Since she called this the “Head Above Water” tour, it was assumed that she would be performing more tracks off her latest album of the same name.ĭespite this, when the last notes of “Sk8ter Boi” faded out and the lights dimmed, the audience continued to cheer and scream the singer’s name until she came back for an encore. Lavigne’s setlist was composed of her greatest hits, which was a pleasant but unexpected surprise. The lengthy transitions made sense when she changed her clothes, but any time she returned with the same black t-shirt and pants, crowd members were left wondering why she went backstage in the first place. The performer disappeared backstage to take frequent breaks between every handful of songs, leaving her bandmates to perform instrumental solos. Lavigne’s relaxed stage presence and constant smile kept fans engaged until the electric guitar’s final chords. As she effortlessly belted out each note, clips from the 2002 music video played in the background, giving audience members a taste of teenage nostalgia. Her set ended with “Sk8er Boi,” one of her most recognizable tunes. The singer said although she wrote it years ago, this is the first tour where she thought to perform it live. Lavigne is best known for her voice, but she is also a prolific songwriter and was one of the visionaries behind Kelly Clarkson’s chart-topper “Breakaway.” Lavigne sang her own version of the song, adding a raspy punk flare. It was impossible not to belt out every word to “My Happy Ending,” “I’m With You” and “Complicated,” her first hit song she released 17 years ago from her debut album “Let Go.” The singer immediately dove into a collection of her earlier hits, and every time she reappeared in the spotlight, the crowd was completely honed into her performance. Between her dark skin-tight pants and heavy eye makeup, she stuck to her classic aesthetic that all fans are familiar with.
The white dress she wore on stage, which had floor-length sheer fabric draped loosely around her, matched her outfit from the video, making for a unique visual.Īfter the first number, she ran backstage to make a quick costume change into a casual black T-shirt with pink tulle accents on the sleeves. As she commanded the stage with powerful vocals and lyrics, clips of the song’s music video played on the screen behind her, showing stunning cinematography of her submerged under waves on a black sand beach.
Lavigne opened the show with moving track “Head Above Water,” which she dropped last year. The singer-songwriter stopped in Boston as part of her “Head Above Water” tour, her first time on the road in five years since “The Avril Lavigne” tour, which began in December 2013. Avril Lavigne brought fans back to the days of grungy skater kids and hot pink highlights with a set list spanning her most popular pop-punk hits from the early 2000’s during her concert Thursday night at the Orpheum theatre.