Hanson took the stage two nights in a row at The Great American Music Hall here in San Francisco on September 20th, and 21st. Though I was only able to attend the last night, there is no doubt in my mind that the first show was just as great as the last.I have been a Hanson fan for 15 years. I’ve seen them 7 times, met them a few times, traveled all around to get to their shows, etc. Yeah, I am one of “those” girls. I’m not ashamed to admit the love affair I have with this band, especially after seeing them grow into the musicians they have become. Isaac, Taylor, and Zac Hanson are no longer the three lanky little kids we all remember from 1997 (think “MmmBop” era). They’ve grown up, and not only physically, but in their musicality as well.
“Shout It Out,” their newest record, has received praised from every media outlet that has decided to review the record. Their tour seems to be getting the same type of reviews as well. With that said- here’s another one to add to the list.
Hanson took the stage around 9pm, and opened with “Great Divide,” the first single off of their last record. I can’t say what song they opened with the previous night, however, I am guessing “Great Divide” was not played, seeing how the entire crowd went nuts the second they launched into the song. The followed up their opening with old and new songs, such as “And I Waited,” “You Never Know,” and “Waiting For This,” which ended in a montage of songs including “Rock n Roll Razorblade,” and “In The City,” two songs Hanson doesn’t play too often anymore.
The crowd was also just as entertaining as the band itself. San Francisco is known to have a few crazies lurking here and there, but I never expected to see more than a few of them at a Hanson show. Needless to say, they were there in all of their weird and crazy glory. I scored a seat upstairs for prime viewing capabilities, and when I looked over the rail to see what the crowd was doing, I noticed the usual- some were bobbing their heads, some were dancing along, others were singing loudly, but then I spotted this blonde-haired, little pixie looking girl who was going completely nuts. I don’t mean fangirl nuts, I mean just plain “what the hell is this girl on?” nuts. She was in the middle of her own mosh pit…at a Hanson concert. Her arms were flying all over the place and she was bouncing from wall to wall. This raised a few obvious questions: 1) Does she realize this isn’t a metal show? and 2) Who does she buy her drugs from? Then I looked towards the other side of the stage, and there was another one. The looks on peoples’ faces around them were pretty priceless, as I presume they were enjoying the entertainment of their fellow Hanson fans just as much as they were enjoying the show.
Once I was able to take my eyes off of the crowd and focus on the show again, the guys had left their instruments, and taken to the front of the stage to do a little acoustic set. They played three songs, including everyone’s guilty pleasure, “MmmBop,” and ended their acoustic set with an a capella version of “Change in My Life,” which left the entire crowd completely silent. They also played a few covers, including “Magic Carpet Ride,” and “Dancing In The Street,” which was one of the songs they chose to close out the show with.
Hanson puts a lot of energy into their shows, which is one of the reasons it’s always fun to see them play. It’s really obvious that these guys love what they do, and truly enjoy watching the reaction of their fans. After 15 years of loving this band, their music, and their passion towards the Take The Walk campaign, I can honestly say that I will continue to travel many’a miles to see these guys perform because they are just that good. I’m never disappointed in a Hanson show, and if you’ve gotten past your grade school judgements, I recommend going to check them out…now.
Thanks to PHB
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