By Malka Falcon Edited by David Rabkin Photos by Malka Falcon
Hanson at The Fillmore was still great after all these years. The first concert I ever went to was Hanson in 1998 at the Shoreline Amphitheater. My inner fangirl came out last night, 24 years after the first time I saw them. I was so elated. The show was an exhilarating mix of the nostalgic and the new.
The Fillmore crowd included many 30-year-olds, but also many second-generation Hanson fans sporting old-school 90s Hanson t-shirts. Hanson’s bluesy, funky music is easy to enjoy in recordings, but even more thrilling live.
The Hanson fans exploded into applause when the band came out.
Hanson is great at engaging the crowd. Throughout the night they asked questions and got energetic responses, and they encouraged everyone to sing along. Isaac told the origin story of one song – his number one fan, an 8-year-old (who he gestured was as tall as his leg), demanded her own song, so he wrote one for her. That fan was his daughter. Taylor told the back story of a new song that was about their first manager who helped shape their early career. Zac was silly, at times dancing with himself, having fun, other times doing push-ups and running in place. The fans loved it. There was so much swaying, jumping, and dancing.
The band was great about including and highlighting their two non-brother members. They called them out by name over and over and said they couldn’t do it without them. In the music industry, many side musicians and hired guns are treated poorly, so this is refreshing. It also aligns with Hanson’s reputation as a group, and their individual personas, of being kind people.
In their stage banter, the band discussed sentimental things, including that they have been playing music for 30 years. When “Mmmbop” hit, the whole audience seemed to pull up their cameras for videos and photos. In a nutshell, Hanson still has it. It was cathartic. I cried many times. It was like being back at the 90s show – a simpler time. The opening act complimented Hanson well. Grand Southern is based in LA, and has two members that are from the Bay Area. They played their crowd-pleasing, bluesy, Hanson-esque rock steeped in American classic rock. There was a lot of cheering throughout their set. In particular, the crowd loved the cover of “Summer of ’69”. The band has great stage banter, and the lead singer was funny. Overall, they play very danceable music, which got the crowd swaying. They played a half hour set, and the audience was a little upset that they didn’t play longer.
I look forward to catching Hanson again soon. Hopefully it won’t be in 2046, after another 24 year gap. But if it is it’ll be worth the wait.
HANSON are a multi-platinum three-time Grammy-nominated pop-rock trio, selling over 16 million albums, and performing concerts to over 3 million fans. Founded in Tulsa, OK in 1992, the band established a regional following before making a meteoric rise to international fame with their major-label debut, Middle Of Nowhere, lead by the ubiquitous single “MmmBop,” which was a #1 single in 27 countries simultaneously. They have garnered a string of consecutive top 40 singles, seven studio albums, two Christmas albums, and five live releases. The band founded their independent record label in 2003, a story which was chronicled in their acclaimed documentary Strong Enough To Break, a crucial step in the band’s ability to maintain their coveted connection with their global fanbase. 2017 marked the band’s 25th Anniversary Middle of Everywhere Best Of release and world tour, featuring the new single “I Was Born”, followed by 2018’s String Theory symphonic album, which saw the band perform alongside leading symphonies in some of the world’s most prestigious venues on the accompanying tour. In addition to their musical endeavors, in 2007 HANSON launched their Take The Walk grassroots campaign to provide poverty and HIV/AIDS relief in Africa. In 2013, they launched HANSON Brothers Beer, premiering their new venture with a signature Pale Ale, Mmmhops, and in 2014, they launched the Hop Jam Beer and Music Festival in Tulsa OK, which is among the largest craft beer and music events in the country.
SEPTEMBER 2022
2 – Los Angeles CA – Ace Theatre
3 – San Diego CA – Humphrey’s Concerts By The Bay
4 – Phoenix AZ – The Van Buren
6 – Las Vegas NV – Brooklyn Bowl
7 – Salt Lake City UT – The Depot
9 – Denver CO – Paramount Theatre
10 – Kansas City MO – Uptown Theatre
11 – Wichita KS – Cotillion Ballroom
13 – Austin TX – Emo’s
14 – Dallas TX – House of Blues
LATIN AMERICA
SEPTEMBER 2022
25 – Mexico City MEXICO – BlackBerry
27 – Guadalajara MEXICO – Teatro Diana
28 – Leon MEXICO – Foro de Lago
29 – Queretaro MEXICO – Teatro Metropolitan
OCTOBER 2022
1 – Monterrey MEXICO – Pabellon M
4 – Santiago CHILE – Teatro Coliseo
6 – Buenos Aires ARGENTINA – Teatro Gran Rivadavia
8 – Montevideo URUGUAY – La Trastienda
11 – Porto Alegre BRAZIL – Teatro Bourbon Country
12 – Curitiba BRAZIL – Live Curitiba
14 – Ribeirão Preto BRAZIL – Arena Eurobike
15 – Sao Paulo BRAZIL – Espaco Das Americas
16 – Uberlandia BRAZIL – Arena Sabiazinho
19 – Brasilia BRAZIL – Centro de Convencoes Ulyess Guimaraes
21 – Rio de Janeiro BRAZIL – Qualistage
AUSTRALIA 2022
November 2022 dates to be announced later this Spring
ALBUM AND SINGLES:
Fri February 11 – “Child At Heart”
Fri March 11 – “Write You A Song”
Fri April 15 – “Don’t Let Me Down”
Fri May 20 – Red Green Blue Album
Visit Hanson.net for more info and tickets
