By Briyah Paley
Kelly Osbourne has left her parents’ Beverly Hills mansion for a tour bus. Beginning on March 9 and continuing through April 17, Osbourne is touring the U.S. with opening act rocker Har Mar Superstar, to promote her debut album, “Shut Up.”
Last Saturday night, it was Boston’s turn to hear her.
Performing at Axis, a small-sized club only a half mile from Northeastern’s campus, Osbourne sang her hit singles, “Papa Don’t Preach” and “Shut Up,” as well as a new, unfinished song she wrote after breaking up with boyfriend Bert McCracken of the band The Used. The 18-year-old star was in a playful mood when she took the stage shortly after 8 p.m. on Saturday. Wearing army green pants and a black shirt, her blond locks framing her pale face, she told the crowd that she almost died last week when her airplane’s engine had a problem and they had to make an emergency landing.
After her first song, she poured a whole bottle of water over her head and shook her hair out. Her hair was wet for the rest of the hour-long performance.
Osbourne’s star has risen rather suddenly. The second child to her parents, the famous Ozzy and his manager-wife Sharon, she achieved MTV stardom by just waking up in front of the camera. To capitalize even more on their success, the show produced “The Osbourne Family Album” and Osbourne’s single “Papa Don’t Preach” was on it. Her father’s label, Epic, rushed her into the studio to record an album, and here she is on her first tour.
“It really bums me out that people don’t take me seriously just because my dad is Ozzy and I’m on a TV show. I deserve as much credit as the next person because I work just as hard,” she told The Boston Globe last week.
At Axis, Strawberry’s music store was selling her CD for $20, with an offer to meet Osbourne after the show. Jake Barron, a Strawberry’s representative, and a former Northeastern student, was just like one of the fans.
“She’s the offspring of the devil so I’ve just gotta meet her,” he said.
A lot of girls with hair styled like Osbourne’s and tattoos attended the show. Liz Gotthelf, 31, from Portland, Maine came to Boston to be there.
“I really like Kelly a lot,” she said. “I think she has a really unique style and she’s not afraid to express herself.”
There were even children at the show.
“We heard her at Newbury Comics and on the radio,” said Wayne Sullins of Somerville, who brought his 8-year-old daughter, Sienna, to her first concert along with son Mika, 13.
“I didn’t get to meet rock stars when I was a kid. I think it should happen more,” Sullins said. “People under 21 want to see bands.”
There were also a fair amount of college students.
BU senior Shannon Bolton came with friend Aliz Csaki because they’re “starting to take advantage of the stuff going on in Boston,” said Bolton.
Although Osbourne’s well known personality was evident (she cursed out the band when they stopped playing as a joke on her), her singing was drowned out by the band, and when you could hear her voice it didn’t sound like the album. at all.
Judith Lee of Boston, one of the elder members of the audience, said, “This is her show, not her father’s.”
