Avril Lavigne brings the Greatest Hits concert tour to Shoreline

The voice of a generation doesn’t need to be so complicated.

It can be simple, direct and, alternatively, funny and poignant. It can be like overhearing a conversation from the teenager next door, who is going through some life situations and just trying to figure things out.

It could be Avril Lavigne.

So those who scoff at that notion certainly weren’t at Shoreline Amphitheater’s 2024 season-opening concert, when Lavigne drew a huge crowd of mostly 30- and 40-somethings who grew up with his music and still love deeply into his music.

Not only do I love it, but I clearly have the impression that his music still speaks to them.

It could be seen – heard – throughout this delightful Mountain View stop on Lavigne’s Greatest Hits Tour, as thousands sang with passion and determination to one likable number after another. Yet the moment that truly crystallized the entire vision came when the singer unleashed the massive 2002 hit “Complicated” and fans followed every word as if they were singing the anthem of their lives.

Although it’s been more than a decade since Lavigne had a top 20 song in the United States (2013’s “Here’s to Never Growing Up”), the Canadian star’s continuing influence on pop culture should not be denied.

She emerged from small-town Ontario in 2002 with debut album “Let’s Go” — built from a batch of songs she’d written when she was 16 — and began to conquer the world with a fun and bouncy tune. after another.

She peddled a radio-friendly pop-punk sound – with a heavy emphasis on pop – and presented a down-to-earth image of a young skater girl that stood in direct contrast to what was portrayed by the so-called pop princesses. of the time. Some have called her “anti-Britney,” although Lavigne wouldn’t accept that title. Overall, it’s hard to imagine what the inventory of teen-oriented mall stores like Hot Topic would look like today without Lavigne’s powerful influence.

Testimony to that lasting influence came with Tuesday’s massive turnout, which filled every seat as well as much of Shoreline’s sprawling lawn. (The only unofficial attendance figure I heard was in the neighborhood of 13,000, although the crowd seemed even larger.)

Of course, it’s been a long time since Avril was a 17-year-old star sitting atop the charts – and the world – with her debut album. And she seems perfectly okay with that.

“I’m 39 to 39 years old and I’m living my best life,” Lavigne said.

That certainly seemed to be the case during this roughly 90-minute Shoreline show, which opened with a high-energy version of “Girlfriend” (from 2007’s “The Best Damn Thing”) and quickly segued into “What the Hell”, “Complicated” and “Smile”.