Review | Avril Lavigne’s Greatest Hits Tour

One thing to know about singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne is that she is completely herself. Hailed as the antithesis of the pop stars of her time when she burst onto the scene in 2002, she has always maintained that she makes pop music and loves writing popular songs. She’s fun and doesn’t like to follow rules, but emphatically enjoys long term, monogamous relationships and isn’t afraid to be conventional too. She never let labels tell her what she could and couldn’t wear — and, somehow, Lavigne does it all while making inch thick eyeliner cool.

Born in Ontario, Canada, Lavigne played in her basement as a kid with a microphone, a drum kit, a keyboard, and several guitars. She had multiple interests growing up, including hockey and skating, the latter of which visually played a role in her career (hint…does the name “Sk8er Boi” ring a bell?). After signing to Arista Records in 2000, Lavigne has clocked worldwide sales of 40 million albums and 50 million singles, six number-one singles worldwide, has been nominated for eight Grammy Awards, and is ranked as the third top-selling Canadian female artist in history.

With a career that has soundtracked millions of lives, Lavigne has embarked on her celebratory Greatest Hits Tour at venues all across North America, including a sold out show at the Kia Forum on May 30. Her home away from home, Lavigne mentioned at the show, “when I was 16, I moved to L.A. This feels like home to me now too.”

The lights dimmed and her signature red star was drawn on screen, as well as images that encapsulate the eras of her other albums. All of Lavigne’s album covers then flashed on the screens, and a few clips of her when she was a teenager played as the crowd lost their mind. Finally, “AVRIL LAVIGNE” block letters flashed on stage as she walked out to “Girlfriend,” from 2007 and one of her biggest songs to date.

Lavigne pumped her fist into the air and strutted around haughtily as she sang, “hey! You! I don’t like your girlfriend! I think you need a new one…I could be your girlfriend…She’s like so whatever, you could do so much better.” It’s unabashed, and Lavigne still owned it all these years later with the same chutzpah as if she were taunting the guy now.

Next was the one-two punch of “What The Hell” and “Complicated,” two of her biggest smash hits. “What The Hell” is pure catchy perfection, with one of the most addictive chorus melodies I’ve ever heard: “All my life I’ve been good. but now, I’m thinking ‘what the hell?’” Lavigne sang. She hit an incredible run toward the end of the song, showcasing a part of Lavigne’s voice that isn’t often heard in her studio recordings. Not often known for her vocals, Lavigne showed she is an incredible, acrobatic vocalist, and incorporated alternate melodic choices into songs where she saw fit.

“Complicated” was a fan favorite and the crowd screamed every word. Lavigne even showed off her electric guitar playing skills during “Losing Grip,” as she and the band slowly fed off of each other’s energy until they clashed in harmony at the huge climax of the song. Highlights “My Happy Ending,” “I’m With You,” and “Sk8er Boi” lit up the energy in the venue in a palpable manner; you could see thousands of fans in the periphery start dancing extra emphatically during their favorites, and could even hear fans saying, “I can’t believe I’m hearing her play this” during older songs.

As Lavigne looked out into the audience near the end of the show, she appeared filled with genuine gratitude and emotion. She explained how she is aware that selling out a venue like the Kia Forum is incredibly hard to do, much less doing so repeatedly over the course of her career. She doesn’t shy away from showing appreciation for her older tunes, as she gleefully sighed, “I can’t believe I’m doing a greatest hits tour…thanks so much for coming out…today was a perfect night.”

There was a brief moment when Lavigne walked backstage and a video started to play, showing various clips of her as a teenager being interviewed. She was shown expressing how shocked she was at selling thousands of copies of her album (with her signature slightly apathetic, but very intentional and thoughtful voice), sticking her tongue out, and playing on TV programs. Presenters marveled at Lavigne, expressing how her name will be known around the world.

In hindsight, it’s notable to see it truly has.