Home > Austin Music Source > Archives > 2008 > January > 25 > Entry
Review: Hannah Montana
There is a certain pitch of “squeal” that only several thousand pre-teen girls can make. Thursday night at the Erwin Center, that perfect harmonic convergence was reached and, somewhere in Waco, a dog opened its eyes, cocked its head and wondered, “What’s the big deal?”
That big deal was the appearance of Miley Cyrus as Hannah Montana, the blond-wigged, Disney Channel tween icon currently on a 14-date extension to her North American “Best of Both Worlds” tour.
It’s not hard to see what kids find so appealing about Cyrus — although she’s loaded with talent and is backed by a competent, full band with numerous semi-tractor trailers carting her show across the country, she tells her fans they’re just like her. They’re not, of course, but on Thursday they could be, for a while, as Cyrus encouraged them to sing and dance along with 17 songs, most from her 2007 double CD “Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus.”
That CD features Cyrus performing as her alter-ego and herself, and the similarly structured concert confirmed that she’s pushing beyond her Disney roots, with the “Hannah” set leading into the main “Miley” event. I can only imagine how exhausting a 69-date concert tour must be — especially for someone who is 15 years old — but in the Hannah set she often seemed weary (not that the kids would notice), turning her back to the crowd at the ends of songs. A more personal interest in the songs from the Miley set might explain her increased energy, as she finally appeared to be having as much fun as the ecstatic crowd, especially during “G.N.O. (Girl’s Night Out)” and the Cuban-tinged “Let’s Dance.”
Cyrus’ handlers should loosen up the proceedings and let the charismatic performer go off-script. I understand that the art of entertaining pre-teen kids has been honed to a science, but the pacing of this show was so tight that even a malfunctioning trap door at the end of the catwalk, which left Cyrus singing beneath the stage for half a minute at one point — exactly the kind of thing that might happen to her television character — warranted only a quick, between-lines apology for “my delayed entrance” to her back-up singers instead of a fun moment with the crowd.
Not surprisingly, the most joyous number of the evening was also the most spontaneous, as Cyrus shared the stage with the harder-edged and more experienced sister act Aly & AJ (who performed a terrific, straightforward opening set that showcased their growth since their last local appearance at 2007’s Star of Texas Fair and Rodeo). The three romped through the KISS anthem, “Rock and Roll All Nite” (currently enjoying a resurgence in popularity because of its inclusion in the “Guitar Hero III” video game) nearly colliding with one another as they strutted across the stage, at points unsure of who should sing which lines. This “kids being kids” moment was an authentic and welcome addition to the highly choreographed sheen of the rest of the show, which likely served as a great, confetti-cannoned introduction to the concert scene for many of those in attendance.
If Cyrus finished the show energized and ready to rock and roll, thousands of stomping, jumping, singing, squealing kids (was it really necessary to encourage them to scream more, Miley?) — and at least one Waco puppy — must have slept well Thursday night.
Aly and AJ’s set
“Closure”
“Bullseye”
“Division”
“Potential Breakup Song”
“Like Whoa”
“Insomniatic”
“Rush”
Hannah Montana’s set
“Rock Star”
“Life Is What You Make It”
“Just Like You”
“Old Blue Jeans”
“Nobody’s Perfect”
“Pumpin’ Up the Party”
“I Got Nerve”
“I Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll” with Ally and AJ
“Chemicals React” with Ally and AJ
Miley Cyrus’s set
“Start All Over”
“Good and Broken”
“See You Again”
“Let’s Dance”
“Right Here”
“East Northumberland High”
“G.N.O. (Girl’s Night Out)”
“Best of Both Worlds”
“I Miss You”
Follow Austin Music Source on Facebook and Twitter.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Reviews
Comments
When commenting, we ask that you keep things civil and abide by our Visitor Agreement. To report comment abuse, click here.
By Hannah York
January 26, 2008 1:29 PM | Link to this
I went to the Hannah Montana, Aly & Aj, Miley Cyrus concert and it was AWESOME!!!!! I have never been somewhere that amazing!! I will always remember that night!! thanx, hannah y