CONCERT REVIEW | Pop-rocker gives a lunchtime concert at Killarney secondary.

It’s lunchtime on the last day of school at Killarney Secondary, but the students here aren’t eating, signing annuals or cleaning out their lockers. They’re gathering in the gym for a concert by the Toronto-area pop rocker FeFe Dobson.

You may not have heard of her, but Dobson is well known among the high school set. The 19-year-old singer is already a platinum artist in Canada. She has appeared on Ellen and The Tonight Show and is set to appear at the MuchMusic Video Awards later this month.

The fact that she’s performing in a high school gym in East Vancouver should be a pretty big deal, but the lineup is small and the teens who have already settled in the bleachers seem low-key.

FeFe Dobson

There’s a sense of festivity, but no more than you’d normally find on the last day of school.

This changes the moment the media arrive. When a CityTV cameraman pans the crowd, the Killarney Cougars jump, scream, and wave handmade signs that say everything from “Have my baby, FeFe” to “I named my dog FeFe just for you.”

Both signs are held aloft by girls.

In the upper bleachers, a bunch of senior boys remove their shirts to reveal the words “We [heart] FeFe” inked on their bare chests. Wearing baggy jeans and meant-to-be-seen boxers, they seem to relish the camera’s attention. One even sports a fedora.

But these kids aren’t all fans.

Holding the “I named my dog FeFe” sign, 14-year-old Mel admits she and her pals have only come to mock. “We hate this stuff,” she says, referring to pop music in general. “It sucks. If Justin Timberlake ever comes here, we’re burning down the building.”

Yet across the gym, Grade 9 students Izzy, Sandeep, Poonam, Jessie, Nikki, Jillian and Kristen (who really wanted their names in the paper) are giddy with excitement.

“We love her,” Izzy says breathlessly. “She’s just so original.”

This is high praise for Dobson, who is often criticized for riding on Avril Lavigne’s coattails.

The FeFe haters name Linkin Park and Hoobastank among their favourites, while the pro FeFe contingency likes Britney Spears and Good Charlotte.

One girl in a pink hoodie even mentions Michael Jackson as one of her favourites, saying: “He’s a perv, but hey, he’s Michael Jackson.”

The concert came about thanks to Pricilla Prasad.

She’s a Grade 12 student with crimped hair and striking green contact lenses. In the spring, the 17-year-old entered a Canada-wide contest called Reese’s Rocks: You, Me & FeFe, and she won.

The lunchtime serenade is the grand prize. In addition, there are some sneakers, chocolate from Hershey, and a $2,000 grant for the school’s music department. Not a bad haul.

The 45-minute show isn’t bad, either. The 200 kids who crowd the stage even get a mini mosh pit going, complete with body surfers. (They’re soon squelched by security.) Yet most of the kids stay in the bleachers, munching their lunches and watching quietly. One boy reviews math notes in the back row.

After performing, FeFe makes a short stop in the school’s music room to present Pricilla with an oversized cheque and answer a few questions. This is where the diehard fans show their colours. A pretty Grade 12 girl named Trang is so overwhelmed by FeFe’s presence, she starts crying.

Offstage, FeFe looks tiny and a little tired, but she keeps signing autographs.

She’s not the most articulate teen on the block, but she does make a few political points, particularly about the importance of music education in high school. Possible cuts to secondary-school arts programs strike the young star as, “like, the scariest thing ever,” and her peers seem to agree. 

FeFe’s noon-hour concert didn’t exactly rock, but it was well received by those who bothered to come.

For many, though, the last day of school is more about playing cards, taking photos of their friends, and signing yearbooks – the usual stuff.

Two Grade 12 boys, Lonzell and Roneel, sum up the afternoon the best. “We’re more excited about graduating,” says Roneel. “To be honest,” adds Lonzell, “I didn’t even know who she was before today.”

Ah, apathy.

More music journalism by Jen Selk can be seen here.

A version of this FeFe Dobson concert review appeared under the headline “FeFe drops by to high-fives and ho-hums” in the Vancouver Sun on June 15, 2004. See below.

Published June, 2004 in The Vancouver Sun.