Article: Hanson fans clamor for more as trio heads to mouse house

OC Register

In the spring of 1997, as a high school senior eagerly awaiting graduation, I was unfortunately without a car. My friend Rick drove a used Chevy Blazer (and therefore me) and owned one CD: the single version of Hanson’s “MMMBop,” which he played continuously.

Rick had purchased the disc after hearing the song on the radio, but once it became a No. 1 smash in almost a dozen countries — and the moppety mugs of Isaac, Taylor and Zac were plastered all over TV — Rick “lost” the CD, eventually claiming he’d never even owned it.

This backlash was all too common in the late ’90s and early ’00s, and while it may never be cool to listen to Hanson (or at least cop to listening to Hanson), the three-piece from Tulsa never really went away — the band of brothers is currently putting the finishing touches on its as-yet-unnamed eighth LP (due in 2010) and touring the U.S. behind a mostly-acoustic EP titled Stand Up, Stand Up.

On Saturday, the group’s Use Your Sole Tour bopped into L.A. Live’s jam-packed Club Nokia (it stops Wednesday at House of Blues Anaheim), and while Rick was noticeably absent, the adoring legion of Hansonites were out in force to support the band that most of them never stopped supporting.

It was eerily reminiscent of a Phish or Grateful Dead concert, as the (heavily female) fans near me rattled off recent set lists, discussed best-ever versions of songs and recited how many shows they’d seen on this particular tour. One thirtysomething woman claimed the Club Nokia show was her 200th Hanson show.

I’ll let that one sink in: 200th Hanson show.

During the two-hour headlining slot, the trio catered to this tirelessly loyal army of fans with continuous interaction, playful (if not contrived) stage banter, stripped-down acoustic numbers and even a few covers voted into the set by fans.

Opening with “Where’s the Love” and closing with a cover of the Spencer Davis Group’s “Gimme Some Lovin’” (featuring not only the three stellar opening acts — Hellogoodbye, Steel Train and Sherwood — but also members of Rooney and, if you can believe it, “Weird Al” Yankovic), Hanson played a set of 20 or so songs that showcased the band’s catchy, hook-laden, gospel-tinged pop. And the audience knew ever single word.

Here’s the deal: if you’d never listened to Hanson, only knew “MMMBop” from the radio, and someone told you that an unnamed up-and-coming blue-eyed soul trio was playing Club Nokia, you’d be hard-pressed to tell its songs apart from anything John Mayer has released to mainstream radio in the past five years. Even the teenybop tunes have been updated and given more powerful punch.

The songs are solid — upbeat, piano-based pop/rock songs, louder than you’d expect, with electric guitars and synthesized horn lines — even if after two hours the formula gets repetitive, while numbers like “You Never Know” and “Crazy Beautiful” would have benefited greatly from an in-the-flesh three-piece horn section. (That would definitely up the Hanson Authenticity Ante.)

At least from a rabid-fan perspective (and I’m solely judging by the amount of screaming and applause around me), the night’s highlight came when the band trotted out a series of new songs. After beginning electric with the U2-sounding “World’s on Fire” and continuing acoustic with “Carry You There” (both from the new EP), the band left the stage except for drummer Zac, who positioned himself at brother Taylor’s white upright piano for “Use Me Up,” a supplicating plea that wouldn’t sound out of place on, dare I say it, one of the half-dozen albums the “retired” Ryan Adams is undoubtedly preparing for 2010.

Heartfelt and tender without sounding wimpy or trite, “Use Me Up” should not only enter Hanson’s regular rotation, but stand at its forefront as a shining example of a light-years-away move from the sugarcoated teen shtick the band popularized in the late ’90s.

And speaking of “MMMBop” … yeah, they played it, after Hellogoodbye playfully teased the intro during its set. Isaac didn’t seem tired of picking out the intro, Zac wasn’t put off by the 4/4 drumbeat and Taylor sang it as if he had rarely performed that one song that made Hanson overnight celebrities 13 years ago.

It reminded me of an interview in the ’80s, when Jimmy Buffett was asked if he ever got tired of playing “Margaritaville.” Without skipping a beat, he responded (and I’m paraphrasing) that his most popular song had been paying the bills for years — how could he ever stop playing it?

“MMMBop” helped Hanson sell over 10 million copies of its major-label debut, Middle of Nowhere — and it’s been paying the bills for years, during which time the brothers could easily have slipped into one-hit-wonder obscurity. They haven’t, however, which is not only a testament to their incredibly dedicated fan base but also their desire to be taken seriously by the music mainstream.

