No Doubt comes home to Southern California tonight (March 27) for the first of two gigs at L.A.’s Universal Amphitheater in support of its current album, Rock Steady. The shows are sold out, demonstrating the Orange County, California band’s popularity throughout the region.
Drummer Adrian Young said that they “feel the love” back home. Guitarist Tom Dumont adds that there’s also other perks of being local heroes. “We’re a little bit spoiled being from L.A. and Orange County when we go out, you know, to clubs or go hang out there. It’s fun to be recognized and to be able to get in, get special treatment. You know, I’d definitely be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy that stuff. And that special treatment we get in L.A. and Orange County we don’t necessarily have in other cities. We spent six weeks in London, where we’re not really very famous at all, and it wasn’t nearly as much fun,” he says.
Dumont admits the band does have its detractors, even at home. “The OC Weekly rips us apart on a regular basis, but that’s to be expected,” he says.
Unfortunately for No Doubt, the L.A. shows are but tour stops mid-stream in the group’s North American headlining trek. The group heads to Las Vegas on Saturday (March 30) and then to points east from there. Dates run through mid-May.
The Faint and Kenna open the Los Angeles shows.
