After a stellar three act warm-up (Sherwood, Steel Train, and Hellogoodbye), an unusually quick set change (Hanson is notorious for running on "Hanson time," where "soon" can equal years), the trio of brothers took the stage, jumping straight to their instruments and into the song "Where's the Love". They began the song acapella but it wasn't long before the familiar riff came through the speakers and the boys were off. They kept the groove going with the AIDS Awareness anthem, "Great Divide," which had been so mercilessly teased during Hellogoodbye's set, and then "Get Up and Go," "Hey," and "You Never Know". Next was the tribute to their rock and roll roots, "Been There Before," with references to Johnny Cash and Otis Redding, where Taylor urged the crowd to sing the backing parts, followed by the haunting "This Time Around," which had my newly-reinvigorated-Hanson-fan-roommate squealing with excitement as Taylor crooned the line "Do you know why I die?" Finishing up the first act, the brothers played "World's On Fire," a song off their new EP, "Stand Up Stand Up," an collection of "we need to do something about the state of the world" songs. 
Returning from a short break, Hanson came back onstage to an acoustic setup - drummer Zac emerging from behind the kit and sitting up front on a cajon - where they continued with another song from the EP, "Carry You There." Next was the fun, lyric-tripping "Penny and Me," from the band's third studio album, "Underneath". What followed that had me almost on the floor. Isaac put down his guitar, Zac his percussion, and Taylor began the opening chords of my personal favorite, "A Song to Sing". The song is a simple arrangement - three-part harmonies with Taylor's haunting piano melodies - allowing the raw emotion, passion, and talent shine to through. It gives me chills everytime I hear it, and was definitely the highlight of my night. Especially since directly afterward, Taylor and Isaac left the stage to Zac (I was always a Zac girl), who took over brother Taylor's white piano for the song "Use Me Up" as a solo. His only song on lead the whole night (which is really a shame since he's in the driver's seat for half of "The Walk" album), Zac's soulful, passionate voice shined in the new song. I'm not going to lie, my legs turned to jelly and if it weren't for the support of my roommate, I might have slunk to the floor in happiness.
Peeking at the setlist that was taped to the sound mixer's board in front of us, we knew Taylor's solo would be next, but after Zac cleared the stage (he, too, told us of Taylor's turn next), it remained empty for a few moments, and then all three brothers traipsed back to their respective electric instruments. I guess Taylor changed his mind.
This tour, Hanson has had the clever idea of allowing their fans to vote for and choose one song for the setlist each night. The band places 5 songs as options, with themes ranging from classic covers to rare Hanson songs. They've played "Don't Stop Believing," "Thriller," "I Want You To Want Me," the unreleased "Dream Girl," and Simon and Garfunkle's "Cecilia", among others. For Los Angeles, it was the Three Dog Night song "Never Been to Spain" - a fitting song for the band, whose roots are in Oklahoma, and one in which all three brothers share the lead.
Act Three continued with another new song, "Waiting for This," with the crowd chanting "Shout it Out!" at the appropriate moments, and then "Crazy Beautiful," before returning to their first album for the Isaac-led "Minute Without You". What followed was another of my favorite moments from the evening: a cover of the Beatle's "Twist and Shout," which had both my roommate and I twisting like crazy with excitement. They kept the energy up with "Lost Without Each Other," and then re-introduced themselves with "mmmbop," finally sating the crowd with the song teased by Hellogoodbye over two hours before. They finished out the set with the beating "Something Going 'Round", said their Thank You's, and left the stage. But as any concert-goer knows, there's always an encore. And Hanson is no exception. After an unusually short wait, the band was back on stage with the harmonica syncopation of "If Only," another crowd favorite.
As with the opening acts, during the final song of the night, the stage became a friendly jam session, featuring expected appearances by the members of Sherwood, Steel Train, and Hellogoodbye, but Weird Al could also be spotted dancing onstage, as well as Carrick from the band Everybody Else, who opened for Hanson last tour (and one of my personal top favorite bands).
Closing with "Gimme Some Lovin", the first song I ever heard at a Hanson concert, back in 1998, brought me full circle. Looking at the band onstage now, it's hard to believe they were once those fresh-faced, naive young brothers whose faces graced the walls of every teenage girl (including my own) in the late 1990s. The years of ridicule, struggles with their record label, young marriages and children, and eagerness to please their resilient fans - without whom the band would have shuffled off into one-hit-wonderdom a decade ago - have hardened their perky smiles, darkened their hair, and matured their music into something resembling 1970's rock and roll/folk (think The Doobie Brothers, Three Dog Night, The Eagles, and even The BeeGees).
