Search

Gwen Stefani is Las Vegas’ newest star… “holla” if you hear me.

On Wednesday night, Stefani kicked off her Las Vegas residency at Planet Hollywood’s Zappos Theater. The show, titled Gwen Stefani — Just a Girl, is good. In fact, it’s hella good.

“This is a crazy night, okay, because this is the first night. I’ll remember this for the rest of my life, so you guys have a huge responsibility,” she told the sold out crowd early into the show. “This is going to be an epic night tonight.”

Over the course of 100 minutes, Stefani sang her biggest hits, touching on songs from her solo career and her career with No Doubt. When Stefani announced the show in April she promised that the residency show would be b-a-n-a-n-a-s, and it was… literally. The first song of the show — “Hollaback Girl” — featured her dancers carrying oversized bananas.

Gwen Stefani performs the debut date of her Las Vegas residency on June 27, 2018. Gwen Stefani performs the debut date of her Las Vegas residency on June 27, 2018.

During other songs, such as “Simple Kind Of Life,” Stefani wore a makeshift wedding dress, and she harkened back to her ska roots with “Sunday Morning,” donning a midriff-bearing shirt and plaid pants.

Stefani wasn’t afraid to incorporate her love life into the show either. In fact, she seemed to pay homage to boyfriend Blake Shelton as she dressed in a cowgirl outfit for “Make Me Like You,” a song rumored to be about her beau.

Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton on June 27, 2018, in Las Vegas.

Shelton, as expected, was in attendance, even getting a standing ovation when he walked into the theater.

“I see a lot of admiring eyes on my sparkles. I know, it’s ridiculous,” Stefani said. “You don’t know what it’s like to wear a cowgirl costume right in front of Blake Shelton. It’s like my fantasy come true.”

After all the costume changes and the hits, the show at its core was, pardon the pun, a sweet escape. But, not only did Stefani give fans a musical trip down memory lane, but she gave her fans a deep dive into her personal life.

Gwen Stefani performs the debut date of her Las Vegas residency on June 27, 2018.

During an interlude, Stefani spoke of her younger self, saying she envisioned herself with several kids and a “perfect family.”

“That’s something I dreamed of for a long time,” she said in a video during the show. “But, my own love life experience wasn’t what I thought it would be, and I feel like I had so much love to give inside me, but I was unlucky in love, which has been a blessing because I’ve been able to write about that and share that and have this incredibly blessed musical career.”

She continued, “There was a point in my life where I felt that I was losing everything … When I look back at all the times my heart was broken, it was always music that healed me.”

Before the show even started, Stefani got a loving confidence boost from her man, as he tweeted his well wishes and sent a bouquet of flowers to her dressing room.

“You’ve worked so hard on this show. Congrats on opening night!!!,” read his note on the bouquet. “I love you. Blake.”

Blake Shelton's note to Gwen Stefani.

Love life aside, the show — the first of 25 — was all about the music and the experience, and Stefani left no doubt that she’s ready to headline a Vegas residency.

Gwen Stefani — Just a Girl will run through mid-March 2019 at the Zappos Theater.

23 35 11
Close

Press esc to close.
Close
Press esc to close.
Close

Connecting to your webcam.

You may be prompted by your browser for permission.