Pizazz Doesn’t Quite Overcome Bubblegum

No Doubt Saturday, The Gorge

I hear No Doubt on the radio and my first reaction is to stifle the gag reflex tightening in my throat.

In Pez-like style, this Orange County, Calif., band has clicked out a seemingly inexhaustible supply of sugary sweet, lolli-pop songs.

And if there’s one thing radio stations know how to do, it’s to overplay once-catchy tunes into insipid gibberish (read here “Don’t Speak” and “I’m Just a Girl”).

But nearly all was forgiven Saturday when No Doubt took the stage at The Gorge.

With a prowess culled from years of touring, this four-piece pop/ska band showed us skeptics what their fans already knew - No Doubt knows how to put on a downright fun show.

Fronted by starlet-of-the-moment Gwen Stefani, No Doubt oozed an infectious energy from the minute they opened with the title track off their latest album, “Tragic Kingdom.”

Stefani, along with bassist Tony Kanal and guitarist Tom Dumont, danced and romped throughout the hour and half-long set, often whipping the 20,000 fans - a sold-out show - into a human froth.

Stefani, her trademark bare midriff undulating in the spotlight and her bleached hair punkishly unkempt, masterfully turned the largely teenage audience to putty in her coquettish hands.

During “Sunday Morning” she climbed high into the scaffolding and goaded the crowd to singing louder.

They did.

During “Different People” she bid the mob to dance. And they did - jumping and bobbing in a massive wave on her command.

“What would you do if I said lets have all the boys sing with me?” she cooed during “I’m Just a Girl.” “Would you do it?”

Of course they would.

As she sang out the girl-power refrain, the men echoed back in boomingly-masculine tones, “I’m just a girl in this world.”

“Ha ha, that was funny,” she teased. The women cheered wildly.

Backed up by a two-man horn/ keyboard section and the liberty of a live show, No Doubt’s radiohackneyed songs took on fresh life.

“Spiderwebs” juiced with energy. The masses of star-struck teenage girls breathlessly sang along to “Don’t Speak,” No Doubt’s wildly popular, if not terribly deep, love ballad.

Such pizazz and personality-plus was almost enough to make me forget that their songs are often vapid, teen-adored bubblegum.

But not quite.

However, what No Doubt lacks in substance, four-man pop rock band Weezer made up for.

Singer/songwriter Rivers Cuomo possesses a cleverness in his lyrics and a depth to his musicianship that Stefani and crew lack.

Although not the showmen that the members of No Doubt are, Weezer elicited thrilled audience response Saturday from several songs off their first, self-titled album - “My name is Jonas,” “Buddy Holly” and “Undone - the Sweater Song” among them.

Catchy, chunkily-rhythmed tunes from their latest album, “Pinkerton,” also played well - “The Good Life,” “Why Bother” and “Pink Triangle” especially.

Five-member L.A. band Endaswap opened with a nice gritty, guitar-laden rock set largely off their new album, “Wacko Magneto”.

At one point lead singer Anne Preven whipped out an accordion and proceeded to squeeze and pull an unearthly, pretty cry from it.

Who knew an accordion could be such a cool instrument.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo