For Avril Lavigne, it's more than just music

Lavigne creating programs for kids with disabilities Performing in Halifax Thursday

  Handout

Avril Lavigne is doing more than just music these days.

With a captive audience,  today’s pop stars have in their power the ability to bring attention to causes and ignite change.

Knowing with great power comes great responsibility, Canada’s own Avril Lavigne is on her way to make the world better for kids living with disabilities.

Performing Thursday at the Halifax Metro Centre at 8 p.m. as part of her Black Star tour, to promote her fourth studio album, Goodbye Lullaby, Lavigne is proving she’s not just a pretty voice.

“I’ve worked with the Make-A-Wish Foundation and it was something that really touched me so I really wanted to give back,” Lavigne said by phone.

Created in early 2010, The Avril Lavigne Foundation gives support to youth with disabilities.
“I’m getting it off the ground and creating after school programs for kids with disabilities,” Lavigne says of her R.O.C.K. Stars. Respect, Opportunity, Choices, Knowledge, and Strength, the pillars on which Lavigne is bringing happiness back to kids who may have forgotten how to be kids.

Lavigne’s maturity in her personal life has also allowed her to grow musically.

Stripped down to raw emotion with songs like Wish You Were Here, Lavigne says that this, her fourth album, is exposing her most vulnerable self.

“Experiencing life both personally and developing myself as an artist has made me stronger as a performer,” she said. 

“I didn’t want to keep making the same record and these songs have a different tone.”

Multi-talented

Philanthropist and entrepreneur, Avril Lavigne launched her clothing line, Abbey Dawn, in 2008.

Designed by Lavigne, the line showed at the 2009 and 2011 New York fashion weeks. “I realized how much fashion was involved in my musical career,” she said.

Furthering her brand, Lavigne has created three perfumes: Black Star, Forbidden Rose and Wild Rose. “There is no fear and I am in control of everything. I’ve worked really hard to get to this position so I don’t take it for granted.”

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Published: October 19, 2011 8:44 p.m.

Last modified: October 20, 2011 8:49 a.m.

http://www.metronews.ca/halifax/scene/article/1001749--for-avril-lavigne-it-s-more-than-just-music

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Cochrane teen has Lavigne wish granted

October 19, 2011
By: Derek Clouthier

Paige Pickering & Avril Lavigne

Wishes certainly don’t always come true, but for Cochrane High School’s Grade 11 honour student Paige Pickering the stars were seemingly limitless Thanksgiving weekend.
After an 18-month wait, the aspiring rock star was granted her wish from the Make A Wish Foundation of Canada when she and her family travelled to Edmonton to meet Paige’s favourite musician, Avril Lavigne.
Along with what Paige’s mother Lorraine described as a ‘complete rock star makeover,’ Paige, with her mother, father Adam and brothers Cody and Nolan were given expenses by Make A Wish to cover the family’s food and gas and were put up in the Fantasyland Hotel at the West Edmonton Mall. Upon arrival, the family discovered a message waiting in the room telling them there was more money for a shopping spree in the world’s largest mall.
Limos, shopping and glamour flooded Paige’s dream weekend, culminating with a Monday concert at the Rexall Centre where the emotional and eager teen got the rare opportunity to meet one of her idols.
“It was fantastic,” said Lorraine. “She sat down with us …she was beautiful. Paige started to cry.”
Armed with an array of questions for the Napanee, Ont. star, and cameras flashing from all directions, Paige did not make the trip empty handed. The young supporter gave Lavigne a special ammolite gemstone, found on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains and put onto a necklace from Land and Sea Collectibles.
“She loved it,” said Lorraine of the gift.
The excitement for Paige did not end there.

Paige Pickering, left, meets Avril Lavigne following a concert on Thanksgiving day. Photo submitted

After discovering that Paige lived in the Calgary area and that she did not have tickets to her Tuesday concert at the Saddledome, Lavigne graciously gave the Pickering family seven tickets to the next-day show.
The Pickering family made the trip back to Cochrane slightly sooner than they had originally planned, but certainly didn’t mind. Paige’s 12-year-old brother Cody was able to invite a friend from school to the concert, who, like Paige, is also a huge Lavigne fan.
Paige’s life has been far from easy.
Due to complications during childbirth, Paige suffers from cerebral palsy, epilepsy, cognitive delay, seizures and hearing loss.
Before moving to Alberta from Ontario three years ago, a tumor was found in Paige’s brain, which has since been successfully removed.
Paige’s mother could not say enough about the Make A Wish Foundation, commending the organization for what she described as a ‘perfect’ weekend and experience.
“To see your child so happy,” recalled Lorraine, “it’s emotional.”
Lavigne spent as much time as possible with Paige prior to her Edmonton show, and even waved to her from the stage during the Calgary concert.
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• Filed under Community | You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

1. john hartil says:

   October 21, 2011 at 3:11 am

   A nice heartwarming story. Good to hear of the other side to Avril Too often she is subject to criticism
   

   Reply
   
   SOURCE ; http://www.cochraneeagle.com/2011/10/cochrane-teen-has-lavigne-wish-granted/ 

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Check out the CD Cover for Avril Lavigne & Evan Taubenfeld's Upcoming Single!!

