Review: AVRIL LAVIGNE Kicks off her Greatest Hits Tour in Vancouver

Growing up in the early 2000s, Avril Lavigne, was a well-known name in every Canadian household. Whether you were a “Sk8ter Boi” rocking the classic white tank top and necktie look or lamenting over your “Complicated” relationships, Lavigne’s music was relatable and something that you reached for during the angsty teenage/ young adult years. It has been 22 years since Lavigne stepped into the spotlight and she still remains as relevant as ever. Her dedicated fan base remains strong keeping the pop-punk genre alive and well. 

Avril Lavigne is a Canadian singer-songwriter from Belleville, Ontario that rose to fame in the early 2000s with her debut studio album entitled, “Let Go.” Her music style is a mix of pop-punk, alternative rock, pop rock, pop, and post-grunge. With several awards including 8 Grammy nominations under her belt, Lavigne has paved the way for other female artists in her genre and influenced the prominence and appreciation for pop-punk music around the world. She currently has released 7 studio albums featuring many notable singles including, “Sk8ter Boi,” “Complicated,” “My Happy Ending,” “Girlfriend,” “What the Hell,” “Here’s to Never Growing Up,” and many more. She has plans to release a greatest hits album next month. The last time Lavigne had a concert in Vancouver was in 2022 at the Thunderbird Sports Centre on her Love Sux Tour with Grandson and Mod Sun. 

The influx in popularity and resurgence of the concept of a “greatest hits” tour has been all the craze recently. With Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” and the Jonas Brothers’ “Five Albums One Night,” to name a couple, it was only natural to have other musical icons join the ranks. Last week, Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne became the latest artist to add a “greatest hits'' tour to her schedule. Touring mostly across North America with a few appearances in Europe in the summer, Lavigne is set to play her “Greatest Hits Tour” with openers Royal & The Serpent, All Time Low, girlfriends, and Simple Plan (openers vary per date). 

The first show of Avril Lavigne’s Greatest Hits Tour played last week at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, BC to a sold out crowd. With Vancouver being her first show of the new tour, the excitement was high and a strong sense of nostalgia lingered in the air. The main demographic attending the concert were 20, 30, and 40 year olds who grew up with Lavigne’s music in their early years. Outfits inspired by the punk, rock, and pop looks of Avril’s musical eras were a trend amongst the concert-goers with black eyeliner and pink hair dye being spotted left and right. 

Both Royal & The Serpent and All Time Low played as openers. Royal & The Serpent took the stage first, playing a few songs including a cover of “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) by Green Day and one of her most popular songs entitled, “overwhelmed.” Her ability to make the stage her own was a powerful aspect of her set; getting the crowd pumped up for what was to come. American rock band, All Time Low, took the stage next. Their vocals and energy were complimented by their large fan base scattered throughout the stadium dancing and loudly singing along to their set. They opened up their set with their song, “Weightless,” and even included a cover of the song, “Perfect Day” by Hoku, which is a popular song from the motion picture, Legally Blonde. 

Avril Lavigne was the last to take the stage beginning at roughly 9:20pm. She opened up the show with her song, “Girlfriend” and then moved onto songs, “What the Hell” and “Complicated.” “Girlfriend” was the perfect opening song for the show. The high energy beats and lyrics were the perfect fit to start the night off right. Lavigne went on to play a total of 15 songs (13 in her set and 2 encore). A common criticism was that the set list was a bit too short with other popular songs such as “Fall to Pieces,” “Keep Holding On,” “Nobody’s Home,” and “Losing Grip,” not included. Compared to other artists with their own versions of a “greatest hits” tour, the show was significantly shorter, but looking at the big picture, it was probably the most ideal length for Lavigne to give her best performance possible, and that’s all any fan of hers could have asked for. 

