Gwen Stefani came out of the gate strong when opening her Las Vegas residency Just A Girl at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino this summer, learning the ropes of an all-new production very quickly through a dozen initial performances.
“I had so much fun,” says the pop fashion icon. “Every night is different because each crowd is so unique, so the entire residency has been a learning experience so far. This show is different form anything else I’ve ever done before in my career.”
From her days fronting punky faves No Doubt to establishing her own genre-spanning solo career, Stefani has plenty of musical ammunition to share as she returns to the Zappos Theater stage this week, Dec. 27, 29, 30 and 31.
Your Vegas show is a massive, sensory experience. Do you have favorite parts?
My favorite part is getting to know the audience each night. I love interacting with them throughout the show. It is different every night and I love that. The show is a bit more theatrical than anything I’ve ever done and I have more freedom to do things I couldn’t do on tour, which has been exciting.
You’ve talked about how you never imagined doing a show like this on the Strip and joining so many other headlining stars. Now that you’re part of the club, do you have a different perspective on playing Vegas?
Having a Vegas residency is one of those lifetime achievements that I couldn’t even think up and it’s such an honor. It’s taken my whole career to build a story like the one I put on in Vegas and it’s a new way for me to be creative. This show is not like anything I’ve ever done before, which has been so rewarding.
You just released a deluxe version of You Make It Feel Like Christmas. What are your holiday plans this year?
I’m looking forward to spending time with family and creating new and special memories with my children. Our family is big on traditions and we all really look forward to this time of year. There’s just something so fun about the holiday time and it’s such a great time to reflect on the year and dream about what’s to come in the New Year.
That holiday album has a pretty special duet on the tracklist, too.
I’m a huge fan of Christmas music and I had so much fun making a Christmas album, especially getting the chance to write a song with my best friend, Blake Shelton.
Do you think your Vegas experience will influence your music going forward?
Having a residency has been such an amazing experience. I’ve been able to be creative in a whole new way, so it has definitely sparked some new inspiration. This is such a fun chapter of my life. I’m reliving a lot of memories and creating new ones at the same time. I’m inspired.
