Tulsa World: Slide Show: Miley Cyrus gives best of both worlds

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Slide Show: Miley Cyrus gives best of both worlds
Talented singing mixes it up with marketing mastery.

Miley Cyrus performs Monday night at the BOK Center. Stephen Pingry / Tulsa World

By JENNIFER CHANCELLOR World Scene Writer
Published: 10/13/2009 2:19 AM
Last Modified: 10/13/2009 9:47 AM

Thousands upon thousands of young girls wailed Monday night like whistling fireworks on Independence Day. The show they attended Monday night at the BOK Center was all about girl power — little girl power.

And the ever-present power of marketing.

The tween superstar Miley Cyrus wasn't competing so much against her Disney TV sitcom alter-ego, Hannah Montana, as much as she needed to define herself as a legitimate tour de force all her own.

Did she do it?

Well, sort of. Boy, can that girl sing. She can dance, too. She's bubbly, bright, beautiful and talented. But, unfortunately, commercialism roared with its "I can't use my inside voice" lack of subtlety in nearly every aspect of this show, from the moment parents walked hand-in-hand into the venue with their pie-eyed children.

Before the show, kids stood in line to get in front of a green screen to have pictures taken with a faux Miley Cyrus. Mannequins posed in Walmart's line of Miley Cyrus fashion ensembles. Kid-sized Miley Cyrus concert tees practically flew off tables at $35 a pop.

Miley, 16, still competed with Hannah Montana. She competed with the new "Movie Star Miley" and the "Clothing Line Miley."

Metro Station opened the concert with skinny jeans, powder puff black hair, jean jackets, '80s bubble gum keyboards and breathy, angsty vocals.

It got its biggest reaction when Miley's big brother — and Metro Station's lead singer — Trace Cyrus talked about performing

with her. (It's difficult to be a tough, tattooed rocker when you're opening for your kid sis. What a tough gig.)

Neither act was free from marketing's heavy hand. Metro Station's last song, "Shake It," turned into an overblown infomercial for Miley's clothing line.

However, Miley wrestled for attention. She flawlessly ripped through "Bottom of the Ocean" and "Fly on the Wall" with costume tweaks and changes on nearly every tune of her set. A tattered princess ball gown bounced around her hips as a horde of dancers shuffled and kicked around her. "(Let's Get) Crazy" ran into a street-dance version of "Hoedown Throwdown."

For this crowd, it wasn't so much the scent of beer and wacky smoke that filled the air as it was Watermelon Bubble Yum and cotton candy.

Girls hopped and bounced and howled. They waved blinking souvenir flashlights in time as Cyrus unplugged for "These Four Walls." She smiled and giggled and waved to her fans as candles flickered on projection screens behind her. It felt like a quick glimpse into the "real" Miley. Or was it?

Halfway into her energetic set, Miley lost all momentum when the show screeched to a clunky halt for — oh help us — a clip for a film that won't be released until next year .

It stalled the show for nearly 10 minutes as she followed with a ballad filled with movie clips projected onto a screen. It took 20 more minutes for her to regain the audience's young and short attention span.

Finally, "When I Look at You" morphed into another costume change. "Obsessed" rocked into "Spotlight" and "Girls Night Out."

Miley finally got control of her fans again as she roared into a oh-so-Joan Jett version of "I Love Rock 'n' Roll." Screams reached a fever pitch as she revved a cherry-red Harley motorcycle as it floated above the crowd, dangling from wire.

It was a tween dance explosion through and through. Her hits were all there, including "Party in the U.S.A.," "Hovering," "Simple Song," "Start All Over," "7 Things," "Kicking and Screaming," "Breakout" and more.

There was nothing too personal, nothing that grabbed our hearts and wrung them dry. There was little of Miley Cyrus but the commercialized pop queen, doused with Disney sheen and polished with marketing know-how.

She left the G rating for the Disney Channel and brought out her PG-13 dance moves and rump-shaking choreography for several tunes. Her multiple outfits included motorcycle boots, Daisy Duke-like shorts, a tuxedo jacket with tails and little else, fishnet tops, beater tanks and leather.

Somehow, she danced along that fine line of complete objectification and teen BFF, letting fans read into her their own hopes and dreams while never giving away too much of herself.

Slide Show

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To see all of the Tulsa World slide shows, go to tulsaworld.com/photos.

Jennifer Chancellor 581-8346
jennifer.chancellor@tulsaworld.com By JENNIFER CHANCELLOR World Scene Writer

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Some reader comments for this story were copied from "Review: Cyrus flexes music and marketing muscle ," which was published on 10/12/2009.

