Avril Lavigne Sleepwalks In Long Beach

Ben Wener of The Orange County Register attended Avril Lavigne’s sold-out show at Long Beach Arena on Thursday night, complaining the Canadian singer was “tired and frustrated.” Wener says, “She’s a new hero, and though even her best songs are comparatively rudimentary and derivative, they leave a lasting impression. Trouble is, from the sight of her ho-hum 75-minute Long Beach show, she doesn’t appear all too interested in being anyone’s icon.” He added, “She gave little effort to hitting high notes, sometimes avoiding them. She raced through hits unenthusiastically, occasionally throwing a fist in the air, often standing stock-still – when she doesn’t have the magnetism to pull off such posing. She babbled dispassionately before tunes.”