Lavigne turns in captivating show
M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Music fans could be forgiven for thinking that when it comes to female rock stars, Canada manages to dispatch more worthy performers than its southern neighbor.
If reliable U.S exports are singing temptresses like Britney Spears, Ashlee Simpson and Christina Aguilera, Canadians are proud to have performers who can lend some depth to their stardom.
Alanis Morisette and Jewel are two such examples who stand out among the hordes of inept performers on the current music scene.
Alanis has been portrayed as an angry white female who has fought against a male-dominated world, while Jewel's poetic stature has helped her record company sell millions of records.
And if Simpson's recent SNL lip-sync debacle was any indication of the lack of talent in mainstream America, Ontario native Avril Lavigne has shown the world that she has more than just an attitude.
Avril's Monday gig was shining proof of her superior talent. Not only could she sing well; the 20-year-old punk popster could play guitar and piano, and excelled behind the drum kit.
Inside the Indoor Tennis Stadium at Senayan, Central Jakarta, Avril effortlessly delivered a rapturous performance for her 2005 Bonez tour before more than 3,000 Jakarta teenage followers.
Sporting a T-shirt emblazoned with the word "freedom" and blue jeans, the petite Avril -- she is only 1.55 meters tall -- shed her skater-girl posture and replaced it with a coming-of-age, if not girl-next-door, image.
In the seventh song, I Am With You, from her album Under My Skin, her male teenage fans must have had their hearts broken when she gave an infectious angelic smile while caressing her shoulder-length bleached blond hair.
Even though most of the songs were sung effortlessly, concertgoers, including those who were accustomed to listening to The Velvet Underground or Roxy Music, shamelessly sang along to catchy tunes like Sk8er Boi, My Happy Ending and Complicated.
These songs were Avril's biggest hits, becoming a staple for youth-oriented MTV.
Avril left the audience in a frenzy when she turned up onstage sitting before a acoustic piano and gave a powerful rendition of Together and Forgotten, from the Under My Skin album.
The concert reached its climax, however, during the moment when Avril stopped singing to play drums to Song 2, a 1995 hit from brit-pop band Blur.
Her pounding on the snare drum and tom-toms was as powerful as her singing.
Right after the song ended, concertgoers gave her thunderous applause, forgiving Avril's apparent lack of effort to communicate with them beyond a perfunctory "What's up Jakarta -- thanks for coming out for our show."
After the last distorted guitar from Complicated faded from the blackened stage, concertgoers went home singing Avril's latest single, My Happy Ending.