"I didn't know if I would have enough energy tonight," lead singer of No Doubt Gwen Stefani told the audience three songs into their set. "Surprise!"
Her exclamation elicited roars and screams from the appreciative crowd.
There was no doubting the energy unforgivingly shaking the bleachers of Alumni Arena Friday night at the band's sold-out concert, sponsored by the Student Association. Touring to promote their latest Interscope release, Rock Steady, the flashy foursome unleashed their magic upon the relentlessly eager crowd.
"[They] really know how to get a crowd going," said Kacey Page of Clarence. Catapulting the concert with the rock-heavy "Hella Good," the band's latest single, Stefani and company instantly proved their ability to get the heavily UB-populated crowd going.
There was an insatiably tense feeling in the arena all night long, even throughout the equally powerful appearance of opening act The Faint. So when the California rock-punk-ska and pop band hit the stage, the pent-up energy was unleashed from the audience as bassist Tony Kanal, drummer Adrian Young, guitarist Tom Dumont and sultry seductress Stefani graced the town of Amherst - and the hearts of adoring fans.
Performing a set list spanning the greatest hits of their three mainstream albums, 1995's platinum-certified Tragic Kingdom, 2000's rock-heavier Return of Saturn, and the reggae-laden Rock Steady, No Doubt flipped the pages of their growing book of fan favorites.
"Ex-Girlfriend," the brassy hit off of Saturn, sent the crowd into hip-twisting pandemonium. Easing the already hyper and dangerously crowd-surfing audience into a state of subdued euphoria, the synthesized sweetness of "Underneath It All" was a welcome trip back to the new wave sensibilities of '80s pioneers Blondie and The Cars.
"Rock Steady," which was co-produced by The Cars' Ric Ocasek, is pumped full of heartbeats from the now nostalgic era of the '80s. "In My Head" proudly displayed this influence, while Young played a small set of synth-drums half-naked front and center on stage. Creatively concealed by a kilt covered with the band's red-and-white logo, Young danced around his drums like a monkey on Prozac.
Tragic Kingdom monster hits "Different People," "Sunday Morning," and the broken-hearted anthem "Don't Speak" caused decibels to soar and ear drums to thunder as the audience screamed with approval.
Displaying the true tenure of their popularity, Stefani pumped into a show-stopping rendition of "Just A Girl," the song that shifted No Doubt's garage band personas to MTV giants. Impressing anyone who has ever tried and were unsuccessful, Stefani did a set of push-ups that proved she was more than just a girl. She even climbed the stage's towering trellises, swinging casually over the audience.
"Am I making myself . clear?" she asked in the middle of the girl-power anthem. Making herself more than clear in the male-dominated music business, Stefani has led a devoted base of female fans who have proved that rock 'n' roll is no longer a game just for the boys.
In fact, the group has managed to stay afloat in an ever-changing musical industry. No Doubt's successful efforts to maintain - and increase - an audience lies in their ability to speak from the heart. Through break-ups, less than desirable reviews, and even the death of their original lead singer, John Spence, the 15-year history of No Doubt has been full of the rollercoaster realities of life, something their fans can certainly relate to.
Diane Sojka, a junior marketing major at Canisius, makes clear her adoration of the group's growing landscape.
"I love their new style, but the old stuff made them famous," said Sojka.
The Faint, an equally '80s-influenced British rock group, performed songs off their 2001 release, Danse Macabre. An intelligent - and somewhat intelligible - hybrid of hardcore rockers Orgy, techno-wizards the Prodigy, and the pop sensible Pet Shop Boys, The Faint got the increasingly growing audience to its feet, carelessly jumping everywhere possible.
It amounted to little more than a group of Brit rockers rubber-banding themselves across the stage, pushing a seemingly random sequence of keys on their many keyboards against a lively light show.
But like No Doubt, they did it well, and that's what matters in this kingdom of rock superstars.
