Best Show to Chaperone

Usually, having to escort your children to a pop concert is like enduring a three-hour Barney marathon. Other than the sanity-preserving reminder that you're being a good parent and the kids will love you for it, there's no joy in the experience. But No Doubt's surprising showcase at the Uptown was truly an all-ages show, delivering provocative stage presence, expertly executed pace and genre shifts, and a devastating rhythm section. "Hella Good," the group's opening song, makes for decent dance candy on the radio, but live, it's a monster with a massive bass line, tremorous drum thumps and a cathartic chorus. Starstruck youngsters might have overlooked all these sonic details while focusing exclusively on Gwen Stefani, but grown-ups who had dismissed the group as just a girl with a backing band left with a new respect for No Doubt's underrated musicianship.