Avril Lavigne runs down memory lane with tried-and-true hits

Last night in New York, in fishnet stockings and custom knee-high Docs bedazzled with the words “Motherfuckin’ Princess,” Avril Lavigne led an avid audience through her greatest hits — with Simple Plan and girlfriends.

From the moment she walked out to the tune of “Girlfriend,” the sold-out amphitheater went from buzzing to bursting at its seams, a sea of bright pink, black, and plaid, fully engaged. As one of few young women on the scene in pop punk’s heyday, Lavigne stood as a symbol of girlhood as much as teen angst, rebellion, and boundary-pushing style. In white tank tops and camo cargos, or plaid mini skirts with pink-streaked hair, she carved out a space for lovesick Warped Tour girls who had Billie Joe Armstrong ties and plenty of eyeliner but sought a poppier sound, and an avenue to scream at their loser skater boyfriends.

With her iconic debut album, Let Go, in 2002, Lavigne arrived from the ether to show us all that despite being a tried-and-true princess, she was anything but “demure.” And we so desperately needed that. Her impact has been lasting. Her catalog from early days has proven to be evergreen, not to mention she’s continued to tap modern audiences with the music she’s released since — featuring collaborations with Travis Barker, Anthony Green, Mark Hoppus, mgk, Nicki Minaj, and more.

That being said, surely compiling the greatest hits wasn’t an easy task. But on this tour, she did it with flying colors and lots of rhinestones. Capping the evening with two beloved Let Go tracks, having brought fellow Canadians Simple Plan onstage for a song, made three outfit changes, and blasted us all with a hand-held cryo gun — our Pop-Punk Queen Ms. Lavigne certainly made the night one to remember.

Avril Lavigne’s Aug. 27, 2024 Greatest Hits setlist