Love ‘em or loathe ‘em, Hanson ain’t going nowhere. And now that my friend Rick has an 11-year-old daughter, maybe he should dig up that “MMMBop” single — a new generation of Hanson fans might just be waiting in the wings.

(Hanson plays tonight at House of Blues San Diego, $32.50-$47.50, and Wednesday at House of Blues Anaheim, $30. Photos by Bryan Johnson.)

What’s happening in LA

Layolan

Hanson and Hellogoodbye

Club Nokia

800 W Olympia Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA

Saturday, Nov. 7, 6:30 p.m.

$24 online, $30 day of show

Hanson, of 1990s boy band fame, and synthpop group Hellogoodbye team up for what they’ve called the “Use Your Sole Tour.” The Hanson brothers have come a long way from their 1997 hit “MMMBop,” and will be playing music from several of their seven studio albums. Hellogoodbye is gearing up for a new album, and on Saturday, concert-goers may get a listen of their new song “When We First Met.” Steel Train and Sherwood are also scheduled to perform at the event.

Hanson ‘walks’ SF State

Golden Gate [X]press
Music group Hanson performed in front of Malcolm X Plaza the afternoon of Nov. 5 to bring attention to issues around the world.

The American rock ‘n’ roll band, made up of brothers Isaac, Taylor and Zach Hanson, started in The Village at Centennial Square by having the crowd to take off their shoes and walk barefoot with them to the plaza.

Since 2007, Hanson has partnered with shoe company TOMS doing “The Walk,” where they walk for one mile before giving a concert in an attempt to fight AIDS and poverty in Africa as well a number of other causes. For every person who put their name down on their list, Hanson will donate $1 to these efforts.

“We’re raising money to aid those that are less fortunate,” Taylor Hanson said. “This is not an awareness walk, this is an action walk.”

Hundreds of SF State students screamed and hollered as they walked with the band one mile from The Village to the plaza.

“It’s a great opportunity to speak to people and do something together,” Taylor Hanson said as he set out on the walk. “Even though there’s a million causes, a student can have an active role in creating change.”

Youngest brother Zach Hanson echoed his older brother’s message of hope to change the unfortunate conditions in particular parts of the world.

“We don’t need a government or nonprofit to reach out,” Zach Hanson said. “We got all the tools we need. Walks are just a way to provide people with a way to start.”

Not only did SF State students decided to join in on the march for a good cause, fans from all over also joined in.

“This is our second walk,” said Lauren Connelly, 19, who attends City College of San Francisco. “We did the Petaluma walk last year. It’s a great cause.”

When Hanson took the stage on the plaza, they performed three songs and they closed it with the crowd favorite “Where’s the Love.” Fans, however, were disappointed when the group did not perform their hit song “MmmBop.”

But Allie Berger, 20, was able to get Zach Hanson’s signature on her sweatshirt and said it was “The biggest day in my entire life.”

Hanson’s next stop will be at UC Los Angeles on Nov. 7, followed by the University of San Diego on Nov. 8.

Article: Last Night: Hanson and Hellogoodbye at House of Blues

Dallas Observer

Hanson, Hellogoodbye
House of Blues
November 1, 2009

Better Than: Spending $80 to sit in the nose bleed section at another concert

Hanson stopped in at the House of Blues last night to perform before a more than loyal crowd as part of its Use Your Sole Tour.

But these weren’t the kid stars you remember. Forget about the group’s teen days. And yes, forget about “Mmmbop.”

Hanson is all grown up and all business. There’s no need for stereotyping. They’ve got some actual talent.

Starting the night out with a rendition of “Where’s The Love,” the band gave audience members their money’s worth, playing songs from all of its albums, including Middle of Nowhere, This Time Around, Underneath and The Walk. And, for an additional treat, the Hanson brothers even gave a sneak preview of some songs on their upcoming 2010 album.

Playing both an electric and acoustic set, the band proved they can multitask. Taylor Hanson tackled both the harmonica and the keyboard during a classic performance of “If Only” while Isaac Hanson switched out guitars more times than you can count.

There aren’t many bands who sound the same live and in person as they do on a record but Hanson does.

Letting the music speak for itself, they didn’t stop much to chat in between songs. Although that’s not to say it was all work and no play. Continuously smiling out into the audience, the trio did make sure fans received an “A” in participation, encouraging jumping and clapping throughout the night.

And the crowd ate it up, singing every single lyric to every single song. Talk about loyalty.

