No Doubt Makes Return to Michigan

Popular rock band No Doubt is touring for the first time in five years after lead singer Gwen Stefani took time off to pursue a solo career and have two children.

The band reunited in March and began work on a new album but Stefani's writer's block brought things to a grinding halt. Instead, the band decided to hit the road and put on a greatest hits tour for their fans while hopefully providing inspiration for Stefani.

On Friday, July 3, No Doubt brought their tour to Michigan at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

In just under two hours, the band managed to hit every area of their catalogue and provide a energetic and entertaining set for the large group of fans who came out for the show.

The show opened with reggae/ska band Bedouin Soundclash. Unfortunately, the band took the opportunity to slow down their songs including their hit single When the Night Feels My Song, which sparkles with energy on the actual track but fizzled live. Luckily, their set was shortlived and gave way to a energetic Paramore performance.

Paramore played for a hour and was the perfect lead in to No Doubt. Lead singer Hayley Williams shares a similar voice and style with Stefani and the crowd certainly showed their appreciation throughout the set.

The band opened with their hit single Misery Business and went on to play their other hits CrushCrushCrush, That's What You Get and Decode. Paramore also unveiled two new singles off of their upcoming cd release Brand New Eyes.

There was no new singles from No Doubt but there was plenty of fan favorites and nostalgia. The band opened with their first hit single Spiderwebs and went on to visit songs from each of their albums from Excuse Me Mr. to Ex-Girlfriend to Hey Baby.

The band seemed to be having fun playing together again and the large crowd was on it's feet dancing and singing along from start to finish. The set itself was entertaining as the various stage lights and structures created a space ship appearance.

Stefani took the time to show some love for Detroit since her father was born in Michigan. At one point, she talked about his birthday being the next day and prompted the entire audience to sing Happy Birthday to him and post the video on Youtube.

Set highlights were a beautiful acoustic version of A Simple Kind of Life, Running which featured home videos from the band's early days, and Different People with the entire crowd jumping together. The band closed with Stefani's female anthem Just A Girl and encores Rock Steady, their version of the Adam and the Ants classic Stand and Deliver and Sunday Morning.

Stand and Deliver featured Bedouin Soundclash and Paramore. Williams and Stefani's voices work well together and hopefully more collaborations will come.

Whatever happens with No Doubt's new album, it is obvious that the band still has what it takes to entertain.