No Doubt @ Santa Barbara Bowl

I kind of blow at writing show reviews–the SoCal girl in me just wants to go dude. DUDE! And that should be sum it all up just perfectly. It’s especially hard for me to describe a No Doubt show to you in a way that you wouldn’t expect. I mean, when don’t I freak out over everything they do? Would you expect me to say the show was any less that the best show of my LIFE? Right.

But it really was. Although we had seats (section G, row H), I still insisted that we get there as close to doors as possible. Why? Because I was going to have an anxiety attack if we didn’t, that’s why. I can’t even imagine how early I would’ve dragged us there if we had pit tickets.

We browsed merch and I bought the tour poster for Arizona because it was the cutest. I eyed the houndstooth jacket for a good ten minutes before deciding I would be OK without it. But it was so cute. $85 cute, but damn.

We got there well before The Sounds went on. The bummer was Paramore had gone off the tour to do international things by then, and although Katy Perry opened the night previous and Panic is set to support this weekend, on my date all we had were The Sounds. Oh, the poor Sounds. Boyfriend enjoyed them, said Maja has a funny stage personality and commented that he’d totally put on their music at a party, for people to talk over. I was like, “Cool. Is it time for No Doubt yet? Do you think I should’ve gotten two posters? What about that jacket? How many songs have they played now?” I felt bad for being THAT PERSON (hey, chill–I clapped, I cheered) but it’s been so long since I’ve seen No Doubt!

It got darker, and then it was time. Time to stand up and freak the f*ck out.

I had two cameras, my phone, a notebook and a pen. I may have been halfway to the nosebleed seats but BY GOD I WAS GOING TO CAPTURE THIS.

I did not, however, make the mistake of missing the whole show by spending all my time trying to get decent shots. Not really possible from section G, row H, to be perfectly honest.

I don’t think their set list differed much from the other dates on tour.

Set list:

Spiderwebs

Hella Good

Underneath It All

Excuse Me Mr.

Ex-girlfriend

End It On This

Simple Kind Of Life

Bathwater

(ska interlude while Gwen changes costume)

–someone was holding up a sign for them to play Doghouse and they actually attempted for a couple minutes. Then Gwen was like, “I forgot the words. And Tony can’t remember the bass line. Good song, though, it’s an Eric Stefani classic.”

New

Hey Baby

Different People +intros +Gwen made everyone in the front turn around and look at the audience in the back. “Stop looking at me! Turn around and watch this!” And then she made everyone in the entire bowl jump up and down.

Don’t Speak

It’s My Life

Just A Girl

Stand And Deliver w/ The Sounds

Sunday Morning

–They totally played Running, too, but I was so engrossed in watching the old band footage they played on the screen that I never wrote down when. I think it was maybe the only time during the show that I took my eyes off Gwen. Haha.

After 52 shows, it was their 3rd to last show on the tour, and Gwen said she’s going to cry when it’s over.

It really was an incredible show. They have so much ENERGY they set the bar incredibly high. Were they jumping around this much on the first week of tour, before their personal trainers had busted them into shape? Haha, just curious. I obviously need to find out her workout plan and DO IT.

I’m so glad I got to experience this tour–but I’m also happy it’s ending, because that means they’re going to write a new record!

Sigh. No Doubt, I love you.