Avril Lavigne Plays Fox Theater: September 17, 2019

One year ago today, I had the opportunity to see my childhood idol in concert for the second time, as Avril Lavigne took the stage at Fox Theater in Oakland, California for the third show of her "Head Above Water Tour".

Anticipation of the evening began a year prior (in September 2018), as Lavigne announced her triumph over Lyme disease by releasing the title track for her upcoming sixth studio album: "Head Above Water". This was a very personal song for Lavigne, as it was written during a vulnerable time in which she spent two years bedridden.

In an interview with Billboard magazine, she said, "I was in bed for [expletive] two years. It's a bug - a spirochete - so you take these antibiotics, and they start killing it. But it's a smart bug: it morphs into a cystic form, so you have to take other antibiotics at the same time. It went undiagnosed for so long that I was kind of [expletive]."

Thankfully for Lavigne and her family, friends, and fans, she was able to recover from the disease and release her sixth studio album in February 2019.

And on September 17, 2019, I had the good fortune of witnessing her live show for the first time since 2007.

On this night, Lavigne opened her set with the inspirational "Head Above Water", before throwing it back to fan-favorite singles "My Happy Ending", "Here's to Never Growing Up", "What the Hell", and "Complicated".

Though many empty seats were visible in the upper deck, Fox Theater felt packed with thousands of 20 or 30-somethings singing along to Lavigne's nostalgic jams. This was especially evident by the group of women sitting near the top of the theater, who remained borderline obnoxious throughout the evening.

The second stint of Lavigne's setlist proved to be more sobering, as she performed her ballad-esque tracks "It Was In Me", "Breakaway", "Keep Holding On", "Don't Tell Me", and "When You're Gone".

This section of the live show was especially notable, as September 17, 2019 marked Lavigne's first ever live performance of "Breakaway", a song that she co-wrote and ultimately gifted to fellow pop star Kelly Clarkson.

Furthermore, Lavigne reserved two of her most moving efforts from "The Best Damn Thing" for the middle of her setlist, performing "Keep Holding On" (her song from the 2006 "Eragon" soundtrack that initially converted me into a fan) and "When You're Gone" (which remains perhaps my favorite song amongst her entire discography).

While her band jammed to the instrumental version of "Hello Kitty", Lavigne then changed into her pop princess clothes to rock the rest of her setlist with performances of "Girlfriend", "Dumb Blonde", and "He Wasn't". 

Her 2019 release of "Dumb Blonde" (coming 12 years after "Girlfriend") proved that Lavigne still doesn't take herself too seriously, which undoubtedly plays a key role in attracting her fandom.

Bringing back opening act Jagwar Twin to take the mic, Lavigne also hopped on the drums for a performance of Weezer's "Beverly Hills" before concluding her set with another old-school single, the legendary "Sk8er Boi".

Thankfully, despite her nostalgic lyricism, "Sk8er Boi" wasn't how the story ended.

Though Lavigne's encore featured only two songs, she certainly made them count, performing her latest single "I Fell in Love with the Devil" before closing the evening with throwback anthem "I'm with You".

One year removed from such a memorable night, our world looks completely different in the face of a pandemic, and concerts seem but a distant memory. Thus, a trip down memory lane felt apropos today.

Despite any hardships, I look forward to many more decades of Avril Lavigne music and subsequent live shows. Meanwhile, I'll continue to pass the time with my album rankings.

What is your opinion of Lavigne's setlist? Were you able to attend a show during the "Head Above Water Tour"?

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