A Hard-Rocking Start for Tiffany in Anaheim

Tiffany hit ‘em with her best shot right at the start of her concert at the Celebrity Theatre in Anaheim on Saturday, opening with three punchy rock songs that made it seem for a moment as if the 17-year-old kid-pop star really might have a future in rock ‘n’ roll.

The problem was that Tiffany’s punch knocked the wind out of her predominantly pre-teen audience, which sat inert as she and her six-man band cranked out energetic, barroom-style rock. Averaging perhaps half the singer’s age, Tiffany’s core crowd probably isn’t ready for any rough and tough stuff yet.

After her surprisingly hard-rocking start, Tiffany settled into an unimpressive 60-minute hodgepodge in which she tried on a series of vocal styles, from Madonna to Ronnie Spector to Stevie Nicks. Whatever guise she chooses, Tiffany needs to strengthen a voice that frequently lapsed into forced bleating when she tried to hold a high note.

Tiffany as bar-rocker might not be such a bad idea, especially since those opening songs showed that she has some instinct for it. The 9-year-olds may not be able to get through a gin mill door, but Tiffany could learn some things that she never will in a gilded cage.