If you ask any of my friends to name one thing they remember about me from my teenage years, I guarantee you the one thing they'll say is that I was an obsessed Hanson fan. What exactly defines obsessed? Does having every book, every movie, knowing every song, seeing them in concert at least five times, having no bare walls in my bedroom, and crying when they lost at The Grammys, sound obsessed? Like many other teen girls at the time, I was freaking obsessed.
From the beginning of the teen heartthrob frenzy, like back in the days of The Beatles, there has been hair pulling, waiting in lines for days just to get good concert seats, tour bus chasing, buying albums on release days, and ripping out posters from basically every teen magazine out there. I did my fair share of these things when it came to Ike, Tay, and Zac. Now, 10 years later, Hanson isn't on top like they used to be. It makes me wonder when I see artists like Justin Bieber with careers similar to Hanson's, how many teen sensations are still as huge today, as they once were a few years ago?
It's not that big of an argument to say that Justin Bieber basically owns the world right now. But what about his future -- is there a possibility his fame will die out one day?
Being the old Hanson fan I am, I went to their concerts in Falls Church, Virginia to investigate. I thought maybe talking to their other fans could help me get a glimpse of what a Justin Bieber concert might be like in 10 years.
When I got to the State Theater, the first thing I saw was "Hanson" lit up on the marquee outside. Next, I noticed the long line of girls waiting alongside the venue. After I glanced at them, I instantly flashed back to when I was thirteen going to see Hanson with my mom. I couldn't believe that now (I'm almost done with college and they all are married and have kids), I'm still going to see them play and that there are others here too.
The line was pretty long and it was only 4PM (the doors weren't supposed to open until 6PM). I was curious what time the girls who were in the front of the line got there, so I talked to them.
"We got here at noon yesterday!," said 18 year-old Alisha Kim from Germantown, Maryland. "I've seriously loved them since I was eleven." Then I asked her about Justin Bieber, and if she thought the frenzy of fans he has now is similar to that of Hanson's back in the day.
"I'm not really into Bieber," she said, "but I do think his fans love him as much as we love Hanson. I see my younger self in Bieber fans, especially when I see them chasing him and freaking out when someone mentions his name. We used to do that too."
To wait for an entire day, you must be a pretty serious fan. Not sure if I'd do that...for anyone.
Karina Smith, 18, from Fairfax, Va., said that she has always been a huge Hanson fan as well and that she loved them simply for their music. When I asked her about Bieber she said that she doesn't mind him but that she doesn't think he has what it takes to be like Hanson in the long run. "Hanson are real artists, they write their own songs and play their own instruments. I'm not sure if Justin's fans are really into him for his talent or just because he's cute."
I talked to about three other girls and they all said that if Beliebers really like Justin for his music, then in ten years they will still be camping out and waiting to see him in concert too.
"It's all about the music connection," said 19-year-old Hanson fan Skylar Miller. "If Bieber fans just like him because he's attractive, then they won't be there when he gets married and starts a family...like we are for Hanson."
Soon the doors to the venue opened. Inside was a cluster of twenty-something females wearing old Hanson t-shirts from their 'Middle of Nowhere' days. Some were wearing some new ones too.
The men came out and there were instant screams from the crowd, although they weren't as piercing as they used to be back in the day. Hanson opened with a newbie, 'Waiting For This' and then sang a few other new song too. Then came the older songs. The fans seemed to love the older songs more and they went crazy, I did too, when they played 'Minute Without You,' 'Penny And Me,' 'Where's The Love?,' and of course 'MMMBop.'
All in all, the brothers' performance was amazing as always. When I used to leave their shows I couldn't think of anything but of how cute they are. This time around, I realized that they are seriously a talented group of guys. They kept the crowd on their feet the entire night.
I wasn't sure how this show was going to be but it actually made me appreciate them as a band and let me see that they are not just a group of pretty faces. Honestly, I think that's why the Hanson fans are still around today.
If Justin Bieber continues to make good music and music that his fans appreciate, then I think he will have no problem when he gets older. In ten years he might not sell out shows like he was able to do before, but he'll still be able to put his music out there and make money doing what he loves to do. One thing people have to remember is that when the artist(s) get older, the fans get older too. It's not about being the one who is going to marry Bieber. I honestly thought I was going to marry Taylor Hanson, and you can see that obviously didn't happen. Even if Bieber is married and has kids one day, if his fans are truly his fans then they will be rocking out with him for years to come... just like us Hanson fans.
What do you think, will Bieber's fans still love him in the years to come? Let us know and click here to see what a day in the life of Hanson is really like.
0 People talked to us:
Post a Comment