College students are not typically obsessive Ashlee Simpson fans. They don't go to her concerts because they think she has a good voice but because they want to dance to some pop tunes and have fun with friends. They do own her CD, though. Don't tell.
At the Ashlee Simpson show held at Constitutional Hall Tuesday, the expectation was to find a bunch of 'tweens accompanied by their parents, clutching "I Love Ashlee Simpson" posters in their hands. But this wasn't the case. Instead, many Ashlee fans seemed to be like your average student: preppy, teenage girls not afraid to be in tune with their pop side. There were actually a few guys not afraid to show their faces.
The pop star's concert began with two opening bands. The first was Click 5, a punk-like indie band whose members were outfitted in snazzy matching suits. They played for 45 minutes. Then came Pepper's Ghost, an opening act that was actually pretty good. They sounded like a mix of the Beatles and Jet. By this point, it was 8:45 p.m., and it was obvious the crowd was restless from its cheers of "We want Ashlee."
After what seemed like hours, Ashlee finally came onstage. The people in the crowd had become anxious, so they all jumped out of their seats and screamed like the 12-year-old girls sitting next to us at her entrance.
She opened with "Autobiography," from her debut album, which got the crowd jumping and singing along. She sang about 10 songs, including three acoustic songs, her newest single, "Lala," and some '80s tunes with which she claimed to have just discovered an obsession. Her last song was her first single, "Pieces of Me."
The audience was so fanatical about Ashlee that at times she didn't even have to sing because the audience sang for her. It knew every word. She pumped up the crowd, who reciprocated with wild cheering, dancing in the aisles and clapping their hands in the air like they totally didn't care. The overall atmosphere was exuberant and even those who weren't really Ashlee Simpson fans were at least somewhat fueled by the intensity.
Now, everyone's burning question is: "Did she lip-sync?" The answer is no. There was no mistaking this. By the last couple of songs her voice was weakening, and she was in dire need of more chamomile tea (which she mentioned she was drinking between songs). She even alluded to her not-so-great year and thanked all of the fans who supported her. She knows no one will forget her infamous "Saturday Night Live" flub, but she doesn't dwell on it.
After leaving the concert, the audience seemed to rejoice over the awesome experience. It was fun to act like crazy preteen girls and to take a break from the stresses of college life. So next time you see that Justin Timberlake or the next American Idol is coming to town, indulge yourself: Get front row seats and scream your head off.
