Orange County Music Blog

​Pitchfork on Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl" back when it was released in 2004:

...Elsewhere on LAMB, the Neptunes shit out a Queen pastiche called "Hollaback Girl", which has about as much club potential as a 13-year old with a milk moustache and his dad's ID.

Funny line! Oh you Pitchfork, always with the attitude. Emphasis mine, by the way. Run ahead to August 2009, when they're counting down the best songs of the decade.  Uh:

180. Gwen Stefani
"Hollaback Girl"
[Interscope; 2004]

"Hollaback Girl" proved divisive with critics, with this publication decrying it as second-rate Queen, but this list's voters evidently have latched on to Gwen's feminine sport anthem. Stefani actually wrote "Hollaback Girl" with producer Pharrell Williams in reaction to a derogatory statement made by Courtney Love labeling Stefani a cheerleader. From the outset, it's pretty obvious that Stefani is a cheerleader, and a damn good one. The cut's Spartan beat proved wildly successful in the club, with Stefani's invocations leading legions of ladies (and dudes) in an empowering urban shout-along.

Andrew Youssef

Welcome home.

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No zoom on the iPhone, folks!

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Last Night: No Doubt, Katy Perry, the Sounds at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, Irvine; August 4, 2009.

Better than: The three previous No Doubt shows at Verizon. Maybe. Actually, they were probably all equally fantastic, unless you hate Katy Perry.

Number of dudes dressed up in Alice in Wonderland-esque garb like Gwen Stefani in the "What You Waiting For" video: Only spotted one. Which was plenty.

Do you enjoy...joy? Well, you'd probably have had a swell time at the No Doubt concert Tuesday night. Any fan you could spot were either shrieking in ecstasy, squealing with delight or gleefully laughing, and each member of each act performing seemed to be having just as good of a time.

Andrew Youssef

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It's No Doubt Central around here. Amanda Parsons threw up the setlist from Friday's show, and here are Andrew Youssef's pictures Gwen, Tony, Tom and Adrian-filled from Saturday's way beyond sold-out gig (he couldn't even stay past three songs, poor guy). Coming up: John Gilhooley's doubtlessly dazzling shots from Sunday night at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, and a review of Tuesday night's final Irvine show, with supporting act Katy Perry stepping in for Paramore. (The Sounds will still open, as they did the first three shows.)

Everyone's favorite local celebrities brought down the house last night as they performed their first of their four-night, sold out Verizon Wireless Amphitheater appearances to mark the last leg of their national reunion tour. It was everything you'd expect from a No Doubt home show and more--with a packed stadium, screaming fans and unparalleled energy on stage and, well, everywhere. Now, it's late. So here's a playlist from night one to give you a little taste of what you missed. More to come later!

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Yeah, No Doubt is obviously one of the biggest bands from Orange County of all time. (Some might say "the;" feel free to debate that point as much as you'd like!) As such, it's appropriate that their return to Orange County--after a five-year layoff, save a quickie reunion during the encore of one of Gwen Stefani's solo shows in 2007--is appropriately big.

Tonight begins four shows at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine (the same site as their 2007 jam), and we'll have a goodly amount of coverage right here on the blog, including a concert report from tonight's show by our gal Amanda Parsons, and one from this guy (uh, me) for their last show in town on Tuesday. The Sounds open up all four shows, Paramore support today, Saturday and Sunday; the sassy Katy Perry on Tuesday.

Well, hopefully someone will post a better video of this, but here's No Doubt's appearance on Gossip Girl last night. They played an '80s parallel universe version of themselves (called "Snowed Out," ahahahahaha, so clever) in a mostly flashback episode meant to test the waters for a possible spinoff starring Brittany Snow at a young Lily Rhodes (what we call in the business a "backdoor pilot"). They performed their cover of "Stand and Deliver" by Adam and the Ants, the same tune they played during the encore of their return show at Bamboozle earlier this month.

No Doubt will be playing Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine on July 31, August 1, August 2 and August 4; scattered tickets still available through Live Nation.

Arguably (?) the most famous band in Orange County history, No Doubt, played their first official show in about five years last night at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, New Jersey, headlining the second day of the Bamboozle Music Fest out there (not to be confused with the Bamboozle Left that took place in Irvine a month ago, natch).