Mandy Moore

Amos' Southend

Sept. 9, 2007

The Deal: Singer/actress aims to prove that she's moved past her teen pop years.

The Good: I expected a light, pop show as heard on the singer's new album, Wild Hope, but was pleasantly surprised. Moore may be better known as an actress these days, but she showcased her base as a singer to the small crowd of a few hundred. While most of the songs came from the new album, she also performed a few covers — Cat Stevens' "Moonshadow" and Rihanna's "Umbrella" were among them. The only song from her early days was a reworked "Candy," and Moore was shocked by the crowd asking for "Only Hope." "We don't know that one, yet," she told the crowd. "I had no idea people liked it so much!" Maybe it will be on the setlist the next time around. The addition of a full band gave Moore a full sound that was a little more rock than is heard on the album.

The Bad: Amazingly, I really can't pick out anything bad about the show. Moore is still young and appeared uncomfortable at times, but for the most part, she had fun and showed that she is doing what she loves by singing on stage. She noted that it's her first "real tour" after performing only a few songs a night during her teen years. She saved "Umbrella" and "Candy" for the last two songs of the night, which left her unprepared for an encore — or so it appeared.

The Verdict: There's a lot of potential here. Moore's live show has more energy and a slightly harder edge than the new album would let on. If she can keep the music going - without disappearing into acting for years at a time — her fan base will definitely increase. She'll shed the teen pop image in no time.