For most people their lives are punctuated by music. We remember significant events by what music was playing at the time. One of the important milestones for many teenagers is their first concert. Even though the group is long gone I’ll always remember ‘Mott the Hoople’ performing at the old Fillmore. Another fact of our modern society is many of these significant events are occurring at a younger and younger age. Now many kids are anxiously awaiting a concert while only eight years old or so. One of the biggest concert tickets of 2007 was not targeted at young adults or teens it was meant for the ever growing force of nature called the ‘tweens. This event that had parents all over the country doing anything possible for tickets was the Hannah Montana And Miley Cyrus: Best Of Both Worlds Concert. This concert broke records for selling out the venues. Parents would wait literally for days on line for tickets. Radio stations would use them as prizes often making the listeners do humiliating things to get them. Scalpers made thousands on these tickets. If you do not have a child in your home between about 8 and 14 you may wonder why all of this commotion over a kid’s concert. The reason is simple; in the universe of the ‘tween Miley Cyrus and her television alter ego Hannah Montana is the ultimate queen bordering goddess stature. If there is one thing Disney knows how to do is marketing. This may have been one of the most hyped concert tours in history and the youthful fans ate it up. The problem with an adult trying to speak about this concert is we are definitely not in the target demographic. The Disney channel series and movies are created with some thought to the parents but this is all music and dancing which is highly subjective and best appreciated by the intended audience. After all our parents couldn’t understand the music we listened to or saw in concert so why should we expect anything different with our kids. If you grew up on the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane you might need some insulin to cope with the sugary pop tunes here but just look around the shots of the kids in the audience and you will witness pure joy abounding.

In case you have been living in a cave somewhere Hannah Montana is the flagship sit-com on the Disney Channel. It is about a 15 year old girl, Miley Stewart, who moves to California with her dad to pursue a career as a famous pop star named Hannah Montana. Since she wants to go to school and be a normal teen when not on stage she lives a double life as Miley and Hannah. As the theme song for the series and titular lyric here states her dual identity gives her the best of both worlds. Miley Ray Cyrus plays Miley and when wearing a blonde wig she transforms into Hannah. Her real life father Bully Ray Cyrus plays her one screen father and a really bad moustache makes him her manager. Disney realized the inherent potential problem of this dual nature. Ms Cyrus wanted to be known for her own musical talent not just singing through the persona of Hannah. This is why this concert and her albums feature both Miley and Hannah; it is a transition to when the series does end and Cyrus will continue on only as Miley.

The opening act for this concert tour was the Jonas Brothers; another creation of the powerful Disney studio ‘tween training ground. These real life brothers; Nick, Kevin and Joe are a smash pop group on their own. Young girls swoon for them much like ones in our generation did for the Beatles. They are talented performers and know how to work the audience into frenzy joy. In several cases either Miley or Hannah will take the stage and join in on a number. When this happens the crowd is uncontainable; tears are actually shed by many of the young girls in attendance. Both groups are more for the girls than the boys of that age but there are more than enough young boys in attendance to demonstrate the appeal of these performers. This tour was so successful that it has resulted in massive popularity for the Jonas boys. They could now pretty much draw the same kind of ticket sales for a concert of their own. Many may complain that this concert is just over hyped glitter with little or no substance. This is an adult viewpoint and really doesn’t hold much weight in the consideration of this concert or the DVD of it. You might as well take an eight year old to a gourmet restaurant and expect them to appreciate the subtle nuances of the meal. The reverse is true here; adults judge by a different standard especially when it comes to music. It is axiomatic that parents cannot enjoy popular music the same way as their kids.

As far as the DVD of the concert goes I only wish other distributors would make use of the format’s potential as is done here. There are two discs in the DVD set; one with the three D version of the concert; the other in 2D. When you pop in either disc you go right into some commercials for other Disney products but can get past it with a touch of the next chapter button. From there you get the Disney ‘fast play’ menu that allows you to go right to the main menu. On the 3D disc there is a screen telling you to put on the cardboard red and blue 3D glasses. This is another place where adults might get upset. If you wear glasses this is a hassle. It is best to put them on under your regular glasses. For both discs you are then given another menu that lets you select a sound track optimized to laptop or headset listening, Dolby stereo, or the full Dolby 5,1 surround. Just to be sure you know the difference pictures are provided. For the 3D disc even the Disney logos have been done in this format. Tinkerbell flies in front of the Disney logo and the Disney castle with fireworks is in 3D. This is a nice touch and shows an attention to detail. You are also asked to select full screen Pan & Scan or wide screen. Please, teach you children to appreciate the full aspect ratio as young as possible.

The film starts off with a shot of Miley warming up her voice while people finish getting her ready. She dons the blonde wig and takes the stage as Hannah. After the title sequence we see a darkened theater where most of the kids in attendance have brightly colored glow sticks which they are waving madly in anticipation. The energy is amazing. If a ‘tween girl could power a car the energy crisis would be over tomorrow. The multimedia screens on stage burst into colors and shapes as the cheers become deafening. The band begins and the announcer introduces Hannah Montana. Shots of the audience reveal a mass of ‘tween girls crying as they lip synch every lyric. Her first song ‘Rock Star’ whips the crowd to unbelievable heights. You might call this just another Disney plot to get a bunch of money but they are entertaining this group and giving them everything they expected. Hannah interacts with her band mates and to their sheer joy goes out on a catwalk from the stage into the middle of the audience. I have to admit that Ms Cyrus, of Montana, seems to enjoy the energy she gets off this audience. We then go back in time to four weeks earlier to witness the madhouse of preparation that went into the event. Billy Ray and Miley are shown as a very close and loving father and daughter and there are several scenes that reveal Trish, her mother. Behind all the glitter and glamour they are shown as a typical close knit family albeit one with a child fronting a billion dollar empire.

Then it is back to the concert. There is a full set with Hannah before the Jonas Brothers take the stage. Usually a second act comes on before the main star but there is a reason for the placement in the middle. While the boys are wowing the audience Hannah is backstage being transformed back into Miley. With a little stage magic a ‘Hannah’ swoops off as Miley is whisked in. Miley then performs her set and as with the Hannah portion there are a few required costume changes along the way. The music is generally upbeat with a couple of slower songs to keep the pacing just right. The documentary style segments only give the barest glimpse at the real Miley but they are certain to entertain the kids. Everything plays into the fantasy that any regular girl could be a famous rock star. I have to admit that I enjoy the rehearsal segment. It made Miley seem like any goofy, playful 15 year old girl having fun with her friends.

This young girl certainly has talent. She has an excellent singing voice and a natural sense of comedy that translates to a formidable show. There is nothing here in the songs or dances that the parents have to worry about. Nothing suggestive is going to mar the enjoyment of this film. There is even a nice touching little duet with Miley and her dad that if you have a daughter of your own you will really appreciate. The 3D effects are admittedly pretty good. It does seem that the performers are standing out fromm the background and even the audience is distinct from the rest of the scene. The dances do appear to be a different experience in this format. Like any Disney DVD this one also comes with added songs, a behind the scenes tour of the concert setting and a sing along with the movie feature that will keep the kids in your house entertained for ages. Forget what the grumpy grown ups have said about this film; it is for kids and just might make you feel like one again.