Hellogoodbye was also on hand to join in on the night’s festivities. Opening for Hanson on the tour, this California band distracted from its music with their goofy comments and crazy antics, trying to convince the crowd that “orange” rhymed with “orange.” And, despite fun renditions of “Here in Your Arms” and “Baby, It’s Fact,” audience members concentrated way more on the fact that band member Travis Head decided to give in to a fan’s request and took off his pants on stage. (Just so you know, he prefers “tighty whities.”)

Oh well, the usage of the ukulele and the mandolin were still interesting too. No one can say they didn’t get their money’s worth of entertainment and talent.

Critic’s Notebook
Personal Bias: I started listening to Hanson when I was 10. I’m 22 now and still listening.

By The Way: Sherwood and Steel Train have also been performing on the “Use Your Sole Tour.” If you like enthusiastic and entertaining musicians, these are the bands for you.

Random Note: The couple standing next to me all night needed to get a room.

Article: Hanson Club Nokia

LA Weekly

Haven’t heard from Hanson since the days of “MMMBop”? You’ve got some catching up to do. (Start with Snowed In, their excellent Christmas cash-in from 1997, which includes a version of “What Christmas Means to Me” more spirited than Stevie Wonder’s.) Like their successors the Jonas Brothers, the Hanson kids view crafty blue-eyed soul as the route to maturity, and if their records over the past decade or so have occasionally overdosed on an insistent we-play-real-instruments vibe, well, they really can play those real instruments. Earlier this year frontman Taylor Hanson released the super-tuneful debut by his power-pop supergroup Tinted Windows; the brothers’ rep says a new Hanson album is due out next spring. With Huntington Beach’s Hellogoodbye, who have yet to top the electro-emo majesty of their 2006 hit “Here (In Your Arms).”

Article: “MMMBro”: Hanson And Other Rock And Roll Bands Of Brothers

HoustonPress

Back in the summer of1997, one couldn’t walk out of their house without hearing someone humming, blaring, or damning to Hell that juicy nugget of pop rock that was Hanson’s “MMMBop”. Depending on your age and gender, you either understood the hooky genius of the song or you were just in love with the boys dreamy locks of hair and gentle Oklahoma-bred smiles. For a moment in time, Isaac, Taylor, and Zac could do no wrong in the eyes of teen girls the world over.

Smug folks dismissed “MMMBop” as pop fluff of the illest repute, forgetting the fact that it was written by three musically-educated teen boys who worshipped artists like the Beatles and Chuck Berry. Insipid as it was at turns, it was also expertly crafted. In a year that gave us the Spice Girls, Aqua’s “Barbie Girl”, and the Backstreet Boys, it’s strange that actual instrumentation was shunned. A few more singles were culled from their Middle Of Nowhere LP over the rest of the year, and the brothers released the requisite Christmas album just in time to cash in on the hype surrounding them.

The brothers laid low for a few years and came back in 2000 with This Time Around which saw the band leaning farther towards big stadium rock than short bursts of bubblegum. By this time most of their young fan base was probably getting tongue rings and waiting outside the Limp Bizkit tour bus for Fred Durst. Anyone paying attention would have heard razor-sharp pop rock created by musically-educated guys in an unfortunate situation that was out of their hands. It’s not their fault that the rest of the world was wearing backwards hats and repping Faith No More.

 

In 2004, the band released Underneath followed in 2007 by The Walk. Both albums featured the band pushing into harder blues-rock territory, sometimes coming off like a junior version of the Black Crowes. Both albums garnered decent reviews and success in spite of little marketing, which stands as a testament to the band’s lingering grassroots fanbase. A new album was finished this summer, with an aim for a rollout at next year’s South By Southwest in Austin. The band played a showcase at the festival in 2008 and were seen around town at shows as disparate as Blue Cheer and Fastball. In honor of tomorrow night’s Hanson gig at the House Of Blues, Rocks Off has gathered a group of videos featuring bands with brothers in their ranks. And yes, we do realize that the Jackson 5 and Kings Of Leon are also made up of brothers, but after this year we wish they would both disappear for awhile. Problem partly solved we guess. Too soon?

 

 

Article: Every time you say hello, I say goodbye

The Sandspur

Their music has been described to resemble “Tom Hanks in his younger years;” their primary influence is the 1959 hit “Why Must I Be a Teenager in Love” by Dion and the Belmonts. Accordingly, Hellogoodbye seems to just be a couple of quirky guys having fun and not taking themselves too seriously. These “beatnik surfer dudes from California,” as Steel Train put it during the concert, took the stage Saturday, Oct. 24, at the House of Blues Orlando as part of the Use Your Sole Tour presented by Toms Shoes. Hanson also headlined the show (yes, the brothers of “MMMbop” fame), which was opened by Sherwood and Steel Train.

