The Audio Perv

By Keeyahtay Lewis

I had a friend take me to see Hanson about 5 years ago. I never really jumped on the “Mmmbop” train when it was speeding through the country, but I am always down for some music. Last Thursday, I went to see Hanson for the second time. Knowing that they are pretty much in their 30s, married with children, it is still hard to not think of them as the kids they were when they first burst onto the scene. When I told people I was going, based on the comments, I saw a lot of others still had that image firmly in place. It has been a while since I have heard any new Hanson songs, so I went into it with an open mind.

They took the stage, just the three of them: Zac on drums, Issac on guitar, and Taylor on piano. The stage set up was sparse, just the drum kit, piano, a couple amps and a huge banner in the background that said “Shout!” the audience was 80% girls, ranging in ages 13-30 and they all went wild when the guys came out, smiling at everyone. Taylor sat down at the piano, said hello, and they launched into “Waiting for This.”

There is no denying that the Hanson brothers are talented. They took their early success and turned that money around and used it on themselves. Building their own studio and record label. They have used that over the years to quietly sell a lot of albums and keep the fan base growing. Without much radio airplay or videos, they have built a career that is going on 20 years. In this day and age that is hard to do. The guys took turns singing, with Taylor singing lead most of the time. The magic comes when the three of them sing together. Their voices blend in a way that really is pretty great to hear live. At various times each of the guys picked up a guitar, or a tambourine, or another percussion instrument.

The set list was pretty long and every single song was a hit with the audience. Clearly even without radio and videos Hanson fans are a loyal, dedicated group. There was plenty of dancing and some quiet times when each of the brothers took turns playing a solo song. At this point in their careers, Hanson are seasoned veterans of the stage and it is apparent in their chemistry and stage presence. Taylor spent a lot of his time behind the piano, but he still came out from it from time to time to interact with the audience. Isaac moved around a bit, taking his guitar solos at center stage. And Zac kept time on the drums while often contributing backing vocals, and some lead vocals from time to time as well.

All in all, Hanson is a long way from the days of their early pop beginnings. These days it is easy to see their blues and rock influences. Honestly, live, they are pretty great. It isn’t always easy to enjoy seeing a band live when you are not really familiar with their catalog, but I was able to get lost a bit in the music. And I think that all the boyfriends who were drug there by their girlfriends enjoyed it too. Taylor said that they have been a band for 20 years. Seeing them play, it is easy to imagine them playing together to a packed house, 20 years from now.

Set List:
Waiting For This
Where’s The Love
Thinking Bout Somethin / What I’d Say
This Time Around
Crazy Beautiful
These Walls

Deeper
Penny and Me
Stories
Sunny Day / Cecelia
Zac solo – Go
Isaac Solo – Being Me
Taylor Solo – Me Myself and I

With You In Your Dreams
Oh Darling
You Never Know
Minute Without You
Get Up And Go
Give a Little
MMMBop
Lost Without Each Other

And I Waited
Voice in the Chorus

All photos courtesy of Keeyahtay Lewis. Go to DeadBoltPhotos.com to see more of his work