Hanson Marquee Theatre Tuesday, September 13
Hanson is way past "MMMBop." The band of brothers has come a long way since their 1997 debut album Middle of Nowhere. The Hanson boys are all grown up, and their material has matured as both they and their fans did.Attendance was lacking, but the crowd at the Marquee sounded like a thousand girls screaming at a concert in a mall, just like in the good old days of Hanson's youth.
Hanson offered fans an interactive experience in the weeks leading up to the show: the opportunity to vote on a set list. When given the choices of hearing Underneath, The Walk or Shout It Out, fans chose to hear their 2004 album Underneath. Just like Taylor said it would be in our interview with him, the show was a healthy mixture of new and old. The concept of performing an album of the audience's choice didn't make it feel like they were just on tour to push their latest record, but rather to give the fans exactly what they want (and in this case, what they voted for).
The acoustic break in the middle of the set was a toned-down highlight. Hearing a stripped down version of "Madeline" was certainly a treat. Later in the show, Taylor wailed on the blues harp during "If Only." The entire set was raw and pure, and they sure did put a lot of heart and soul into everything single song, whether anyone was crazy about hearing it or not.
Throughout the nearly two-hour period that the band played for, there was very little dialogue between them and the crowd. I'd attribute that to Hanson just being really into their music -- the band's songs sounded like perfect replications of the albums.
In that case, was it worth coming to the Marquee if their performance sounded just like their CDs? Hell yeah. This concert was something of a sentimental occasion for all of the grown up teeny boppers that were there. Not only was 8-year-old me excited to be there, but 21-year-old me was too, for the sheer sense of reconnecting with the tunes of my past and enjoying the band's more recent songs. I think a lot of people who were there felt that way.
Critic's notebook:
Personal bias: Hanson used to be my biggest guilty pleasure, but these days I admit to enjoying them guilt-free. That's right, I said it: I love Hanson.
The crowd: Almost everyone there was a girl in her twenties. There were a few dudes there, but they all looked whipped.
Random notebook dump: Those Hanson brothers...they're like that one kid in high school who could play every instrument he ever picked up. And I take back what I said about last Tuesday's Cold War Kids show being the smallest show I've ever been to at the Marquee. This was definitely the smallest show I've ever been to at the Marquee.
Set list:
Musical Ride
Waiting For This
Thinking 'Bout Something
Where's the Love
Strong Enough to Break
Dancing in the Wind
Get Up and Go
Crazy Beautiful
Underneath
When You're Gone
Broken Angel
Madeline
Been There Before
Carry You There
This Time Around
Deeper
Penny & Me
If Only
Give a Little
MMMBop
Lost Without Each Other
In the City
Encore:
Believe
