There's no doubt about it. The only artist I really cared about seeing at Coachella this year was No Doubt.
2015 was the last time we saw Gwen, Tony, Tom and Adrian on stage together while 2012's "Push & Shove", their sixth studio album, was their last time we got new music from them.
Nearly a decade after their last preformance together, Coachella 2024Coachella 2024 witnessed the return of No Doubt on show day two, weekend one on the main stage.
Nestled between another iconic nineties band, BlurBlur and Mr. Tyler the Creator Tyler the Creator, No Doubt's set was scheduled from 9:25pm - 10:40pm.
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| Gwen Stefani of No Doubt @ Coachella 4/14/2024 photo by Nikki DeMartini |
Grown ass women dripping in signature Gwen looks from across the years lined the rails in front of the stage. What were they waiting for?
Gwen!
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| No Doubt @ Coachella 4/13/2024 photo by Nikki DeMartini |
More or less on time, No Doubt surprised fans with their comeback debut strutting their stuff down the long catwak from the middle of the Coachella main stage crowd performing their hit from 2018, "Hella Good".
It.
Was.
Hella.
Good.
The fab four from Orange County were spot on as they made their way to stage: energy, engagement, sound, choregraphed dance moves.
Gwen's fit.
Seeing them on stage together again was enough to give every xennials in the crowd goosebumbs.
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| No Doubt @ Coachella 4/13/2024 photo by Nikki DeMartini |
The front lady's fit was a very close runner up for what I was most excited about seeing that night. Decked out in a punk plaid ensenbal, Gwen met every rockgoddess expectation.
Baggy cargo-pants, high-waisted fishnet tights, her signature platnuim hair in high buns, Tragic Kingdom-esque Bindi inspired makeup, her signature red lips and no shortage of sparkles, making for a most fabulous Sparkle Saturday.
The fifty something year old was all smiles as she happily carried the fell back into place, carrying the No Doubt show. She didn't go it alone though: Tony and Tom brought it in their won right. I caught slivers of them taking it all in, intermitently making eye contact with fans while bouncing around. Gwen shared her excitement of this No Doubt reunion actually happening "Can you believe it?!" and fans rejoiced, sending waves of good vibes through the Empire Polo Fields.
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| No Doubt @ Coachella 4/13/2024 photo by Nikki DeMartini |
It's what I imagine seeing a long lost friend you never got the chance to hug goodbye all those years ago must feel like.
Hearing "Sunday Morning" that Saturday night was music to my ears. I had sung along to every song off of 1995's Tragic Kingdom since middle school. If I were to have a karaoke song, "Sunday Morning" would be it. My highshcool self was delightfully surprised when "Ex-Girlfriend" was qued next after reading that after her split from ex-hubby Gavin Rosedale the hit from 2000 is one she doesn't like to do live.
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| No Doubt @ Coachella 4/13/2024 photo by Nikki DeMartini |
For as much as I loved seeing Gwen with No Doubt again, I couldn't help but think if all of the straps hanging off of her pants were an elborate distraction. Back in February when Gwen headlined Saturday night of Cali Vibes music fest in Long Beach, CA I didn't get to see her set but I heard that her stage presence kind of lacked and she sounded as if she couldn't keep up. There were definitely long(er) pauses through out the set but for the most part the 54 year old sounded (and looked) just fine. Whatever her singing lacked her vivacious stage presence and jubilent crowd engagment made up for it.
Playful with fan and bandmates a like, Gwen worked that stage like she did back in the day as waves of nostalgia swelled with the anicipated of every next song. From Rock Steady to Tragic Kingdom to The Reutn of Saturn, Gwen and the boys churned them out. While slivers of it could have been phoned in the shared excitement and awe of No Doubt playing the main stage at Coachella 2024 struck true.
After busting out the houndstooth back drop for "Hey Baby" they through it all the way back to 1995 with the high-pitched, rambunctious "Total Hate 95" from their second album, The Beacon Street Collection.
Hours before No Doubt took the stage they're friends Sublime played the same stage. For the first time ever, the iconic American Reggae alternative band from Long Beach CA warmly welcomed Jakob Nowell, late singer Bradly Nowell's son, as a very special guest singer.
No Sublime with Rome set there.
No Sublime with Rome set there.
They did however bring out Olivia Rodirigio for the Return to Saturn classic, the romantized, swanky lounge vibe driven "Bathwater". Dressed in dark Dickies, a crisp white tank top and a good red lip, Rodrigio was obviously paying tribute to Stefani's OG OC pretty tom-boy look but Gwen's look during the Return to Saturn era was all pink everything...and if any vocals fell flat, unfortunately it was during this deut which was a cute idea but fell short.
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| Gwen Stefani of No Doubt @ Coachella 4/13/2024 photo by Nikki DeMartini |
My small, native California, beachtown/recent Long Beach transplant self ached to see "Don't Speak" "Spiderwebs" and "Just a Girl" live but a 5am call time the next day had me heading home before the end of No Doubt's set so I could come in with the breeze on Sunday morning, show day three, weekend one.
No Doubt is popping up on festival line-ups here and there including South Star Music Festival with Blink 182 in Alabama this September.
It is cool that she plays some No Doubt songs when Gwen Stefani is on the bill, don't hold your breathe for any of her solo singles if and when you see No Doubt at a festival this Summer.
Hopefully they won't let this feeling go away by announcing a full-on No Doubt tour soon!
It is cool that she plays some No Doubt songs when Gwen Stefani is on the bill, don't hold your breathe for any of her solo singles if and when you see No Doubt at a festival this Summer.
Hopefully they won't let this feeling go away by announcing a full-on No Doubt tour soon!
No Doubt set-list Coachella weekend one 4/13/2024
1. Hella Good
2. Sunday Morning
3. Ex-Girlfriend
4. It's My Life
5. Different People
6. Hey Baby
7. Total Hate 95
8. Bathwater (ft. Olivia Rodrigo)
9. One Step Beyond
10. Simple Kind of Life
11.Underneath It All
12. Happy Now?
13. New
14. Just a Girl
15. Don't Speak
16. Spiderwebs
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