Duff shows she’s more than fluff

By Lauren Carter
Friday, August 31, 2007 - Updated: 07:05 PM EST

One thing is clear after Thursday night’s performance at the Bank of America Pavilion: Hilary Duff isn’t just moonlighting as a musician.
The former Lizzie McGuire, successful film actress and teen-pop princess is taking her role in music seriously, and it shows.

Judging by the set of teens, tweens and parent chaperones in the audience, Duff still caters to a younger crowd, but does so with the air and style of a young sophisticate and the positivity of a motivational speaker.

And while Duff may not be this generation’s power vocalist, her high-pitched, angelic vocals held up well throughout the night, as on the “Laguna Beach” theme song and crowd sing-along “Come Clean.”

There was plenty to focus on during Duff’s 90-minute set: multicolored light shows, urban-sexy backup dancers, Duff prancing around the stage and working in light choreography, as on the butt-bumping fun of “Never Stop.”

Duff’s arsenal of glam-sexy jumper dresses, glittery tunics, sequined frocks and short flapper skirts helped keep things interesting, while her pre-song speeches about following dreams and ignoring negativity likely made parents happy they brought their children to the show.

Duff explored different genres, working in the disco flavor of “Play With Fire” and “Danger,” the pop/rock of “The Getaway” and the synth-heavy power pop of “With Love,” which garnered mega-screams from the crowd.

The 19-year-old threw in a few cover songs as well, including the Go-Gos’ “Our Lips Are Sealed” and Pat Benatar’s “Love Is a Battlefield,” with Duff lending sweetness to the gritty chorus while her backup crew got into their best fist-pumping, pseudo-tough stances.

Duff’s double encore included an impressive reworking of Depeche Mode’s “Personal Jesus,” and even though few audience members were likely old enough to know the original, it didn’t seem to matter.

Boston’s own Click 5, a shaggy-haired boy band somewhere between the Beatles and Backstreet Boys, provided adequate scream warm-up, especially with the spunky pop/rock of “Headlight Disco.”

lauren-carter@hotmail.com
PS: Lauren Carter isn't related to Hilary Duff Encyclopedia in anyway.

Courtesy: Bostonherald.com