No Doubt, Paramore Concert Review & Photos

Show Review/Photos: No Doubt - Paramore - The Sounds
Date: July 24th, 2009
Venue: Marysville Sleep Train Ampitheatre (Wheatland, CA)
Conducted By: James Grant (jamesgrant2009@gmail.com)

On July 24 2009, thousands of diverse fans packed the Marysville Sleep Train Amphitheatre for what would be one of the venue’s biggest summer concert events.

The Sounds, a Swedish band also fronted by a woman, opened the show for the night with a pop-laced and high-energy set (not pictured).


After The Sounds, Paramore’s Hayley Williams’ omniscient stage presence, fiery orange hair and intrepid attitude immediately set fire to both the stage and the crowd. With a set that included hits like “Misery Business” and “Decode,” all the Paramore fans in the crowd had their thirst quenched.


Following Paramore’s flammable performance, the lights dimmed and a huge white curtain was lowered across the front of the stage. After a drawn-out set change, a blaze of white light illuminated the curvaceous silhouette of No Doubt’s icon lead singer, Gwen Stefani. The white curtain dropped, exposing a dramatic space-age stage setup. A huge spider-like drum platform spanned back half of the stage, the legs of which served as walkways.


Stefani and the rest of the band members were dressed in all-white costumes with black trim. Stefani sported a slightly baggy white tuxedo jacket which she shed after the first couple songs (much to the entertainment of the male audience members), exposing a cutoff tank top.


No Doubt’s two-hour set thrived on Stefani’s raw theatrical and musical talent, something that the diehard fans in the house had missed during the band’s absence from the music scene. Any appetite that the fans had mustered during that absence was overfed by the performance, and no fan left unsatisfied.


Bandology.net would like to extend a big thank you to Chris Martinez of LiveNation for his hard work in coordinating this show review and photo opp.

James Grant
www.myspace.com/syntheseyesphoto
www.flickr.com/photos/jamesgrant2009