Evan posted this on his facebook earlier saying that it will be available on iTunes soon
And on twitter he said that there's gonna be a music video for this song, hopefully Avril will be involved

Read more »

Greedy Kris Jenner Wants to Cash In On Brody Jenner and His Girlfriend Avril Lavigne

BY Robyn Good on October 18, 2011 | 1 Comment and 4 Reactions | Related : Avril Lavigne, Brody Jenner, Kris Jenner

Kris Jenner who acts as manager for the Kardashian clan is said to have her greedy eyes on grabbing step-son Brody Jenner, 28,  and his girlfriend Avril Lavigne, 27,  as a client.  Kris is trying to convince hubby Bruce Jenner that it would be a rating coup to have his son Brody and girlfriend Avril appear on ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians.’  Now Kim does not want to stop there, she wants to totally take over Brody and Avril’s careers.
National Enquirer reports  “Kris is always trying to come up with ideas to make the Kar­dashian empire even bigger,” said a family insider  “She knows the show got some flak for being boring last season, so her new plan to spice it up is to get Brody and Avril to make appearances on it. Her ultimate goal is to take over as their manager. Kris sees nothing but dollar signs in Avril.”
Now why would Kris be so interested in taking over Brody and Avril you might ask.  Well Kris gets a whopping 10% of their earnings if she becomes their manager.  Considering that Avril is worth $45 million that is a lot of $$$$ for Kris.   You think she would be satisfied with the 10% she gets from six of her children already.  Not Kris, it is all about the money for her!
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Image credit to WENN

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Check out the CD Cover for Avril Lavigne & Evan Taubenfeld's Upcoming Single!!

Evan posted this on his facebook earlier saying that it will be available on iTunes soon
And on twitter he said that there's gonna be a music video for this song, hopefully Avril will be involved

Read more »

Avril gives fans what they want

Avril Lavigne plays Scotiabank Place

• 

Avril Lavigne performing at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa. Monday October 17,2011. (ERROL MCGIHON/THE OTTAWA SUN/QMI AGENCY)

Success used to be measured in record sales and hit singles.
Now, apparently, you’re no one in the music business unless you’re peddling clothing lines and fragrances with your name and have your skimpily-dressed figure splashed across billboards.
So add marketing genius to Avril Lavigne’s list of critical plaudits.
It may seem a strange turn for Lavigne who, when she broke through a decade ago as a 17-year-old with the catchy Complicated, was billed as the anti-Britney pop-punk princess, a tag that had more to do with her generous pasting of mascara and steadfast refusal to bare her midriff than her bubblegum sound.
Because, clearly, Lavigne wouldn’t know punk if Johnny Rotten headbutted her in a mosh pit.
Still, it’s hard to be too critical of the small-town Napanee gal made good, who returned Monday night to the place where it all began for her when she won a chance to guest with Shania Twain in 1999 at the then-Corel Centre.
There were 20,000 in the crowd that night; fewer than half that number on Monday.
“Every time I come to this particular venue, it’s so special to me,” Lavigne gushed, sitting atop a grand piano recalling those 14-year-old butterflies.
“This venue was the first time I ever performed in front of so many people.
“This is the stage I walked onto, telling myself, ‘I have to do this, I want to do this, I love to sing.’ ”
Twelve years and 30 million in album sales later, that much is clear.
Lavigne opened her Black Star tour stop as she did her latest album, Goodbye Lullaby, with Black Star, which is also the name of her perfume (a clever bit of self-cross-promotion).
She followed that up with the single What the Hell, whose accompanying video may set a new standard for product placements, except that the featured products are largely her own.
“All my life I’ve been good, but now I’m thinking what the hell?” she sings, convincingly, in the refrain.
She had some trouble staying on pitch through the openers, but hit her stride on Sk8er Boi, the second smash single from her 2001 debut, Let Go.
Her voice rang out on the pretty Alice — written for Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland — and the ballad When You’re Gone.
In introducing that song, from 2007’s The Best Damn Thing, Lavigne bubbled over in sharing the “beautiful experience” of playing for fans so close to her hometown, with her mom, sister and old high school friends all in the crowd.
Lavigne took a powder midset to let her five-piece band take over on an instrumental medley before storming back out with the gleeful Girlfriend, with the crowd of teens and tweens whooping along with every “Hey! Hey!” chorus.
The tender I’m With You, also from her debut, showcased Lavigne’s grasp of the catchy chorus that would define her career, and gave the fans a chance to take over vocal duties on the singalong refrain.
She pulled off a smart cover of B.o.B’s Airplanes, and invited opening act Evan Taubenfeld to join her on stage for encores Best Years of Our Lives and Everybody Hurts, a standout from Goodbye Lullaby — before closing out the fan-friendly show with her name-making hit, Complicated.

