Hanson on Hollywood Green October 18

Animal and Green activist Alicia Silverstone visits the Animal Acres farm animal sanctuary, the Hanson Brothers discuss their Walk Around the World Cause befitting AIDS in Africa and a green expert takes the school lunch challenge.

Article: Soundcheck with Hanson: Live at the Variety Playhouse

When the Paste multimedia brigade arrived to catch Hanson’s soundcheck at the Variety Playhouse yesterday afternoon, a crowd of twenty or thirty young women were already gathered on the sidewalk in front of the venue. Some were reclining in folding lawn chairs; others were leaning against the building, soaking up the late-afternoon sunlight, settling in for the long haul and shooting us pointed glances as we slipped through the doors that wouldn’t technically open for another four hours.

Inside the empty venue, the house lights were all up, band gear was strewn across the floor where hundreds of fans would later gather in fervent droves, and some non-fraternal bandmates were jamming to a thick, funky bassline and intermittent bursts of jokey synth-sax on stage. The brothers emerged (more friendly and less blonde than expected), hands were shaken (one tiny victory for my twelve-year-old self!) and the strange fiddly, tweaky process of sound-check began. There was some issue with a keyboard (it was turned off) but once that was fixed (solution: turn it on), we caught the guys playing a new track, “Follow Your Lead,” plus “Great Divide,” from 2006’s The Walk.

As we were wrapping up, a slew of women (plus two guys– we counted) were being escorted into the middle rows for a photograph of all the participants in a one-mile barefoot walk the band had sponsored that afternoon in Atlanta. Turns out, they host one at almost every tour stop to raise awareness for global poverty, education and AIDS initiatives. Whatever you once thought of “MMMBop,” you’ve got to applaud a band for using its clout for such serious good.

Outside, the line was longer than I’d ever seen for any other Variety show, spooling well down the block with three hours to go. We couldn’t make it out to the show, but we’ll be sharing our sound-check footage with you this week. Our footage of their second take of “Follow Your Lead” is live for your enjoyment today, with “The Great Divide” coming soon.

Head to the source for a video!

Article: Lavendar Menace: Hanson is still alive and kicking (ass)

Taylor Hanson is one reason why I had a hard time coming out as a lesbian.

Like many other pre-teen girls in 1997, I was sucked into Hanson’s infectious hit “Mmmbop.” Shortly after I acquired a cassette tape of that first album, full-blown obsession ensued. I plastered my bedroom walls with tear-out posters from magazines like Bop and TigerBeat. I had an entire box of floppy disks full of pictures of Taylor-my favorite-that I had downloaded from the newfangled Internet. My friends and I would gush about which brother we would marry in between bites of PB&J in the school cafeteria. Eventually I had to save up my precious allowance to buy their album on CD because my cassette copy was burnt out from nonstop play. Sadly though, I never did get to see them perform live. That is, until this Friday.

That’s right-after eleven years of undying devotion, I’m finally getting to see Hanson in concert.

Most people laugh when they hear me talk about it because they’re surprised Hanson is still around (and because of the deviance from my normal taste in music). So let me just say once and for all: yes, they’re still around. In fact, they’re fiercely talented musicians and song stylists who released three more studio albums since that fateful first. They are also making a name for themselves in the world of philanthropy with their work toward ending AIDS and poverty in Africa.

Of course I’m stoked for the concert, but I can’t say the same for my girlfriend. This will be the second concert that I have had to drag her to within the past year (the first was Smashing Pumpkins last November). This time, it isn’t because she doesn’t like the music-it’s because she knows I’ll be swooning over Taylor Hanson the whole time.

I’m not sure why Taylor transcends sexuality lines for me, but I have never gotten over my schoolgirl crush on him. He’s just so beautiful. And that voice; I could go on about that forever. I guess there are some things that just can’t be explained-like a couple of dykes at a Hanson concert.

Read all about the concert at Brook’s blog: brook-taylor.blogspot.com

For more information on Hanson, visit www.hanson.net

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Article: Hanson resonates with a new crowd

By any standard, it was a formidable line of fans waiting for a show at the mammoth South By Southwest Music Conference this past March in Austin, Texas.

The object of their devotion was not some new indie-minded trend-setter, but Hanson.

Yes, the trio of Oklahoma-bred brothers who gave us “MMMBop” are cool again, basking in critical praise for their latest independently released album, The Walk, and courting a mix of old and new fans on the road. (Hanson performs Thursday at House of Blues at Downtown Disney.)

Always a magnet for screaming girls, brothers Isaac, Taylor and Zac — now ages 27, 25 and 22, respectively — are looking out at a different niche in concert crowds: guys about their age, with their own bands.

Atlanta 10/6/08

1. Something Going Round
2. Higher (cover)
3. Been There Before
4. Where’s the Love
5. Follow Your Lead
6. Deeper
7. Great Divide
8. Penny & Me (acoustic)
9. Georgia (acoustic)
10. Go (acoustic)
11. Being Me (Isaac solo)
12. Where Did it Start (Zac Solo)
13. Soulshine (cover)
14. Blue Sky
15. A Minute Without You
16. Hope it Comes Soon
17. Running Man
18. Oh Darlin (cover)
19. MMMBop
20. Can’t Stop
21. If Only
22. Hey

Encore
23. Coming Back for More