Photographs by Dawn Hamilton.
It’s been a few years since singer/songwriter; Gwen Stefani has been on the road. But the pop star is back with more sass than ever before. On Thursday evening, The Voice personality brought her This Is What the Truth Feels Like tour to the Molson Canadian Amphitheatre, performing to a near-capacity crowd. Despite dealing with her divorce from Gavin Rossdale, Stefani turned her heartbreak into celebratory pop-filled fun with her adoring fans.
Stefani has long used the stage as a safe haven where she can openly and candidly express herself, and this tour was no different. At 46, Stefani brought tons of excitement and intensity to her opening performances of “Red Flags” and “Wind It Up”. Her full infectious energy was routinely echoed by her fabulous dancers and live band. Her signature ska/punk style was displayed in her outfits which showcased her perfectly edged abs.
Stefani managed to highlight all of her hits during this tour. From the sweetness of “Cool” to the reggae sounds of “Underneath It All” or exposing her heartache in “Used to Love You”; she performed each one with profound raw emotion. Stefani didn’t forget to include tour-mate, Eve who she brought out to perform their joint hits, “Let Me Blow Ya Mind” and “Rich Girl”. Both ladies fiercely traded verses and dance moves which beautifully illustrated their musical chemistry
The singer didn’t ignore her history with No Doubt either. She treated the audience to a couple of the band’s signature hits like “Hella Good”, “It’s My Life”, and “Just A Girl”. But it was “Don’t Speak” that got everyone’s attention as Stefani didn’t hold anything back in her performance. After each song, she told a story which often expressed the love she has for her fans.
“I wonder where I would be if I didn’t have you guys” she said.
Gwen Stefani took a moment to recognize the fans that traveled across the globe to attend the Toronto stop of the tour. Naming fans from Portugal, Brazil, and Chicago, you name it they were there.
She later confessed she never dreamed that she would’ve come to Canada. Making a joke about traveling to one place before No Doubt started. “This is kinda mind-blowing”. And despite how crazy this whole year has been, Gwen is grateful for having the opportunity to tour again and connect with her fans.
Throughout the night, Stefani wanted the crowd to keep taking things to another level. But she admitted that she was afraid to perform the next song. “I feel like it’s going to get crazy”. She was right, the crowd went bananas the moment Stefani shouted the first lines to “Hollaback Girl”. It was the perfect ending before the encore segment of the show.
Truth is Stefani is one of today’s most popular and versatile female performers. She has once again reached the top of the charts with an incredible new album and re-establishes herself as one of pop’s favorite. As a Stefani fan, our truth is we hope she never leaves the music scene again! She closed the night with 2006 hit single “The Sweet Escape”.
