-old girl, has offered an apology to the teen and anyone else who was offended by the display.

Akon was videotaped simulating sex with a girl invited onstage as part of his act during an April 12 concert in Trinidad. After the video was circulated widely on the Internet, it was revealed that she was 14.

Since the incident, Verizon has pulled out as a sponsor of his tour with Gwen Stefani, for whom he wrote the hit "The Sweet Escape."

In a statement released today (May 9) to the Associated Press, Akon, 34, said he was sorry for the incident but also said he didn't know the girl was underage.

"I want to sincerely apologize for the embarrassment and any pain I've caused to the young woman who joined me onstage, her family and the Trinidad community for the events at my concert," Akon said.

"It was never my intention to embarrass or take advantage of my fans in any way, especially those under the age of 18. That is why we tried to make sure that the club did not admit anyone under 18 in the audience," he said. "Somehow, that standard was not met."
source

Stefani Takes Fans On A 'Sweet Escape'

2007-05-09T00:08:00.000-07:00

By GINA VIVINETTO Tribune correspondent
Published: May 9, 2007

Not since Elvis Presley has a pop star made prison stripes look so sexy, but Gwen Stefani pulled it off Tuesday in front of 16,500 fans at the Ford Amphitheatre.

Stefani, the platinum blond singer and fashionista, began her dazzling 90-minute show in an adorable cops and jailbird dance sequence set to her hit "The Sweet Escape."

Stefani, 37, took the criminal element further on "Rich Girl," her quirky pop hit that grabs from the musical "Fiddler on the Roof." Stefani and her ever-present Harajuku Girl dancers - four Japanese women who defer to Stefani in their fashion sense - pretended to burgle a large safe.

Certainly the most thrilling portion of Stefani's set was when the tiny singer made her way to the middle of the venue, singing "Cool" as fans gently pawed her. The singer's in-between-song patter was filled with a gee whiz-type wholesomeness never present in Madonna, Stefani's obvious predecessor.

The two singers have much in common: both are from close-knit Italian-American families. Both leaned more toward cheerleading than delinquency in high school. And both are fabulously fashionable. Somehow, though, Stefani remains wholly innocent. She is the rare pop starlet who has not made headlines for sordidness. Even rarer: We've never seen Stefani's private parts.

Perhaps that's why fans hushed for her when she sang downcast numbers such as "Early Winter" and cheered wildly when she confirmed she would be reuniting next year with her band, No Doubt.

Stefani's supporting acts offered a little more naughtiness. Lady Sovereign, a 21-year-old tomboy rapper from Britain, began the show with a rebellious flair. The hip-hop and soul artist Akon, who hails from West Africa, danced spiritlessly. The singer caused a ruckus last month in Trinidad when he pulled an underage female fan onstage for dirty dancing. That bit of tomfoolery cost the whole gang to lose the support of Verizon, the tour's sponsor.

source

Gwen Stefani on TRL Tuesday, May 8th

2007-05-08T11:40:00.001-07:00

News » Posted: 5/8/2007 #

MTV visited Gwen on The Sweet Escape Tour recently. Tune in to MTV's TRL today,
Tuesday, May 8 at 3:30 PM to see this new interview and live footage.

Gwen Stefan Sweet Escape Tour May 8 - Tampa, FL - Ford Amphitheatre

2007-05-08T05:52:00.000-07:00

FANS POSTS ON THE ND FORUM
Thank you to Sara (sundaypist on the forum)for letting me post a couple of pics here.
go to the forum to read all about the amazing time she had and see the rest of her pics

sundaypist -TAMPA SHOW WRITE UP!!!!!!!

