WelcomeToMyTruth
Aug 23rd, 2005, 12:22 PM
00:00 am 8/23/05
ADAM MALECEK For the State Journal
It turns out a coliseum packed with teenage girls can get unnaturally, screechingly loud. And that's just what happened at Hilary Duff's concert Sunday night at the Alliant Energy Center Coliseum.
The overwhelmingly young audience was keyed up long before Duff took the stage. Many in attendance looked about 16, but there were lots of younger fans escorted by moms and dads. During the opening acts - young singer- songwriters Teddy Geiger and Tyler Hilton - and throughout the show, fans illuminated the darkened coliseum by waving neon green glow sticks.
Twenty-five minutes before Duff took the stage, the large projection screens played a sort of pre-concert promotional video for Duff, which featured ads for Ice Breakers Liquid Ice and Duff's own recently released "Most Wanted" CD. Playing advertisements, in which you star, to your captive concert audience might be a bit tacky for an artist, but Duff is more a certified media brand than a pure musician.
Duff's career took off as a television actress on Disney's "Lizzie McGuire." Since then she has achieved substantial success both as a singer and movie actress, staring in films such as "The Perfect Man" and "The Lizzie McGuire Movie." Not bad for someone who's only 18.
When Duff finally took the stage, the crowd grew hysterical. Duff jump-started her high- energy show with her new single, the wickedly catchy "Wake Up." For the remainder of her 75-minute show, Duff treated her adoring fans to pure bubble gum pop - dance music at its stickiest and most innocently enjoyable.
For all her photogenic, pop star looks, Duff is surprisingly wholesome compared to the other singers she's often grouped with: Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan and Ashlee Simpson. On Sunday night, there were no exposed midriffs, no racy outfits, no choreographed dance numbers or lip-synching. Duff simply bounded around the stage with microphone in hand and belted out her biggest hits - playing nearly all of her "Most Wanted" album.
Duff seemed in high spirits, taking the time to introduce her favorite songs before playing them. She's particularly fond of "Wake Up," "Beat Of My Heart," and "Break My Heart" because the songs have "a lot of energy," and her enthusiasm was evident from her spirited performance.
The show's most potent moment came when Duff introduced another one of her favorites, "Fly." She said that many fans had approached her and told her "how much the song helped them." Duff added that "Fly" is about "taking risks" and "not caring what others think of you."
During her encore, Duff told the crowd that if they wanted to hear one more song, they would have to cheer loud enough. The audience responded with the evening's most ear-splitting squeal and was rewarded with "Girl Can Rock." In the song's refrain, Duff sings, "I'm livin' proof the girl can rock." She proved it Sunday night, and the teen crowd was more than happy to rock along with her.
http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/features/index.php?ntid=51305&ntpid=3
ADAM MALECEK For the State Journal
It turns out a coliseum packed with teenage girls can get unnaturally, screechingly loud. And that's just what happened at Hilary Duff's concert Sunday night at the Alliant Energy Center Coliseum.
The overwhelmingly young audience was keyed up long before Duff took the stage. Many in attendance looked about 16, but there were lots of younger fans escorted by moms and dads. During the opening acts - young singer- songwriters Teddy Geiger and Tyler Hilton - and throughout the show, fans illuminated the darkened coliseum by waving neon green glow sticks.
Twenty-five minutes before Duff took the stage, the large projection screens played a sort of pre-concert promotional video for Duff, which featured ads for Ice Breakers Liquid Ice and Duff's own recently released "Most Wanted" CD. Playing advertisements, in which you star, to your captive concert audience might be a bit tacky for an artist, but Duff is more a certified media brand than a pure musician.
Duff's career took off as a television actress on Disney's "Lizzie McGuire." Since then she has achieved substantial success both as a singer and movie actress, staring in films such as "The Perfect Man" and "The Lizzie McGuire Movie." Not bad for someone who's only 18.
When Duff finally took the stage, the crowd grew hysterical. Duff jump-started her high- energy show with her new single, the wickedly catchy "Wake Up." For the remainder of her 75-minute show, Duff treated her adoring fans to pure bubble gum pop - dance music at its stickiest and most innocently enjoyable.
For all her photogenic, pop star looks, Duff is surprisingly wholesome compared to the other singers she's often grouped with: Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan and Ashlee Simpson. On Sunday night, there were no exposed midriffs, no racy outfits, no choreographed dance numbers or lip-synching. Duff simply bounded around the stage with microphone in hand and belted out her biggest hits - playing nearly all of her "Most Wanted" album.
Duff seemed in high spirits, taking the time to introduce her favorite songs before playing them. She's particularly fond of "Wake Up," "Beat Of My Heart," and "Break My Heart" because the songs have "a lot of energy," and her enthusiasm was evident from her spirited performance.
The show's most potent moment came when Duff introduced another one of her favorites, "Fly." She said that many fans had approached her and told her "how much the song helped them." Duff added that "Fly" is about "taking risks" and "not caring what others think of you."
During her encore, Duff told the crowd that if they wanted to hear one more song, they would have to cheer loud enough. The audience responded with the evening's most ear-splitting squeal and was rewarded with "Girl Can Rock." In the song's refrain, Duff sings, "I'm livin' proof the girl can rock." She proved it Sunday night, and the teen crowd was more than happy to rock along with her.
http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/features/index.php?ntid=51305&ntpid=3