We caught up with the members of Hellogoodbye before the concert backstage in the dressing room area where they were hanging out with the guys from Steel Train. Everyone was very friendly and casual, acting as if we were old friends goofing around instead of doing an actual interview.

Hellogoodbye recently released a mini-EP entitled “When We First Met,” and when asked how the crowds on the tour have been responding to the new material, frontman Forrest Kline responded, “A lot of the kids, I think, that come are mostly familiar with Hanson, you know? And so they don’t, they can’t really determine our old from our new, but they seem to enjoy the new, I’d say. And that’s cool.”

There is also a music video released for the song “When We First Met” and the idea for that video came from the band members.

Keyboardist Joey Marro mentioned, “We had a weird hot tub session, remember that one? Brainstorming hot tub session?”

Kline confirmed, saying, “Yeah, yeah, yeah. We did. We were at a hotel… in a hot tub.”

When asked what superhero any of the band members would want to be, the first response to come from the group was “Zac Hanson.” “Seriously, Zac Hanson.” “Zac Hanson.”

“He’s a stud.”

“Truly. Truly, he is.”

Kline then decided on “Jeremy Enigk from the Emogame where he floats in the clouds and he’s like the god of Emo. I’d probably be that.” Marro went with the Flash and then asked guitarist Andy Richards what his answer was, figuring it would be “something we don’t know about” given that Richards is British.

He responded, “Bananaman. You know who he is?” We did not, though as would be expected, apparently “he eats the banana and becomes a superhero.”

The goofiness did not stop backstage. Hellogoodbye was quite talkative between songs and even during songs, literally stopping to coordinate a wave in the audience for one chorus of “Oh, It is Love.” Kline told some Hanson fans at the front of the pit not to worry because he would let them know when the chorus was. At one point the band members also told an elaborate story about being confused between the Hanson brothers and Chris Hansen from “To Catch a Predator.”

As Kline stated in the interview, it was clear that Hanson had the biggest fan base in the venue and some of those fans did not seem to quite grasp how a concert line-up works, surprised that though the show started at 6:30 p.m., Hanson, the last spot of the night, did not start their set until over three hours later. Hellogoodbye had a shorter set than they would have if they were the main headliner, which also meant less spectacle at the end of their set. Previous tours they have headlined have ended with the explosion of confetti cannons or balloons dropping from the ceiling. All in all, they played a great, energetic set with a good deal of new music, so it would seem fans can certainly look forward to a new full-length album soon.

The guys of Hellogoodbye also came out upstairs around their merchandise table during Hanson’s set and were enjoying themselves by dancing up a storm with members of the crowd in that area. It was clear that they meant what they said in the interview. When in response to being asked how the tour was going they gave it an “A+,” saying it has been “real fun” and “top notch.”

Oh, and if you are wondering exactly how Hellogoodbye sounds like Tom Hanks in his younger years, you are not the only one. On their web site, www.hellogoodbye.net, in the Q&A section a fan named Jeanie asked just that. Kline’s response reads, “I’d say classic Tom Hanks (mid 80s) had a nice modest confidence and a very attractive charisma, coupled with undeniably likable roles, that is embodied musically by everything we do.”

So head over to the Hellogoodbye web site and get “When We First Met” for free and see exactly what classic Tom Hanks sounds like embodied musically. Also, catch Hellogoodbye in concert the next time they come around.

Article: Hanson walks around Samford’s campus for a cause

Samford Crimson

Samford students swarmed Ben Brown on Tuesday, Oct. 26 to see Hanson host “The Walk” around campus. Along with TOMs shoes, Hanson has spent the last few years touring the country promoting action on behalf of those less fortunate around the world. This year, the band chose Samford as the Birmingham walk site on their “Use Your Sole” tour. After “The Walk,” the band performed a two-song set in Harry’s.

Following the concert, the Crimson had the opportunity to sit down with Hanson and ask them a few questions about what they do. Here’s what they had to say:

Crimson: How did you initially get involved with TOMs?

Taylor Hanson: We just started calling and we had a mutual friend who knew Blake Mycoskie (the founder of TOMs). We’re now good friends with him.

Crimson: What kind of work do you do with them?