Check out the pictures taken by sundaypist-HERE

Lucky fan meets Gwen (video from Tampa show)
-sundaypist
Lucky fan meets Gwen Stefani vid thanks to saraucf
"Cute Boy" gets up on stage with Gwen and has his shoe and bum signed by the Queen Chola! Tampa,

cute fan photo taken by Sara (sundaypist on the forum)

above is another great picture taken by Sara-

Gwen with the fan dressed as Alice-see more on the forum:)
Sara (sundaypist ) met Alice after the show and got his email address so she could send him the pictures she took!
she also invited Alice to join the forum...he did:) his name is Peter (Alice In Wonderland)
Check out Peters first postHEREand another great picture of Gwen and Alice:)

video thanks to etambo245
Gwen singing "Cool" surrounded by fans

BBC NEWS-Sponsor pulls out of Stefani tour

2007-05-08T01:45:00.000-07:00

The main sponsor of the North American leg of singer Gwen Stefani's world tour has withdrawn in a dispute over the support act.
Verizon pulled out after footage of rap artist Akon dancing provocatively on stage with a girl - reportedly in her teens - was posted on the internet.

The incident did not take place during one of Stefani's concerts.

Billboard magazine quoted Stefani's management as saying they were "surprised and shocked" by the move.

Eric Rabe of Verizon, a telecommunications company, told the BBC News website: "We had already agreed to sponsor the Stefani tour when Akon was brought in and we have kept that situation under review.

"We have now decided to withdraw and the video was part of that decision."

So far no concerts have been cancelled and Akon remains on the tour.

While refusing to discuss the exact amounts involved, Stefani's manager Jim Guerinot was quoted as saying "we're just in the beginning stages of evaluating" the financial impact.

Reuters/Billboard
Verizon pulls out of Stefani tour over Akon flap

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Verizon Wireless has abruptly pulled out as the presenting sponsor on Gwen Stefani's current tour due to an incident involving the trek's opening act, Akon.

Last month, during a concert in Trinidad, the R&B singer danced provocatively with a 15-year-old fan. When footage of the onstage dance found its way online, Verizon got cold feet. (Akon's show in Trinidad was unrelated to and not part of Stefani's Sweet Escape tour, which began April 21 in Phoenix.)

In addition to ending its affiliation with the trek, Verizon has also removed Akon ringtones and music from its stores and handsets. The Verizon Wireless V Cast TV spots featuring Akon are also history.

Industry sources put the cash value of a tour sponsorship package like the one between Stefani and Verizon in the $1.5-$2 million range in cash, which artists typically use to finance production, startup costs and other tour expenses.

But marketing value can be worth as much as $1 million or more. Stefani manager Jim Guerinot, of Rebel Waltz, declined to discuss the financial terms, but told Billboard.com that "we're just in the beginning stages of evaluating" the impact of Verizon's move. Regarding the presenting sponsorship, Guerinot says, "We're surprised and shocked they've backed out of it."

As for Akon, Guerinot said, "Akon has been a perfect gentleman on this tour. His show has at best been a PG show. Children of all ages have been attending. We have had no complaints -- nothing but satisfied people. And I would say that we're shocked that Verizon would drop Gwen Stefani as part of this whole debate."

Industry observers say it will be difficult for Stefani and her team to pull another sponsor into the Sweet Escape tour, which has North American dates on the books through June 30 in Las Vegas. To this point, no dates have been cancelled and Akon remains on the tour.

Akon and Verizon spokespeople were unavailable for comment.

Reuters/Billboard

4 in the Morning Review

2007-05-07T11:17:00.000-07:00

"4 in the Morning" - Gwen Stefani

After dubious novelty singles like "Hollaback Girl" and "Wind It Up," Gwen Stefani proved her mettle as a deserving millennium mainstay on previous "The Sweet Escape," which peaked at No. 2 on The Billboard Hot 100.

"4 in the Morning" is even more gratifying - a melodic retro ballad that could have come from 1983`s 'Flashdance' soundtrack (that`s a good thing). Produced and co-written by No Doubt pal Tony Kanal, fast-talking verses offer contemporary flair, but harmonic panache, instrumental simplicity and a singalong chorus pay homage to a time when hooks were more meaningful than aligning with hostage-taking producers. At last, we truly respect Stefani in the "Morning."

source

Stefani brings glamour, girl power to Houston show

2007-05-06T04:21:00.000-07:00

The hallmark of Gwen Stefani's bleached-blonde ambition is her blend of hollaback girlishness and Hollywood musical glamour. She showcased that seamless sonic marriage during Sunday's concert at the Woodlands Pavilion.

