Reviews

Who the heck does Avril Lavigne think she is?

It's a fair question, especially after seeing her slick and polarizing 20-song, 80-minute concert at Superpages.com Center on Saturday. Let's explore the possibilities:

Is Ms. Lavigne a star? Most definitely. She possesses a stage presence that surpasses Kelly Clarkson and rivals Gwen Stefani, and, at age 23, she flaunts a well-developed sense of playfulness and sexuality.

Is Ms. Lavigne a singer? Very much so. Though her voice's high pitch can grate (at times she sounds disarmingly like Alanis Morissette after a quick toke of helium), she's rarely off pitch and she sings with force. Her best moments Saturday came during a semi-acoustic version of "Hot" and a dazzling high-energy run through of "I Always Get What I Want."

Is Ms. Lavigne a diva? Despite four wardrobe changes for her and the six dancers and reams of glitz (her shoes, pants, guitars, drums, microphones, mike stands, wallet chains and mascara all sparkled black, silver or fuchsia), she's not. Although she cycles through moments of deference and aloofness onstage, her attitude is too kind, her strutting is too dainty and her sneer is too ironic.

Is Ms. Lavigne a punk? She never was, especially Saturday. She still represents the strong-willed yet vulnerable middle-class adolescent, but as an archetype only. Punks don't make millions like she does, and they don't put on shows with dancers and stage-wide LED screens.

Does Ms. Lavigne have wide appeal? Oh, yeah. Her music is fun, sassy and easy to absorb; it takes few chances. Although the crowd wasn't huge (9,000 at most), it was enthusiastic, and fortysomething parents were singing along with their tweener offspring.

Was it a good show? Yes and no. It was subdued; half of the songs were ballads or hushed from the original versions; several were shortened, too, and the pacing was jerky. The sound was masterful, though, and Ms. Lavigne played guitar, piano and drums. Neat!

Perhaps the best damn thing to call Ms. Lavigne is a brand.