Lavigne’s vocals have always been strong and unique with not much audible change over the years of her career. It was evident that her vocals were just as strong during the Vancouver show; however, the overall sound throughout the concert did not do her justice. Often cutting in and out, with moments where the audio just cut out completely, it slightly hindered the show’s ability to move along smoothly. Of course, this was an issue that is completely fixable for future shows, but was an aspect of the show in Vancouver that didn’t completely exceed expectations. 

The most memorable moments of the show included Avril Lavigne’s interactions with both the audience as a whole and fans on-stage during one of her songs. Close to the beginning of the show, Lavigne stated that Vancouver had a special place in her heart as one of her first concerts was in Vancouver back in the early 2000s. Her brief talk with the audience was meaningful and heartwarming after hearing her connection with the city. Towards the end of the concert, during the song, “Fake as Hell” with All Time Low, Lavigne brought 2 fans on the stage, took pictures with them and signed skateboards for them. That once-in-a-lifetime experience was great to see and really showed how much Lavigne cares about her supporters. 

Lavigne’s transitions between songs were a bit disjointed and abrupt at times, sometimes leaving the audience confused as to what was going to happen next. Despite this, the order that she performed her songs from start to finish was a positive aspect. They were grouped together well, allowing her to organize her presence on stage and energy effectively. She started off with the upbeat songs, and then moved to the slower (“Don’t Tell Me,” “When You’re Gone,” etc). Lavigne’s last song, “S8ter Boi,” was one of the best possible ways to end the show. Being one of her most successful and recognizable singles of all time, “S8ter Boi” took all the nostalgia that was building up inside the audience and left it all out on the stage. Her encore songs, “Head Above Water” and “I’m With You” brought the audience back down, ending the concert on a peaceful note. 

The most important aspect observed from Avril Lavigne’s Greatest Hits Tour was how much love and support she had from her fans (especially her fellow Canadians). Looking past any issues that happened during her first tour stop, nothing could triumph the Vancouver crowd’s singing and enthusiasm the entire night. When the sound was a little off, the fans made up for it with their voices. When Avril spoke about her special memory with the city, Vancouver went absolutely crazy. Very few artists in the industry have that support and love for their fans and it’s evident that the passion Lavigne’s fans have for her isn’t going away any time soon. That is the reason why she is so successful even 22 years after her debut. 

Avril Lavigne began the Greatest Hits Tour in Vancouver, BC on May 22nd, 2024 with openers Royal & The Serpent and All Time Low. The tour is  set to play its last show in Calgary, AB at the Scotiabank Sattledome on September 18th, 2024. Simple Plan and girlfriends will join the tour as an opener on select tour stops. Lavigne will play several shows across North America with a few stops in Europe. For more information about the Avril Lavigne’s Greatest Hits Tour and to purchase tickets, visit the link below! 

Avril Lavigne’s North American Greatest Hits Tour dates are as followed (opening acts vary per date): 

May 22 in Vancouver, BC 

May 25 in Auburn, WA

May 26 in Ridgefield, WA

May 28 in Mountain View, CA

May 30 in Inglewood, CA

June 1 in Las Vegas, NV

June 2 in Phoenix, AZ

August 12 in Toronto, ON

August 14 in Ottawa, ON

August 16 in Toronto, ON

August 17 in St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, QC 

August 20 in Darien Center, NY 

August 21 in Hartford, CT

August 23 in Holmdel,  NJ

August 24 in Mansfield, MA 

August 27 in Wantagh, NY

August 29 in Camden, NJ

August 31 in Bristow. VA

September 1 in Charlotte, NC 

September 3 in Alpharetta, GA 

September 4 in Nashville, TN

September 6 in Cuyahoga Falls, OH

September 7 in Clarkston, MI 

September 9 in Milwaukee, WI

September 10 in Chicago, IL

September 12 in Minneapolis, MN

September 14 in Winnipeg, MB 

September 16 in Edmonton, AB 

September 18 in Calgary, AB 

Top Photo Credit: Avril Lavigne 2024

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