Stefani's 90-minute set blended hip-hop with Harajuku Girls, bubbly electro-disco with big-note balladry. Every moment was tightly choreographed, but there was enough wiggle room to allow for real moments of pop inspiration.

Gwen Stefani gets a hand from her Harajuku Girls Sunday at the Woodlands Pavilion.

As the lights dimmed, a policeman chased one of Stefani's stalwart Harajuku Girls through the crowd, finally catching her onstage. Stefani herself arrived inside a gold jail cell to the sound of recent hit The Sweet Escape, dressed in a glittering black-and-white jumpsuit.

She was backed by a gaggle of dancers (four males to go with the Harajukus), and a huge letter "G" was hoisted above the stage. It all sparkled like a retro Technicolor scene.

The crowd was expectedly rapturous, but there was little time for interaction. The song segued directly into Rich Girl, which draws melodic inspiration from Fiddler on the Roof. (The musical cues continued.) The set changed again, as the onstage cage quickly morphed into a vault and fake money shot into crowd.

Yummy was an early standout, a digital gumdrop crafted by producer Pharrell Williams. Stefani sported a silver apron and frolicked with her six-piece band on a slow-churning treadmill. It was as silly -- and as satisfying -- as anything that followed.

She called 4 in the Morning one of her "favorite, favorite" songs from
current disc The Sweet Escape. Indeed, it bounces along with an appealing '80s edge. Stefani tackled that one solo onstage, wrapped up like a pink-and-white Valentine's Day gift and tied with a huge gold bow around her waist.

The quartet of kimonoed Harajuku Girls returned for the velvet R&B groove of Luxurious, which featured a surprise appearance by Houston rapper Slim Thug. He made the same cameo during Stefani's Toyota Center show in November 2005 and appears on the song's remix.

Moody ballad Early Winter lost some of its melancholy edge onstage, even though Stefani tagged it as one of her "other, other favorites" from The Sweet Escape. A simpler arrangement would have been more effective, instead of amping up the bombast.

Better was the manic mountaintop yodel of Wind It Up, which revels in nonsensical novelty. It morphed smoothly into Danger Zone,
which blended Kylie Minogue pop sizzle with '80s-era, riot-grrl posturing. Stefani, always the fashionista, accented those numbers with a snazzy checkered coat.

Hollaback Girl, which seemed like a surefire encore, came early. Its cheeky cheerleader chants are still silly -- and irresistible when being sung by thousands of fans. All that was missing was a human pyramid.

Stefani introduced the wistful Wonderful Life as the tune that inspired her to record a second solo disc. It was a leftover, she said, from 2004's Love.Angel.Music.Baby. disc and wound up on The Sweet Escape. (Next up, she promised, is a new No Doubt record.)

The hip-hop flavored Now That You Got It was notable for finding Stefani in pants for the first time during the show. But she wasn't exactly going demure. The recent mother (son Kingston was born less than a year ago) also exposed a ridiculously toned midriff that will likely send a few people back to the gym this week.

The athletic singer raced to the back of the Pavilion's seated area to serenade the impossibly thick crowd on the lawn with Cool, a late L.A.M.B. single. The sight of the tiny, glittering icon surrounded by an endless sea of outstretched hands was pure pop magic.

She returned to the stage and ended with the biographical Orange County Girl, complete with requisite photo timeline, before launching into a two-song encore. The Real Thing was the evening's only subdued
moment, and Stefani dedicated the delicate tune to her son.

She quickly recharged -- and revealed a sparkling black-and-blue jumpsuit -- for the tick-tock pop pulse of What You Waiting For? The diverse crowd -- tweens, single gals, flirty boys and soccer moms -- shouted along in unison, and it was reflected back in Stefani's beaming smile.

British rapper Lady Sovereign and R&B crooner Akon commanded the crowd during brief opening sets. Sovereign's 20 minutes were a manic mash-up of turntables, bass and drums, capped by her brash banter and rapid-fire delivery.

She grooved impressively during Those Were the Days and had hands in the air during breakout hit Love Me or Hate Me. Best, however, was aggressive closing tune Public Warning, which took the crowd's excitement to a fever pitch.