Taylor: TOMs is one of the causes that we work with in our “Take the Walk” campaign.

Isaac Hanson: This cause has been a catalyst of inspiration for us.

Zac Hanson: It’s a good example of looking to the future, really. With TOMs, we are providing children with shoes. But we work with four other different causes under our campaign, too. We are working to drill water wells and build schools in Africa. We’re trying to help distribute antiretroviral drugs to people with AIDS and provide cell phones to people who don’t have other means of communication. They use the phones to stay in touch with their doctors.

Isaac: By using the cell phones, they don’t risk jeopardizing the doctor/patient relationships.

Zac: The patients need to have consistent contact with their doctors and this allows that.

Crimson: Why are you so passionate about these causes?

Isaac: For me, at least, it stemmed from personal experience. We had some friends who were donating cell phone technology to help people. It really inspired us. It helped us realize that the capacity to communicate and organize as a generation is greater now than ever before.

Zac: So many of the issues really are relatively small; they’re just compounded into something bigger. The first step is often the hardest. You have to look at each issue as an individual one to help people see that they can do something.

Taylor: Seeing ourselves and our peers in those rough situations brought a kind of catalyst. You meet people who are essentially you, almost, living in extreme poverty. We saw a real pathway to change after that.

Isaac: When you see the potential opportunities for change on a government or other level but it’s not happening, you wonder why. We realized we do have the capacity to fix these things.

Crimson: Tell us a little more about “The Walk.”

Taylor: “The Walk” is the gathering point. People pick one of five causes to walk for. Then we give $1 for each person who registers to walk. Each mile walked goes towards our “walk around the world.”

Zac: It really is around the world, too. And they’re not awareness walks.

Taylor: The walks are starting points to get others involved. It’s a kind of domino effect.

People learn about it and the issues it helps and they tell other people.

Zac: It’s many people doing little things to make big changes.

Isaac: I would never have thought there’d be this many walks. Other people have done so much. People all over the world are leading these things.

Zac: You can see that passion really opens doors.

Taylor: You know, the stats say that you can’t change things. But can’t just isn’t an option when you realize a whole continent is…

Isaac: … a giant graveyard.

Taylor: People are afraid to talk about things like HIV. Christians are afraid to talk about it. It’s a sensitive subject. But Jesus went out to work with the poor and the sick. He befriended and helped them. We’re called to do that. How can we not?

Article: Hanson draws crowd to bookstore

Vanderbilt University

Hundreds jammed into the Vanderbilt Bookstore to catch a glimpse of pop band Hanson, who visited campus to promote their Use Your Soul Tour and fourth studio album, The Walk.

Brothers Isaac, Taylor and Zac Hanson led an estimated 200 Vanderbilt and Belmont students on a barefoot walk, which started at the Belmont University campus and ended at the Vanderbilt bookstore, in an effort to bring awareness to poverty and AIDS in Africa. For every mile walked, the band’s foundation donates a dollar to one of five organizations that help to provide shoes, clean drinking water, health care and education to Africans in need.

At their Oct. 27 bookstore appearance, Hanson performed one song and autographed their CD as well as their book, Take the Walk. Thanks to the band’s efforts, 28,000 miles have been logged during their U.S. tour thus far. Hanson played a full concert later that evening at the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville.

For more information visit www.takethewalk.net/.

Article: Taylor Hanson Continues Barefoot Walk for Charity

Spinner

Now in their mid-to-late 20s, the boys in Hanson have not only left the bubblegum pop of ‘MMMBop’ behind — they’re dedicated to raising money for charities around the world.

Before every show on their current “Use Your Sole” tour, Taylor, Isaac and Zac lead fans on the “The Walk,” a barefoot, one-mile trek that raises money for AIDS, clean water and education charities, as well as providing shoes for the poor. The band donates $1 for every fan that participates in the walk, which is co-sponsored by TOMS Shoes. “We feel this walk is about setting the bar and we have the potential to make the greatest impact,” singer Taylor Hanson, 26, said at a recent walk at the University of Central Florida. “This walk is about the ability to reach out and be your own influencer.”

The trio has been working with TOMS, which donates a pair of shoes to African children for every pair it sells, since 2007 when they also released an album, ‘The Walk.’ In 2008, they released a coffee table book, ‘Take the Walk,’ which documented their efforts and included an EP of the same name.

Hanson is also set to release their as-yet-untitled eighth studio album in May, and are selling a five-song EP, ‘Stand Up, Stand Up,’ on their tour, which runs through Nov. 11.