Crowd rocks out to 'MMMBop'

By Lauren Ingeno
Collegian Staff Writer

The 650-person crowd in HUB-Alumni Hall erupted in chants of "We want MMMBop" before Hanson took the stage Saturday night for a free concert.

But the grown-up '90s boy band from Tulsa, Okla. proved their sound, look and performance has matured since their teeny-bopper days 13 years ago.

"If you want to stand still, you're at the wrong show," lead singer and piano player Taylor Hanson said to the crowd.

Hanson opened the performance with the title song off of its new album, "Shout It Out," which was released in June.

Ethan Cook (junior-electrical engineering) said he prepared for the show by listening to some of the new album.

"I sampled a few of the songs on Myspace. It all sounded good," he said. "It was like fun music."

The band's lineup jumped from brand-new songs to older songs like "Penny and Me" (2004) and "This Time Around" (2000), during which the band encouraged the crowd to sing as loud as they could.

And though most of the audience was only familiar with a few of Hanson's songs, the crowd fed off the energy and happiness of the band that never stopped smiling.

"They were very catchy," John Zalesky (junior-finance) said.

By the end of the concert, Taylor, Isaac and Zac Hanson finally gave the audience what they had been waiting for and played their 1997 hit "MMMBop."

The audience sang along to the band's most recognized song, even if the voices of these now-adult brothers had changed since the late '90s.

"[The concert] was much better than I thought it was going to be," K.C. Morgans (junior-elementary education) said. "They are definitely very talented and my little crush for Taylor and Zac came back from when I was in the fourth grade."

Staying true to his Midwestern roots, Taylor performed wearing suspenders, jeans, a blue bandanna around his neck and cowboy boots. Throughout the concert it was evident that Hanson's music has also taken inspiration from the brothers' Oklahoman roots, combined with what its official website calls "R&B-flavored pop-rock."

Hanson not only has created a new sound, but also a new record label, Taylor Hanson explained to the audience on Saturday night.

"We had a little trouble with an old record label and decided to start our own," he said. "And ever since, we've been OK."

Jacqueline Nelson (sophomore-health and human development) said she wanted to go home and download music from Hanson's new album.

"It really surprised me how well they transitioned from young pop stars to mature musicians," Nelson said.