	Report Comment dustyoutlaw, Tulsa (10/12/2009 6:24:46 PM) Have a good time kids The BOK just rocks on. EXCELLENT!
	Report Comment edelweiss, Tulsa (10/12/2009 6:28:49 PM) Tulsa and the BOK Center ROCK! Another fun night in the city! Have a great time!
	Report Comment born okay the 1st time, tulsa (10/12/2009 7:46:52 PM) I'm here right now with my 9 year old. Incredible how many young kids are here!!!!!!!
	Report Comment peelumba, (10/12/2009 8:42:50 PM) can't belive anyone actually pays to see her or her washed up mullet wearing dad.
	Report Comment peelumba, (10/12/2009 8:43:21 PM) four sixteen that is funny!
	Report Comment TK1, (10/12/2009 8:59:52 PM) Earlier article said she makes $1M per week. I think peelumba has mullet envy.
	Report Comment Four Sixteen Rigby, Tulsa (10/12/2009 9:03:13 PM) I don't have mullet envy, but I darned sure have wallet envy.
	Report Comment tulsaGuy, (10/12/2009 9:04:45 PM) peelumba, Billy Ray has more hair than you. So, I wouldn't be talking too much.
	Report Comment dustyoutlaw, Tulsa (10/12/2009 9:22:44 PM) I think this is wonderful. When I was a little boy I was in love with Annette Funichello(sp) as were millions of boys. There is always a heartthrob on the preteen circuit and to make fun of the little kid's event of a lifetime makes you a Scrooge in my opinion.
	Report Comment askmeonce, (10/12/2009 9:44:26 PM) For dustyoutlaw: except Annette Funichello didn't get the marketing strategy opportunity to make $800 million by the time she was seventeen... wow, what a gig
	Report Comment dustyoutlaw, Tulsa (10/12/2009 9:46:15 PM) No but Annette made a heck a lot of money for the time when she couldn't sing a lick. But who cared? Not me.
	Report Comment yep, Tulsa County (10/12/2009 10:58:17 PM) Well this is one I am glad I missed. I feel for the poor parents who had to go along. But it's great the teeny-boppers had their show.
	Report Comment CEE, (10/12/2009 11:30:32 PM) Am I the only one who finds the photo and her dress inappropriate for the age of her fans?
	Report Comment dustyoutlaw, Tulsa (10/12/2009 11:34:18 PM) always the naysayers. No I don't find it inappropriate. What I find inappropriate is kids at cage match fights, kids at the WWE, kids at rao concerts.
	Report Comment dustyoutlaw, Tulsa (10/12/2009 11:34:51 PM) rap
	Report Comment born okay the 1st time, tulsa (10/12/2009 11:57:46 PM) mayor_maynot, let me introduce you to the concept of a joke. lol
	Report Comment Centrist, the burbs (10/13/2009 1:05:28 AM) You have to be happy for the kids. It's no different than having to sit through New Kids On The Block when my daughter was that age. You do it for them.
	Report Comment PAN, (10/13/2009 1:05:40 AM) Some of these comments that trash Miley Cyrus are just funny. You know, just because you don't particularly like her or her Dad does not mean that a LOT of others do not like her and especially little girls. Would you rather they want to listen to someone singing about drinking booze or taking a hit of dope? Myself, I prefer my 8 year old granddaughter watch and LIKE Miley Cyrus.
	Report Comment Dr. Strangelove, Tulsa (10/13/2009 8:28:12 AM) I love the outfit- how about a bigger picture of her in the Daisy Dukes?
	Report Comment ColtsGirl, Coweta (10/13/2009 8:36:22 AM) The concert was probably one of the most entertaining that I have seen. My girls had a wonderful time and you know, that is what is most important. Great job Miley.
	Report Comment dustyoutlaw, Tulsa (10/13/2009 8:38:56 AM) The world has survived Madonna. I suspect they will survive Miley Cyrus.
	Report Comment Cooldaddy, Broken Arrow (10/13/2009 9:14:49 AM) Sure glad the show went well!
	Report Comment Jeff in Tulsey Town, (10/13/2009 9:31:33 AM) "I love the outfit- how about a bigger picture of her in the Daisy Dukes?" Gross, dude. She's SIXTEEN!
	Report Comment Nickie, (10/13/2009 9:42:14 AM) What with the photograph in variety and the pole dancing, she's putting herself out there. Hope she can take the lumps that come with the territory.
	Report Comment Reggie Thug'nsworth, Tulsa (10/13/2009 10:16:06 AM) Jeff, Isn't 16 consent here in Oklahoma?

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