With a high-profile marriage, two kids, rock megastar status and a successful fashion line, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to believe Gwen Stefani when she sings “I’m just a girl.”
But the sold-out crowd for the May 27 No Doubt show at Fiddler’s Green bought it, so what’s the problem? On a pleasant night at the 16,000-plus-seat venue just south of Denver, where the estrogen flowed as freely as the energy, Stefani was the embodiment of female empowerment.
Judging by the many female tweens, teens, and more mature Gwen wannabes in attendance, this no longer is “a man’s world.” And now that Madonna has turned 50, it’s time for The Material Girl to pass on her royal crown as ruler of the magic kingdom. 
Gwen (below), who’ll turn 40 on Oct. 3, is the new Rock ‘N’ Roll Queen, but just one of three attractive and powerful women who took center stage this night.
Paramore’s Hayley Williams and The Sounds’ Maja Ivarsson were also in the house, fronting their respective bands during short but appealing sets. They paved the way for Stefani’s first appearance with No Doubt in Denver since a performance in the cozier Denver Coliseum on November 6, 2002, during their formidable Rock Steady tour.
The SoCal group, also including guitarist Tom Dumont, bassist Tony Kanal and drummer Adrian Young, officially began this reunion tour May 16 in Las Vegas and will continue as one of the hottest acts of the summer until at least Aug. 11-12, when they are scheduled to perform in Honolulu.
No telling what will happen after that. Stefani’s story (and she’s sticking to it) is the group decided to come together in order to find time to write and record a new album. That might be a remarkable accomplishment even for this Wonder Woman, who is trying to do it all while raising her 3- and not-quite-1-year-old boys while hubby Gavin Rossdale plays elsewhere during a scaled-down and far less-ambitious tour.
Article comments
1 - melanie
Loved this concert and your review as well. Gwen, like a bottle of wine just gets better with age.
2 - Michael
I think you're right, Melanie. Hopefully, young Hayley and tough-as-nails Maja will learn a thing or two this summer from Gwen, who said she wants to try and hang out with her touring mates over the next couple of months.