Review: THREE STARS

Source : www.ottawasun.com

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Concert Review: Experienced Lavigne takes charge in front of modest crowd Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/Concert+Review+Experienced+Lavigne+takes+charge+front+modest+crowd/5564312/story.html#ixzz1bDHE9kGJ

CONCERT REVIEW

AVRIL LAVIGNE

with The New Cities and Evan Taubenfeld

Scotiabank Place, Monday, Oct. 17, 2011

OTTAWA — Like many musical acts, Avril Lavigne has to be feeling the effects of the economic downturn. Her fourth and latest album, Goodbye Lullaby, hasn't been her biggest seller, and now she's facing the challenge of getting bums in the seats of concert venues. Even at home in Canada, fans aren't exactly flocking to her Black Star tour dates, which started on the West Coast at the beginning of the month.

On Monday, the Napanee-raised pop star drew a modest crowd of about 4,000 to her concert at Scotiabank Place, not quite enough to fill the second level, but enough to make her show her gratitude.

“I grew up just a couple hours away from here,” she said to the audience, “and every time I come to this particular venue and play a concert, it is so special to me.”

She recalled the time she was 14 years old, won a radio contest and got to sing with Shania Twain on the same stage, in front of thousands. “I was freaking out … it was amazing. I looked at the crowd and there were so many people. I thought, 'I have to do this, I need to do this, I love to do this. To be here performing is such a beautiful experience.”

Often criticized for her bratty demeanour, this time Lavigne seemed warm and friendly on the familiar stage. Dressed in boots, leather-look leggings and an oversize tank top with gaping armholes that showed her bra, the 27-year-old worked hard to overcome the sound issues that occur when the venue isn't full. Her voice sounded a tad screechy as she kicked off with an assertive What The Hell and a sludgy version of her big hit, Sk8ter Boi.

But Lavigne has been a rock star for a decade now and is experienced enough not to lose her grasp of the situation. Backed by a competent, if unexciting, band, she took charge, playing electric guitar during He Wasn't and pumping the upbeat, punky songs like Girlfriend and Smile, to the delight of the young audience. Strangely enough, the woman who attracted 10-year-olds a decade ago still attracts 10-year-olds, some of whom revived Lavigne's necktie-over-tanktop fashion trend for last night's outing.

In general, there was definitely more rock and less pop to Lavigne's performance, although she also managed to show that her music has matured by including emotion-laden ballads such as Don't Tell Me, Alice, When You're Gone and Wish You Were Here. Songs like that added a nice dimension to the concert and showed off the natural power of Lavigne's voice.

Another highlight was Lavigne's encore duet with Evan Taubenfeld, who used to be in Lavigne's backing band and is now a solo artist, thanks to her support. With him on acoustic guitar, they sang a sincere rendition of one of his songs, Best Years of Our Lives. Taubenfeld also performed a short opening set, sounding a bit like City and Colour.

Earlier in the evening, after Taubenfeld, The New Cities used their 30 minutes on stage to demonstrate why they're considered one of Canada's hottest new bands. With their pop-punk rock amped up by synths, the small-town Quebec band tore through a terrific set, showing bang-on songwriting skills and no shortage of showmanship.

Singer David Brown has a deep, grungy voice that might get tedious with a standard alt-rock band, but in the context of keyboard-driven pop rock, it was a surprisingly effective dance-rock hybrid. The harmony singing of bassist Julien Martre ensured strong vocals, not to mention a lively bottom end, while the electric guitar of Christian Bergeron and the crisp drumming of Francis Fugere rounded out the rock aspect of the band.

However, what sets this band apart, both in the studio and on stage, is a keyboard sound that not only seems to encapsulate the latest trends but also pays tribute to the 1980s. Even better is the showmanship of the two keyboardists, Philippe Lachance and Nicolas Denis, who disproved the notion that keyboardists have to stay in one place. Lachance in particular was all over the stage with his instrument, and even on top of it a few times.

Rolling out insanely catchy songs like Supersonic Hypertronic, The Hype, Get Connected and Heatwave, the band played like they were enjoying every moment, and took every opportunity to encourage the crowd to bounce along.

© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/Concert+Review+Experienced+Lavigne+takes+charge+front+modest+crowd/5564312/story.html#ixzz1bDHWCrIi

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