Akon earned the ear-piercing reception of a headliner during his 35-minute set. It's largely thanks to recent chart-toppers I Wanna Love You and Don't Matter, both from current disc Konvicted. He charged through earlier hits Ghetto and Smack That with confidence and reappeared later, alongside Stefani, during The Sweet Escape.

Despite the love, Akon didn't dare invite a fan onstage. Last week, Verizon dropped the singer's music from its ringtone service and pulled its tour sponsorship after Akon was videotaped simulating sex onstage with an underage fan in Trinidad.

There's talent amid Akon's innocuous R&B fare, but he'll have to step up his game to remain a real player. Maybe upcoming production work for Whitney Houston, Daddy Yankee and Mario will diversify Akon's burgeoning groove.

source

Gwen Stefani-The Sweet Escape Tour May 6 The Woodlands, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

2007-05-06T01:45:00.000-07:00

FAN POSTS ON THE NO DOUBT FORUM.

Thank you Luis for letting me post your pics-here are just two

and Thanks for the merch pic!!

Luis (cp17mf on the forum)travelled from Mexico to see Gwen!
follow the link to read his review and see more photos
cp17mf -Houston merch & concert pics

DOWNLOADS AT EVERYTHING IN TIME
Everything In Time
New Audio! Houston, TX
Here's another full show :-)

Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Houston, TX
6 May 2007

INearlyWalkedAway -from the forum has posted links to his videos

----------------------------------------------------------
YouTube.

Wonderful Life

cp17mf
--------------------------------------------------------------
BearStefani -When and How I met Gwen....

I have been meaning to post this for some time now. I have been an active No Doubt fan since as long as I can remember, so of coarse meeting her was one of the best moments in my ENTIRE life.

I bought 7th row tickets to the dallas show (I live in Houston) through the street team. I also had tickets for the Houston show the very next day, sadly they were not as close. Anyways the day before the Dallas show I got the best phone call of my life. A friend happend to know the people who catered her concert in Houston and offered me a job which entailed SETTING UP GWENS DRESSING ROOM, as well as the Harajuku girls. Of coarse I took it!! I drove 4 hours friday morning to go to the dallas show (Which was amazing) then turned around and came right back to houston, we got home about 6AM and I had to be at the houston venue at 8am. From about 10am to 2pm we scrambled around back stage setting up all the necessities for Gwen and her back up dancers and the girls. Lets just say gwen requested a huge pot of soup and all natural baby food, she really requested more for Kingston then herself. When she arrived the entire back stage crew becomes frantic and seems like everyone gets very nervous. The only rules were we were not in any circumstance able to approach her. Of coarse I was peaking around every corner and constantly walking the hallways just for a glimpes of her. Then my boss tells me not only is she here but she was with Kingston and Gavin. My heart starts pounding, one glimpse would have been enough. Its about 3pm and Im sitting in the dinner room (With Angel sitting at the end of the table reading a book, the harajuku girls were all very nice ) and through the window I see GAVIN walking with Kingston. Right then and there I knew it was my chance, I get up walk in the direction of her dressing room. I see security gaurds so I walk into the beverage closet which is right accross Gwens room. I wait about 10 seconds and I walk out, to my shoock GWEN walks out with Gavin & Kingson she looks directly at me I cant breath she smiles and says "Hi" without hesitation I walk to her and hug her, she was soo nice not to mention beautiful! She saw that I wanted to cry, she said "I hope you get to see the show"

That was enough for me, I know it was a breif encounter but just being a part of the backstage crew seeing all the Nodoubt roadies and stage bins I swear I was in heaven. No Doubt/Gwen Steafani Heaven.

Gwen Stefani Rocks Dallas

2007-05-05T21:13:00.000-07:00

In her stop in Dallas last night, she proved that nobody can rock sequins like her-- in the form of hot pants, a cape with a sequined neckline and a silver belly-baring top (not that you could tell there was ever a baby in there).

She revealed that she had taken her son Kingston to the aquarium in Dallas the day before, and how happy she was that he was along for the ride in the bus rather than in utero for this tour --she was pregnant during the last one.

