Concert review: Goo Goo Dolls connect, but the other doll on bill doesn't

CONCERT REVIEW: Hard-working Colbie Caillat is getting a lot of attention online, but her lack of experience was on display at the State Fair.

By Jon Bream, Star Tribune

Last update: August 24, 2007 - 11:52 PM

Singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat was working it in the Twin Cities on Friday: She performed a lunchtime concert at the Varsity Theater in Minneapolis for KS95, taped a midafternoon mini-concert at Cities 97 in St. Louis Park and opened at night for the Goo Goo Dolls at the State Fair. Oh, and she probably had 200,000 visitors to her MySpace page while she was in town.

One of the year's most eye-opening stories in pop music, Caillat, 22, is the queen of MySpace. Since last fall, she has had 5.4 million visitors. Her popularity led to a major recording contract, a hit song ("Bubbly") and an album ("Coco") that made its debut at No. 5 on Billboard's chart. Her music has struck a chord with young women because it's pure, innocent, happy and girly. Her tunes will be on soundtracks to chick flicks and serve as soundtracks in female-occupied college dorms this fall.

While her MySpace site reportedly has had 10 million plays, Caillat clearly needs more plays onstage. At the fair grandstand in front of 12,794 people, she looked uncomfortable in her skin and in her black party dress. In a word, she was tentative.

With a flower in her hair and her hair hanging over her face, the Malibu-bred newcomer resembled Maria Muldaur on the cover of the classic album "Waitress in a Doughnut Shop." It almost felt like she was hiding behind her hair. She didn't really connect with the audience even though many of the young women (including the two high school seniors-to-be from Paynesville behind me) knew every word to every song.

Her demeanor (her body language said, "I don't belong here") and sound (think a decaf Jewel) suggested more of a coffeehouse than a state-fair stage. Considering all the business savvy she has shown elsewhere in her career (her dad is a music-biz exec who co-produced Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours"), she has made a grand misstep touring big venues with the Goo Goo Dolls.

Unless, of course, she's studying their moves. Goos frontman Johnny Rzeznik knows how to work a stage and a crowd. Saying it was good to be "in the land of giant talents" on Friday, he sounded like Paul Westerberg and careened in circles like Dave Pirner. Rzeznik was an earnest singer with a sense of fun, complemented by the crazed antics of Robby Takac, the most hyper and hammiest bassist this side of Kiss' Gene Simmons.

The Goo Goo Dolls' rock-lite (with a cool light show on overhead tulip-shaped screens) truly connected with the female-dominated crowd. Many of the guys on dates didn't exactly rock out, but they know what the payoff is for going to chick flicks -- or chick concerts.

Jon Bream • 612-673-1719

Jon Bream • popmusic@startribune.com