|
 |
        
|
   |
|
|
Welcome
to Avril Lavigne Fan Site, your #1
source for everything Avril Lavigne.
We provide the biography,
discography, latest news, pictures,
and much more. I hope you enjoy your
stay, and come back soon! |
|
|
 |
|
01 Sept 2005 >>
New
Bern Sun Journal |
|
New Voice Rules Lavigne Show >>
|
It was a hot, sticky night
on Aug. 24 at Alltel
Pavilion, and the crowd's
anticipation was even higher
than the humidity. Groups of
tween and teenage girls
sported white tank tops,
loose neckties and red devil
horns - the signature
uniform of headlining act,
punk princess Avril Lavigne.
The rock 'n' roll wild child
hit big in summer 2002, with
her spiky-fun debut song
"Complicated," shifting pop
music in a different, more
defiant direction. Lavigne,
who was 17 at the time,
didn't seem concerned with
the glamour of the TRL-dominated
pop world, and that
confidence was the catalyst
for her current star power.
Scheduled to precede
Lavigne's performance was
soulful singer/songwriter
Gavin DeGraw, whose more
recent fame was spawned by
the hit single "I Don't Want
To Be" and followed by his
newly released CD title
track "Chariot."
Lavigne's opening band was a
lesser known name - a
personal friend and one of
her producers, Butch Walker.
After a brief taste of
major-label success with his
former band, Marvelous 3,
during the late 1990s,
Walker traded his bandmates
for a solo career and made
his second bid for rock 'n'
roll success in the early
2000s. His three-album run
with Marvelous 3 peaked in
1998, when the song "Freak
of the Week" became a
sizable hit.
However, the band didn't
last long, recording only
two albums for Elektra
before Walker grew
frustrated with the label.
He broke up his band and
spent a year producing
albums for such bands as
Injected and SR-71. This
production work increased
his reputation within the
industry, and he quickly
signed a contract with
Arista, resulting in his
solo debut album, Left of
Self Centered (2002), and
single, "My Way."
As band roadies prepped the
Alltel stage, the restless
audience prepared for a
typical first act show,
designed to kill time before
the performance they
actually paid to see.
But the mood changed quickly
once stage lights flashed
on, rib-vibrating bass began
to pound and Walker burst on
stage with explosive energy
that was nonstop throughout
the show.
A veritable rock 'n' roll
grasshopper, Walker spent
most of his time in mid-air,
jumping from all levels of
the stage - brandishing his
guitar in a classic spread
eagle, leaping off the drum
set, and dropping to his
knees to high-five the
electrified crowd.
Much like his work with
Marvelous 3, Walker's solo
work embodies his
anti-conformist attitude and
playful rock 'n' roll
swagger. And this guy can
sing! Walker owned the
microphone, showcasing
clear, balanced vocals in
his opening number,
"Uncomfortably Numb," a
track from his second CD,
"Letters," which was
released in August 2004.
The 35-minute performance
was a mix of super-fun
rocker anthems, mid-tempo
tunes and what Walker
referred to as his mandatory
"femo-tastic heartfelt
ballad," entitled "The Best
Thing You Never Had," which
was edgier than expected.
For all his dramatic
showmanship, Walker seemed
friendly and approachable on
stage. Quickly acknowledging
that most of the audience
was really there to see
Lavigne, he created an
instant rapport by thanking
the crowd for their
applause, displaying a witty
sense of humor and singling
out enthusiastic audience
members.
Walker got more laughs when
he ripped on pop diva Ashlee
Simpson's lip-syncing faux
pas during her infamous
Saturday Night Live
performance.
He noted that every singer
has bad voice days, but he
assured the crowd that no
matter what, he was going to
sing his heart out, and his
voice would be coming
through the speakers live,
not in the form of some
dubbed track.
American Idol Kelly Clarkson
also took a hit when Walker
belted out a hard rock
version of her recent radio
hit, "Since You've Been
Gone." Most likely, this
crowd contained some diehard
Clarkson fans, but they went
wild over Walkers' "Butch-ered"
version of the tune.
The female audience also
appreciated Walker's dark
hair and green-eyed
Scotch-Irish looks. Halfway
through the set, an
announcement that he'd sign
autographs after the show
immediately caused a line of
underage ladies to form by
the merchant stand.
Liz Senn is the features
writer for the Sun Journal.
|
|
|
|
 |
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
| ©
Copyright 2004. All rights reserved. |
|