She had amazing energy, wading out into the crowd, doing jumping jacks in what looked like six-inch heels, calling it her sweatiest show so far on the tour.
---------------

At last night's Sweet Escape Tour stop at Smirnoff, Akon took a swipe at a sponsor who withdrew funding for the tour (he didn't name the sponsor, but that'd be Verizon, see the story here). He threw money into the crowd and said something to the effect of "don't believe everything that you read" and that he loves hip-hop and that he does everything for his family

more here

This trip back to the '80s is sweet

2007-05-05T06:54:00.000-07:00

By DARREN WHITE
Special to the Star-Telegram

DALLAS -- Gwen Stefani may be a rich girl, but it's clear she wants to be the Material Girl.

Just about everything at Stefani's tour stop Saturday at the Smirnoff Music Centre smacked of Madonna, right down to the glamour shots on the front of the overpriced tour T-shirts.

But that isn't to say that stealing a page or two from Madonna's handbook is a bad thing. In fact, it's been too long since a female pop star actually looked like she was in control of her own image.

Her songs are pretty catchy, too. Once again, Stefani tore a page out of the '80s handbook to form her own unique sound. She had a Wham-styled pop ballad in 4 in the Morning, while Hollaback Girl danced ever so closely to Toni Basil's classic cheerleader chant Mickey.

The real fun, though, is the stage show.

Stefani and her backup dancers started off the set with a cops-and-robbers theme that slowly transitioned into a Candy Land motif.

While Stefani danced and pouted just like she did during her days with No Doubt, a cadre of male and female backup dancers did everything from break dancing to tightly choreographed routines.

As fun as the Stefani show was, however, the mood was somewhat dampened by two awful opening acts.

Lady Sovereign may be the worst rapper I have ever had the displeasure of seeing in person. A track suit and a Def Jam record contract does not one rapper make. She spent the majority of her 15-minute set screaming into the microphone and making trivial small talk with the crowd.

Lady Sovereign was only topped by a woeful set by this year's R&B king, Akon.

While it's somewhat fun to attach as many inappropriate subtexts as possible to Akon's dance-floor hit Smack That, there wasn't much else going on in his set -- he couldn't sing and he didn't dance.

But let's get back to Gwen. Even though Stefani promised from the stage that her next CD would be with No Doubt, it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world for her to put out one more dance disc.

At this point, she's more Madonna than Madonna, so why not?

source

Gwen Stefani-The Sweet Escape Tour May 5 - Dallas, TX - Smirnoff Music Centre

2007-05-05T04:41:00.000-07:00

FANS POSTS ON THE NO DOUBT FORUM

Thanks to Nathan (electricalbubbleboy) for letting me post the pic of him and Gwen :)
there are more on the forum with his exciting account of how he got to meet Gwen,
electricalbubbleboy-OMG!!! OMG!!! I MET GWEN!!! Update from DALLAS,TX *spoiler*

Check this story out
saturn6500- Soo....the best part of the show was
and on the same thread the great pics IloveyourBathwaters husband took of Gwen.

Gwen Stefani on the Culture Show-filmed earlier in the year and aired today on UK TV BBC2

2007-05-05T00:02:00.000-07:00

Video thanks to nodoubtweb

go there to download this video and catch up with the latest News

Verizon Drops Akon and Gwen Stefani

2007-05-04T23:16:00.000-07:00

Verizon really didn't want to see Akon "Smack That."

The communications company scrapped its partnership with the 25-year-old rapper Friday after a video was released that shows him simulating sex onstage with an underage girl during an Apr.12 concert in Trinidad.

According to various accounts, 15-year-old Danah Alleyne thought she had won a dance contest when she was invited to dance with Akon, but soon found out that first prize was a close encounter with the Konvicted rapper.

The Trinidad Express reported that Akon got seven women to come up and dance with him, promising that the best of the bunch would score a grand-prize trip to Africa.

"We've never done this in the Caribbean before, but my DJ assures me that Trinidad has the best winers. Is that true? Well, y'all gotta represent here. Come on up now. Don't be scared," he told the crowd.

"I got carried away," Alleyne, a pastor's daughter, said in a public apology last month after a local TV station aired the footage. "I started to dance, as well, but I never thought it was going to be like that. I was shocked. My head was hitting the floor."

None of which sat well with Verizon, which will be taking their featured ring tones elsewhere.

