Redoubtable

Maybe Lollapalooza would not have turned into Lollapaloozer this year if they’d just tapped No Doubt to headline.

The perky little band from Anaheim, which with help from Blink-182 packed about 40,000 fans into Hyundai Pavilion in Devore on Saturday, might have added the marquee power that the Pixies, Morrissey, Flaming Lips and String Cheese Incident didn’t muster, prompting the recent cancellation of this year’s tour.

But more than ticket-selling ability, Gwen Stefani and her unassuming mates honorably carry on the legacy of alternative rock that Lollapalooza helped create and aimed to celebrate.

Saturday’s show was the final tour stop for this pairing of two of Southern California’s biggest-selling modern-rock bands of the last decade -- No Doubt having sold more than 14 million albums, its San Diego-based brethren an additional 11 million. Stefani, however, announced from the stage that No Doubt has added shows Tuesday and Wednesday at Universal Amphitheatre.

No doubt those also will sell out quickly, if only from word of mouth from Saturday’s ebullient show.

The quartet has consistently crafted radio-perfect singles, from such angst-ridden love songs as “Don’t Speak” and “Simple Kind of Life” to adrenaline-soaked movers, including “Ex-Girlfriend” and “Just a Girl.” In opening the hour-plus set with “Just a Girl,” Stefani demonstrated just how far she’s come since that number from their breakthrough 1995 “Tragic Kingdom” album.

Initially, Stefani was indeed just a girl, a cute novelty in the male-dominated pop-ska-punk world from which No Doubt emerged. On stage she often seemed to be doing her earnest best to approximate the persona of a rock star. The total command of her music and her audience she exhibited Saturday left no doubt that she’s evolved into a bona fide star in the best sense.

She’s cocky without slipping over the edge into obnoxiousness, sexy without turning salacious.

Her pinched, nasal voice, which might have limited another singer, has developed into an expressive vocal signature that can project heartache and joy with equal facility.

Most impressive, Stefani has taken the role of songwriter, originally handled by her big brother, Eric Stefani, and run with it after he left the band to further his career as an animator for “The Simpsons.” She’s become not just a recognizable face but a trustworthy voice to the teenage girls and young women who form the majority of the group’s following. More than her unerring fashion sense, Stefani rewards fans with deeply felt expressions of the insecurities, as well as the pleasures, of searching for love and identity.

As obviously as Stefani is the raison d’etre of No Doubt, guitarist Tom Dumont, bassist Tony Kanal and drummer Adrian Young give her a wide musical palette to paint her songs, another reason this group burns on while others have burnt out.

Their love of Jamaican music shines through credibly in “Hey Baby” and “Underneath It All,” singles from 2001’s reggae-drenched “Rock Steady” album. They can pull off sinuous dance music (“Hella Good,” “It’s My Life”), amped-up alt-rock (“Excuse Me Mr.”) and sweet, pure pop balladry (“Running”).

The mantle of alternative rock could be in far worse hands.

Blink-182’s, for instance.

It’s hard to get too worked up over the trio’s limitations, given the nerds-make-good quality of the band’s commercial success. Where punk rock once made rock fans think “I could do that,” Blink’s punk-lite makes them think “I could do that ... better.” And that’s a real possibility.

Its stripped-down approach reduces music to the lowest common denominator, as bassist Mark Hoppus and guitarist-singer Tom DeLonge do their level best to convince onlookers they don’t have a clue what a denominator is. Drummer Travis Barker is the group’s saving grace, injecting energetic backbeats and colorful flourishes that bring some dimension to their periodically catchy but often repetitive songs.

Bob Dylan recently received a second honorary doctorate for the extraordinary richness of his body of work; if Blink-182 doesn’t start pumping more substance into its music pretty soon, its members may find themselves writing acceptance speeches for complimentary third-grade diplomas.

*

No Doubt

Where: Universal Amphitheatre, 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City

When: 8:15 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday

Price: $40

Contact: (818) 777-3931