Avril Lavigne Entertainment Art Allstate Arena Rosemont, Ill. March 21, 2008

There was hardly anything punk or even alternative rock about having a cast of backing dancers (bearing Avril flags during the opening chants of “Girlfriend”) or a barrage of costume changes, but given the singer/songwriter’s steady popularity, the antics helped fill the Allstate Arena’s massive space. But for a girl who debuted in 2002 as the “anti-Britney” so to speak, pandering to similar staging formulas felt far from sincere.

No matter what her motive, Lavigne and her extensive troupe (including four female and two male dancers, along with a five piece band) kept the mostly teenage audience on their toes throughout an eighty minute set that was filled with saccharine pop/punk faire at best and grating gimmickry at worst. To her credit, the headliner’s voice has matured since first coming through America five years ago, though the glossy self-esteem surges like “I Always Get What I Want” seemed trite and predictable.

Yet Lavigne threw even her sharpest detractors for a loop by sitting at a grand piano to deliver the heartfelt (though still generic) “When You’re Gone” and an unexpectedly stripped down version of the older “Losing My Grip.” Still, those glimpses of productivity were squelched by the whiney “Complicated,” the skate park simplicity of “I Don’t Have To Try,” the Gwen Stefani-geared “The Best Damn Thing” and the annoyingly immature “Sk8ter Boi.”

As a result, the evening was far from “The Best Damn Tour” as it was billed and unveiled a young artist still in identity crisis mode. By straddling the lines of punk, pop and alternative rock without ever confidently diving in one direction, Lavigne seems stuck somewhere between her own rebellious spirit and wanting to please the mainstream masses. While her core fans were likely fulfilled, it wasn’t enough to convince the public at large, who’ll likely forget about this relatively fresh face when the next like-minded mash up comes along.

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