The first pavilion-scale concert I ever attended by choice was in 1997 - No Doubt, Cake, and The Vandals. I remember being an embarrassed 13-year-old when Gwen Stefani yelled, "FUCK THE RAIN!" with my parents standing next to me. I have Gwen to thank for making it harder to convince my parents to let me go to rock shows in the future...

Over the years, No Doubt made their transition from ska legends to pop icons. It was a roller-coaster ride that brought them legions of new fans, while many swore the band off claiming that the band had sold out. Alas, in 2004, Gwen Stefani began to pursue a solo career, and No Doubt seemed to fall off the radar. 

Rumors of a breakup surfaced, which certainly seemed likely given the context of their video for "Don't Speak." An image-centric spotlight change seemed to deeply upset the band, and with Gwen's solo career taking off, most considered the band done.

Surprising their enormous following and dispelling rumors of hiatus, breakup and bad blood, No Doubt are back on a 53-date North American tour rocking all the hits. This time they're traveling in separate tour buses due to new families, but bassist Tony Kanal (still family-free) has his bus packed with a full-featured recording studio. Maybe we'll see a new No Doubt album after all!

To see when the band will be in your neck of the woods, check out their official website.