"This week the partnership ended," Verizon said in a statement to Fox News. "We have music services on our cell phone service and we were promoting him as one of the artists. The other part of the sponsorship was the Gwen Stefani tour, of which he was an opening act. We are no longer sponsoring the tour."

The video depicting Akon improvising multiple sexual positions with Alleyne turned up on, and has since been pulled from, YouTube, but it can still be found elsewhere on the Internet.

Alleyne wasn't even supposed to be in the over-18 Zen nightclub, where the unofficial dance contest went down. Authorities have since closed the establishment and Trinidadian Prime Minster Patrick Manning has opened an investigation into the show.

"I have taken very careful notice of this matter and the owner of Zen owes it to the public to take responsibility," Manning told WorldNetDaily.com. "I will be interfacing with Zen because that kind of thing should never be allowed to happen in this country."

Meanwhile, Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds thinks Akon should get the Richard Gere treatment, describing his actions as "lewd" and suggesting that the hip-hop star be prosecuted.

"This whole hip hop thing is a guise and I don't want any part of it," Alleyne said. "I don't want any part of it. Look at what I have to go through with one mistake that I made. My dad warned me every time and I didn't listen. I am sorry."

Akon performed "The Sweet Escape" with Stefani on American Idol in March and then appeared two weeks later to sing "Don’t Matter." His sophomore album Konvicted dropped in November and has sold more than 2.2 million copies.

The Gwen Stefani verizon site no longer available

read the latest News at nodoubtweb

Verizon Statement

Gwen Stefani-Webisode 7- All about the Music

2007-05-03T21:03:00.000-07:00

Webisode Created and Directed by Todd Stefani

go toEverything In Timefor video downloads

Gwen Stefani-The Sweet Escape Tour May 3 - Albuquerque, NM - Journal Pavilion

2007-05-03T01:28:00.000-07:00

FAN POSTS ON THE NO DOUBT FORUM

RLJNunez -Just got back from the Albuquerque show

Thank you NxDLittleLamb for sharing your pics with us and allowing me to post them!
below are just 3 of the amazing pics he took-check out the link to the forum to see the rest and read his account of the night!
NxDLittleLamb-I met Gwen in Albuquerque!! w/ concert pics

--------------------------------------
Vids thanks to - dmaand
"The Sweet Escape"

Hollaback Girl

vids thanks to fa2003

Orange county girl 1

Orange county girl 2

Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale's family Voted best looking

2007-05-02T21:47:00.000-07:00

Rock couple GWEN STEFANI and GAVIN ROSSDALE and their son KINGSTON have topped a new magazine poll to find Hollywood's Best Looking Family. The Rossdales beat Coldplay star Chris Martin, Gwyneth Paltrow and their two kids and Smiths Will, Jada Pinkett, Willow, Jaden and Trey to top the new In Touch Weekly list. In crowning the Rossdales the top family, In Touch editors say, "Whether the clan is going to their son Kingston's christening or a sporty family outing to the local tennis courts, they always look amazing."
(Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment)

Gwen Stefani stands tall alone

2007-05-02T05:18:00.000-07:00

From "Hollaback Girl" to "Rich Girl," there's no doubt this sexy girl can hold her own onstage - when she's not nauseated.

By Ricardo Baca
Denver Post Pop Music Critic

Halfway through Gwen Stefani's concert Wednesday night at the Pepsi Center, the pop star asked who, of her thousands of Denver fans, saw her last tour stop here.

It's not an uncommon question for artists to ask, especially when they're playing a larger venue, as Stefani was, having graduated from the smaller Magness Arena to the mammoth sports arena.

After the crowd's requisite applause and screams acknowledging their loyalty to Stefani, she admitted that she was sick as a dog backstage during the last show. She was in the early stages of her pregnancy, but more important, it was so early that she wasn't telling anybody yet.

And suddenly, her last swing through Denver made sense. Her last show featured Stefani as an awkward mess, a performer with the stage presence of a cardboard box. As it turns out, she looked uncomfortable onstage for a reason.

Wednesday's show was proof of Stefani the rock star. While she's still better suited for the sneering pop-ska of her band No Doubt, she does all right with the glittery, hip-hop-fueled Top 40-loving music on which she has built her solo career.

