Yep, I spent my formative years growing up in Anaheim (er…Hills) and I consider myself a huge homer for Tom, Tony, Adrian, and Gwen.  That’s No Doubt to you.

I felt 19 years old again last night when I had to stop and record the new No Doubt video Settle Down before heading upstairs to tend to my preschooler’s bedtime routine.  Instantly, I was back in 1994 asking my parents to videotape a set of No Doubt music videos on our local cable channel.

I gotta say, I really like the new single.  It’s been long enough, right?  Something like 10 years since their last album.  I’m definitely looking forward to Push and Shove which comes out in September.  They’ve also hinted at a 2013 tour.  Time to dig out my old tee from the early days.

This particular photo of Gwen and I was taken at Triangle Square in October 1995. It was shortly after the release of Tragic Kingdom but Just a Girl wasn’t getting any radio air play yet.  My friends and I got there hours early and watched the band do a sound check.  That’s when I was able to get this photo.  I was having a full blown fan girl moment here.  I never really understood why she was pointing her thumb at me.  Maybe it was to say “this girl is wearing a backpack.”

That was a great show at Triangle Square.  Afterwards, the band signed autographs in the old Virgin record store.  I still have the set list from the show that the band signed.  My friends and I also were picked to be extras in the Just a Girl video (I later opted out but both friends did make it in the video!).

I can’t say that I’ve loved all their albums.  To date, my favorite remains to be their independently released The Beacon Street Collection.  I still love Total Hate ’95 featuring Bradley Nowell from Sublime and I chose to play Stricken during the cake cutting at my 2001 wedding!

I will say that I love Gwen.  I loved both of her dance records – especially The Sweet Escape.  Wind it Up is brilliantly bizarre and Early Winter kills me every time I hear it.  I was barely pregnant when I saw her at Verizion in Irvine and was completely exhausted at the end of the show that I suggested we leave.  From the car I could hear No Doubt playing and realized that the band was having a mini-reunion and I was in the damn parking lot!

I did get to see them again on their summer tour after that and danced my ass off the entire show.  Honestly though, nothing beats those old warehouse shows we’d go to in an industrial park in Orange or Anaheim.  150 or 200 people crammed in a tiny space, sweat flying, ears ringing the next day because it was so loud.  I can remember the details like it was yesterday.  Good times.

It shouldn’t be any surprise that I’ve already downloaded Settle Down (in the video, I love the nod to O.C. when Tony grabs an orange in his rig) and I will keep my eyes open for tour dates because this girl will definitely be in attendance.

You know mine so tell me what your favorite ND song is!  Bonus points if you know where “No Doubt Anytime” comes from!