At the No Doubt Experience in Las Vegas, an immersive pop-up by Vibee, a crumpled tour schedule of the band is displayed – including a concert at the Shark Club in February 1992. The venue closed five years later, but No Doubt lives on: three decades later, they return to Sin City for an 18-show residency at the Sphere. When they were still an up-and-coming band from Orange County, they jumped around the stage singing about donuts, pizza and pancakes in “A Little Something Refreshing.” Today bassist Tony Kanal is at a loss for words.
In exclusive Conversation with ROLLING STONE After the opening night at the Sphere, the 55-year-old was deeply moved by the huge comeback. “It’s so much at once,” he says. “For the last eight months, every waking moment was spent putting the show together, rehearsing, exercising, coming up with merch ideas. It was non-stop – and then Wednesday night was so emotional and so full of joy. At the sound check, I saw Tom’s guitar tech Donnie, who has been with us for decades, and we were in each other’s arms crying. …Being there for almost 40 years and being about to do something on such a cool, futuristic stage that we have yet to do “We’ve never done it before – it makes you realize how damn lucky we are to still be experiencing this together.”
Playing the ultra-modern dome with images from their OC home and its culture, Kanal, Stefani, guitarist Tom Dumont and drummer Adrian Young delivered a nearly two-hour set in which oranges rained from the sky and old flyers, photos and an OC phone number – which actually works and leads to a voicemail from Young – filled the room. In an unexpected twist, Stefani slipped into bed with Dumont during “Simple Kind of Life” and kissed him goodnight. At least on the screen.
Emotional evening in the Sphere
Accompanied by long-time trombonist Gabrial McNair and trumpeter Stephen Bradley, the band was celebrated by around 20,000 fans – including Shirley Manson, whose Garbage hit “Special” was featured in the pre-show playlist.
“Tragic Kingdom,” the title track from her breakthrough 1995 album, opened the show: fans were propelled in their vibrating seats through a virtual roller coaster ride that paid homage to the Disneyland inspiration behind the album title.
“Excuse me Mr.” had the audience singing along while Dumont’s guitar solo on “Different People” was met with cheers. “Tom! We’re in the Sphere!” Stefani shouted enthusiastically.
Tom Dumont’s Parkinson’s diagnosis
A powerful moment – especially since Dumont recently made it public that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s. The guitarist appeared fit and in good spirits, and according to Kanal, the diagnosis didn’t affect the band’s life.
“He handles it very well,” he says. “We’re here for him, we love him, and he played incredibly well. We’ve been through a lot as a band, and after all those hurdles, last night was a reward. It makes you realize all the hardships were worth it.”
One of the early hurdles: A program director reportedly declared that it would “take a miracle to get No Doubt on the radio.” In the end, it was their shared drive and love of music – and not a radio boss – that propelled No Doubt permanently into the airwaves with hits like “Just a Girl” and “Don’t Speak”.
Stefani as the first headliner
The fact that the first 20 minutes of the show were without such chart-toppers and many initially stayed in their seats suddenly changed with “Spiderwebs” – the fans jumped up while the sphere shone in web-like light threads.
A costume change for Stefani – the first woman to headline the Sphere – introduced “Underneath It All.” “You really are wonderful, Vegas!” she sang.
Funky neon visuals on “Hey Baby” and the colorful mermaid world you floated through on “Bathwater” were so hypnotic that you almost forgot about the musicians on stage.
Fans on stage
But the band didn’t forget their audience: Stefani spotted a fan who had copied her pink-haired look from the “Return of Saturn” album cover and brought her on stage. Californian Andrea Esperanza Martinez stormed to her icon. Even afterwards, she stood completely beside herself and told ROLLING STONE how she learned to sing with No Doubt songs as an eight-year-old – and now fronts a cover band called Just a Girl Tribute. “It was like a near-death experience,” she said. “I thought I was dreaming!”
Being reminded of times like this wasn’t just joy for Stefani. Her heartbreak has shaped No Doubt’s musical legacy. “Some of these songs are painful,” she told the audience. “When I saw the ‘Return of Saturn’ girl I thought, ‘I love her’ – but it gives me PTSD.”
It was followed by the 2000 banger “Ex-Girlfriend” – which Stefani wrote at the end of her seven-year relationship with Kanal. In one of the most touching images of the evening, the two were seen having a romantic dinner and intimately slow dancing on the street while “Simple Kind of Life” played.
40 years of friendship
Such moments highlighted the couple’s remarkable journey – from lovers to exes to lifelong friends and collaborators. “There is a deep, enduring friendship that we have shared for 40 years,” says Kanal. “From boyfriend and girlfriend to creative partners, there’s something very special between the two of us. When we’re on stage, there’s an intimacy that only comes with time and the depth of a relationship.” (Channel found happiness with wife Erin and their daughters, while mother-of-three Stefani is happily married to country singer Blake Shelton – who just opened his own residency over at Caesars Palace.)
So are the exes “Happy Now?” The “Tragic Kingdom” track came next before the “Rock Steady” banger “Hella Good” got everyone dancing.
The tempo slowed as Stefani acted like a Disney princess, belting out “The Climb” and “Running” – the latter with a magical storybook theme. These visuals showcased the enormous creative range enabled by No Doubt’s diverse discography – with Grammy wins and nominations in pop, rock and dance.
Depth in songwriting
“You have harder punk rock songs like ‘Ex-Girlfriend’, then incredibly tender ballads that tear your heart apart,” says producer and director Baz Halpin. “When you analyze the lyrics and realize how poetic they are, there is so much depth in them – that makes working on the visuals even more interesting.”
Other memorable moments included “It’s My Life,” the talk-talk cover that No Doubt reimagined in 2003 – accompanied by a scrapbook that paged through each band member’s story.
“Don’t Speak” was of course a highlight of the evening: Stefani sparkled in a blue and white dress while hot air balloons glided picturesquely over an orange grove at dawn.
Finale and encores
“Trapped in a Box,” “New” and “End It on This” followed before Stefani invited female fans onto the stage during “Just a Girl,” uniting the venue in a roaring sing-along finale. “Sunday Morning” closed the show, the band beaming as they took their first Sphere bow.
And what happens that Sunday morning when the Sphere dates end on June 13th?
When asked about future plans and the possibility of new music, Kanal says they have learned to think “day by day” with No Doubt. “Sometimes we’re on the same wavelength, sometimes we’re not,” he says. “Right now the focus is on these shows. After Coachella, I didn’t think we’d be playing the Sphere – so you never know what’s around the corner.”
No Doubt Experience at the Venetian
For the 30th anniversary of “Tragic Kingdom,” the nearby No Doubt Experience at the Venetian Resort’s Summit Showroom drew fans in plaid ’90s ska-punk outfits who explored interactive installations, instruments and costumes. Kanal was instrumental in putting together over 500 exhibits. “I’ve been archiving for over 40 years, and people always ask, ‘Why did you keep that?'” he says. “For this moment!”
The black-and-white dress Stefani wore to Kanal’s prom is on display, as is Kanal’s bill to Interscope Records for balloons ($134.50) and kazoos ($292.86) for her first album release party at Whiskey a Go Go.
At the Stefani family’s Beacon Street home, fans kicked back and watched old videos while others sipped Just a Girl cocktails at the Beacon Street Block Party, where “Sunday Morning” blared from the speakers. And the pop-up bar Don’t Speak Easy was a popular destination off the Strip.
Memories of the beginning
Visitors enter the Experience through an orange grove and then enter replicas of historic locations such as the Fenders Ballroom. “The Fenders Ballroom exhibition was particularly important to me,” says Kanal. “It was one of the early venues we played a lot.”