She started the night off strong with the tour's namesake song, "The Sweet Escape," utilizing the crystalline voice of her opener and collaborator, Akon. The song fits Stefani well, capturing an ideal mix of wistful pop and urban sensibilities. Akon is a natural on stage. And while he looked more comfortable than Stefani, they made a keen team.

Impressively and unexpectedly, the brightest point of the night came with "Rich Girl," the second song of the night. Played à la an espionage movie - seriously - it was better than any James Bond single from the past couple of decades. The song crept along and celebrated all that is Gwen: sexiness, lightheartedness and beats that make you shake your bum.

Even Gwen can make a song like "Luxurious" work, which is impressive given some of its lines. "We got hydroponic love and we smoke it" is questionable, but particularly ridiculous is "We're luxurious like Egyptian cotton." The song worked better than "Hollaback Girl" even. And it was a nice moment.

"Yummy" came early in the set, and the hottest song of Stefani's second record was tight in her live show, too. "Orange County Girl" came late and remains obnoxious.

Toward the end of her show, Stefani took to the floor and walked through the aisles (with her handlers) to the tune of "We're Cool," and she was.

Gwen Stefani-The Sweet Escape Tour May 2 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center

2007-05-02T04:39:00.000-07:00

Everything In Time has a DVD of Gwens concert in Denver you can download

Salt Lake Tribune Review: Stefani sizzles

2007-05-01T12:24:00.000-07:00

By Sam Vicchrilli
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 05/01/2007 10:00:38 AM MDT

There is a moment of immense pleasure at every concert before a single note is played or a word sung. It happens when the house lights are shut off, the room is dark and all that can be heard is thousands of voices screaming. It is as exciting as the first drop of a rollercoaster.
Monday night's Gwen Stefani show was no different, of course. The near-capacity crowd (many of whom are young enough to know No Doubt only as an expression meaning "without question") was clearly excited to see one of hip-hop's top artists do her stuff, heating The E Center with their bodies and motion to the point where even dragged-along boyfriends, munching on popcorn and pretzels, perspired.
As did Stefani shortly after taking the stage alongside dancers and in front of a full band and electronic display, though she'd certainly prefer (and warrant) the term glow. She's that kind of lady. Her first song set the evening's briefly held theme - "The Sweet Escape," prancing around in a prison-inspired costume. But soon after the second song, the hit single "Rich Girl," Stefani pulled a costume change - her first of several.
When sticking to her hits, Stefani was successful in connecting with the audience. "Luxurious," "Cool" and "Hollaback Girl" (itself responsible for a national lingual phenomenon) had everyone on their feet, fists pumping and hips swaying.
Lesser known tracks, mostly off her second album, were met lukewarmly at best. Part of the problem is the dichotic effect those songs have. Mostly, Stefani sounds like she wants to be Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas. You can hear it in her voice in hauntingly shallow numbers like "Yummy" and "Wind it Up." Stefani, for all her apparent love of bling and California love, maintains a far classier demeanor than Fergie. Why go slumming, musically speaking?
Not that channeling other artists/personalities doesn't work for Stefani. A number of her songs would have been hits 20 years ago, such "Danger Zone," and "Early Winter" certainly bears the morose marks of its co-writer, Tim Rice-Oxley of Keane. Detractors will say her frequent collaborations and samplings show Stefani has no personality of her own; defenders will say it shows she cannot be pinned down.
When not singing, Stefani spent her stage time strutting about, flattering the appreciative crowd: "You are the loudest, most enthusiastic audience ever," she enthused. Sorry to say her words should be taken with a grain of salt, and not only for the obvious reason - she also said "4 in the Morning" was one her favorite songs, and it was one of the night's failures. She also shared a story about spilling Starbucks coffee down the front of her shirt while out and about in Salt Lake with husband Gavin Rossdale (of Bush) and son Kingston. OK, that is something Fergie would do, but she might not have Stefani's sense of humor about it.
Who: Gwen Stefani When: Monday Where: The E Center Bottom Line: Mediocre new material notwithstanding, Stefani managed to make a hot spring night even hotter.

Photo Gallery HERE