Hanson, by the way, have partnered up with TOMS for the past few years. They co-host one mile barefoot walks ("Take the Walk ") before every show to help raise awareness for global poverty and needs - especially in Africa. For each person, for each mile, the band donates a dollar towards five different causes. Since they started counting, they've walked 28,201 miles. It was on one such of these walks (in Baltimore) my friend Hillary convinced Isaac to donate the shoes off his feet to a homeless man the mob ran by. I helped her edit the video: New Shoes. It's things like this, and the college tour they did a few years ago, promoting their new album and documentary, Strong Enough to Break, that detailed their struggles with their record label and decision to go independent - that keep Hanson relevant and important to their generation. They echo the concerns of their peers and encourage others to take action instead of just talking about it. And they do that by just simply walking.
Having grown up with the boys, their change in appearance is no shock to me. But friends of mine, not having seen the band since the late 1990s, are surprised to see that Taylor no longer looks like a girl, Isaac is actually kind of attractive (dare I say hot? My roommate certainly thought so), and Zac finally grew out of that nevous, hammy personality and into a more subdued, more confident one.
While they still play "mmmbop" at every show, they take a moment to thank the fans for more than a decade's worth of loyalty and devotion, and remind everyone just why they're there, shelling out hard earned money to see this band, this silly little band, year after year, tour after tour. The song has been lowered over the years, as the boys' voices finally dropped, and hardened to fit their maturing ages and sound. If, when the song had been released, it sounded as it does now, the story of Hanson and the stigma that surrounds them might be completely different. The boys play it with a freshness that does not imply that they've been playing this same song for the past 13 years. They recognize that this song allows them to continue to make music and though they may hate it (and the fact that no one knows the lyrics), they refuse to let it on, and so continue to play it. Though, to be fair, they hardly have to make an effort to perform the song. If Taylor so chooses, he can put the mic into the audience and let them sing the whole song (as I've seen him do on previous occasions).
Hosting a song-writing retreat every year called Fool's Banquet, Hanson has collaborated with (and set up collaborations between), Jason Mraz, Locksley, Everybody Else, Weird Al, Eisley, Bleu, Pat McGee, Stephen Kellogg, Kate Voegel, and many more. With Bono, Taylor's Tinted Windows bandmates (James Iha of The Smashing Pumpkins, Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne, and Bun E Carlos of Cheap Trick), and Ben Kweller as fans, Hanson are full of music industry street-cred... it's just the general public who hasn't seemed to catch a clue, and some Hanson fans seem to be okay with that. Sure, they could do without all the "mmmbop" jabs, but "Fansons" are under the belief that they're in on one of music's best kept secrets. These girls dealt with it once: costly tickets, over-saturation, having to watch their favorite brother on a jumbo screen from the lawn seats... But now the fans are more of a family, swapping concert stories and counting the shows on multiple sets of hands. If you know where to wait, meeting the brothers after a show isn't all that hard either.
Gone are the days of writing the brothers' names on arms and faces with permanent markers, making elaborate signs and declarations of love, praying to one day meet and marry their favorite Hanson. Now, a decade later, the fans are in their 20's (though there are a few fresh faces, having recently discovered Hanson), some are married to their number 2 choice (a Hanson brother will always be their first love), and they care more about the music than the band's personal lives. (Most are even happy the boys found love and have families of their own... it certainly inspires their writing, and without which, "Never Let Go," Taylor's alleged song to his children and what some call his masterpiece, would cease to exist).
Hanson fans, loyal for 12+ years to a band with a stigma attached, are the exemplifiers of the line from "Almost Famous" that states: "They don't even know what it is to be a fan. Y'know? To truly love some silly little piece of music, or some band, so much that it hurts." And in a world of declining musical talent and passion, I'd say that's a good thing.
I once met Zac outside of a show in Baltimore (my second meeting), and, in a group signing/picture-taking bombardment, I offered up my tour lanyard from the 1998 Albertane Tour for Zac to sign. He took one look, sputtered a shocked "Oh Wow", and scrawled his name across the 10+ year old picture. Looking at that young, blond boy and then the same man, ten years later standing in front of me, it reminded me of how much we've all grown, and how much this man has influenced my life, and how I wouldn't have it any other way.
I once met Zac outside of a show in Baltimore (my second meeting), and, in a group signing/picture-taking bombardment, I offered up my tour lanyard from the 1998 Albertane Tour for Zac to sign. He took one look, sputtered a shocked "Oh Wow", and scrawled his name across the 10+ year old picture. Looking at that young, blond boy and then the same man, ten years later standing in front of me, it reminded me of how much we've all grown, and how much this man has influenced my life, and how I wouldn't have it any other way.
(Megaphone Photo is mine, all other photo credits go to chickswithgunsmagazine)
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