The Marquette Journal

Summerfest 2009 had a little something for everyone: baby-boomers, college kids, Australians.

NO DOUBT: Sh*t Wasn’t Bananas, But it Was Hella Good

Forgotten, Paramore. That’s what you get when you open for legendary No Doubt. When the sky darkened over the Marcus Ampitheater on July 2, the crowd was rabbled and roused by openers Bedouin Soundclash and Paramore as it waited for the curtain to open for the headliner. Paramore, led by Hayley Williams, brought some last-minute energy and girl power to the stage. And then we waited.

No Doubt silhouettes appeared on the curtain, and a few people peed themselves (a little). Shadow-Gwen pumped her fist and up went the curtain, revealing a sleek, white set with an outerspace vibe. Evenly spaced along white arches that cascaded onto the stage, band members Tom Dumont (guitar), Stephen Bradley (trumpet/keyboard), Adrian Young (drums), Tony Kanal (bass) and Gabrial McNair (trombone/keyboard) posed comfortably in black and white attire.

Gwen Stefani (vocals) stepped out onto the main platform wearing thigh-high black boots with all-white trousers and a white belly shirt to match the dichromatic set. The Gen-Yers sighed and thought of the 90s. The only thing more alien than the set was Gwen’s rock-hard body, which showed absolutely no sign of recent babymaking.

The band stuck to its tried and true songs (Just A Girl, Spiderwebs and Sunday Morning, to name a few) for the show, part of a tour marking their reunion after their five-year break. The public loved Stefani’s two solo albums, but it was time to send the Harajuku girls back to Japan and get on the road to make a new album as part of good old-fashioned No Doubt.

No Doubt comfortably performed their classics, flawlessly cranking out all of their top singles to an ecstatic crowd. Gwen kept the crowd hot and the energy high with her stage antics. At one point, she called three girls dressed in Stefani style onstage to pose for their camera phones.

During “Just A Girl,” Stefani paused to rally the cries of Wisconsin women who deafeningly followed her lead. When Gwen asked the boys to follow suit, they half-heartedly shouted, “I’m just … a girl …” Gwen responded, “Nice try, but that was sh*t!”

Hearing No Doubt after a long hiatus was a reminder of their many musical achievements. Their singles remain catchy and relevant. The show heightened anticipation for the band’s upcoming album. It’s sure to be hella good.

THE VERONICAS: All Sex and No Substance

Aussie-chicks The Veronicas performed at Briggs & Stratton Big Backyard stage on July 5. For those unfamiliar with these betties from over the pond, The Veronicas are Jessica and Lisa Origliasso, two deliciously gorgeous twin sisters with pipes that match. They are best known for their single “Untouched.”

The crowd swelled with estrogen as fans squeezed themselves onto the edges of picnic tables to see the stage, with the occasional scared boyfriends scattered here and there. The Briggs & Stratton stage is underneath the arches of I-94, a cement canopy to complement the rough-edged rock stars tuning up on stage.

Blondie Jess and raven-haired Lisa appeared on stage wearing oversized T-shirts and little else. After giving the crowd their gratitude for being in Milwaukee, they launched right into their concert with strong feminine vocals and pop-rock rhythms.

The band rocked out while the girls took turns singing, playing guitar and stalking the stage like tigers. Occasionally, they stood back to back and belted their melodic thoughts on relationships. “I feel so untouched right now / Need you so much somehow / I can’t resist you…”

The initial energy seemed to fizzle. After performing a few of their more popular songs such as “Everything” and “Take Me on the Floor,” The Veronicas started to lose the crowd’s interest. The girls kept singing and stalking, but maybe the novelty had worn out. With barely any crowd interaction or pause between songs, the show became one long pop song about love and lust.

Less than an hour after the concert began, it came to a somewhat abrupt end. The final song was “Forever,” but it seemed like no time at all.

Though The Veronicas put on a sexy, pop-rock performance, the concert was quick and lacked any major emotional distinction. Still, there’s nothing wrong with the occasional one-night stand.

Did you see any shows at Summerfest? Submit reviews and photos to copy@marquettejournal.org or comment on this post.

Tags: 2009, concert review, concert reviews, concerts, guitar, Gwen Stefani, milwaukee, Music, music review, music reviews, No Doubt, Paramore, pop, Reviews, rock, summer, Summerfest, The Veronicas, veronicas

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