The '90s Live On

I remember with great clarity the pleading guitar notes. I remember the raw female voice. I remember the haunting song that infiltrated radio airwaves in 1996 and ’97. “Don’t Speak” was like nothing I’d heard before, and I became an instantaneous fan of the band from Orange County, California with the platinum blonde singer.

Since first falling in love with the sounds of No Doubt around the time I was entering high school, I’ve wanted to see Gwen Stefani, Tony Kanal, Tom Dumont and Adrian Young in person. But somehow it never worked out. Until a couple of weeks ago, that is.

For the past 12 years, I’ve had to satisfy my cravings for No Doubt by wearing out their CDs and ogling over high-energy performances through a television screen.

The era of “Tragic Kingdom,” the band’s breakthrough album, came and went. Along with it, sadly, the sights and sounds of ‘90s alternative rock. Then there was the band's follow up' “Return of Saturn.” And then the much more updated sounds of No Doubt could be found on “Rock Steady.” All the while, I remained enthralled.

Like many others, I was disappointed when the group took a break from touring and recording. We all wondered whether they would return to the stage together one day. And if so, would the chemistry remain?

When I learned the band was kicking off its first national tour in several years, I was beyond excited. And when I found out they’d be performing just a few miles down the road, I knew I’d finally get to see the band that provided part of the soundtrack to my high school and college days.

So, with my younger sister and some of her friends in tow, I planted myself on the lawn of the Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion on a hot, June evening.

Girl power is evidently the theme of this particular tour, as fellow chica-fronted band The Sounds got things going, followed by Paramore and the powerhouse vocals of its tiny, flame-haired front woman Hayley Williams.

The Sounds piqued my interest. They were lively and fun and served well to get the momentum started. Paramore effortlessly picked up where they left off and launched immediately into their radio hit “Misery Business.” I was particularly excited to hear “When it Rains” and the closer, “Decode.” Hayley bounded about the stage like a firecracker and showed off a vocal prowess far more mature than her 20 years of age.

But when dusk enveloped the Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion, an electricity buzzed through the crowd. That electricity surged to fever pitch when lights illuminated the silhouettes of the band behind a white curtain. A few moments later, the curtain lifted and there they were: Adrian with a Mohawk, black lipstick and a tutu, Tom and Tony rocking their guitars and Gwen bounding about as though released from the springs of a jack-in-the-box.

Everyone wore black and white, and Gwen wore a total of three different crazy ensembles. She showed off her toned stomach and killer legs. And she cooed to the crowd through her microphone in a way that only she can.

Through “Spiderwebs,” “Just a Girl,” “Excuse Me Mister,” “Sunday Morning,” “Bathwater,” “Hella Good,” “Ex Girlfriend,” “Simple Kind of Life” and other equally great songs, I sang along and I danced and I waved my arms in the air. I was really excited to hear one of my favorites by them, the lesser-played single “Running,” which is slow and sweet and beautiful.

And, I don’t think I can fully describe the way I felt when the guitar notes I know so well as belonging to “Don’t Speak” resonated through the crowd. It was one of those surreal moments when life makes sense and everything clicks into place. I traveled back in time, and I could’ve sworn I saw my high school self curled up next to the stereo singing all the words.