Lavigne rocks Southcenter mall

By Tina Potterf
Seattle Times staff reporter

	MARK HARRISON / THE SEATTLE TIMES Canadian teen singer Avril Lavigne performs a free concert at Westfield Shopping Town Southcenter as part of a cross-country tour of malls. Nicole Ruse, front right, spent the night in the mall parking lot with her mother, Barbara, behind, to secure their front-row spots.
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Feisty Canadian punk-pop star Avril Lavigne — sans trademark tie and gnarly scowl — gave a short but satisfying concert for a few thousand fans at Southcenter mall yesterday.

The multi-platinum-selling artist, known for her skater-punk chic and songs of independence and innocent rebellion, recently embarked on a cross-country tour of malls to promote her forthcoming second album, "Under My Skin."

The free concert, in a parking lot at Westfield Shoppingtown Southcenter, featured 19-year-old Lavigne and guitarist Evan Taubenfeld playing a semi-acoustic seven-song set of mostly new material. It included her current single "Don't Tell Me," which Lavigne prefaced by saying "this song goes out to all the chicks," and earlier hits "Sk8er Boi" and "Complicated." The latter songs had the mostly PG and PG-13 crowd bouncing and singing loud and proud each line of the familiar songs. The performance was fast-paced and stripped-down, showcasing a rawness and power in Lavigne's voice.

	MARK HARRISON / THE SEATTLE TIMES Singer Avril Lavigne (dark shirt) and guitarist Evan Taubenfeld played a semi-acoustic seven-song set of mostly new material yesterday at Westfield Shopping Town Southcenter.

Though many of the estimated 4,000 fans — many with parents and grandparents in tow — were unfamiliar with Lavigne's new material, the opportunity to see one of their favorite singers in a relatively intimate setting for free, no less, was not to be missed. Many brought flowers and cards for the diminutive singer, while others waited in a long line after the show to get an autograph — or at least a glimpse of Lavigne loading into her tour bus.

Several dozen fans stood on the perimeter of the lot chanting "Avril, Avril, Avril" and hoping for a wave or "rock-on" gesture as Lavigne left the mall. Cathy Hilzer of Kent took her granddaughter Nikki Hilzer and Nikki's friend Jodi Bacon to the concert. The girls, both eighth-graders at Sequoia Junior High School, agreed that Lavigne's music is "cool." They also like that Lavigne uses music to convey the importance of self-respect and empowerment for young girls and teenagers, strong messages that make the singer a positive role model.

"She is punk rock," said Nikki, 13, a fan of Lavigne's since the singer's career first broke in 2002. "And she's not like Britney Spears with all the skin showing."

Grandmother Hilzer is also a fan, saying simply, "I like her music."

Twelve-year-old Katie Hartley and her family, including little brother Zack, mom Shannon and dad Darrel made the trek from Poulsbo to see Lavigne. They all agreed that the concert, though brief, was worth the trip.

"It was great," Katie said about the show and a style of music that gets the parental seal of approval.

"I think it's good for the girls to have a role model like her, ... where skating is cool," Shannon Hartley said. "I think the concert was really nice."

Tina Potterf: 206-464-8214 or tpotterf@seattletimes.com

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