Mums lounge

I went through this phase of sleep-shopping/other things on the internet.

First time, I spent $70 on iTunes of 90s female pop songs (Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera albums) and changed my ring back tone on my phone to Hanson’s Mmmbop!

Another time I woke up and my computer was open to a form nearly complete for forming a 501(c) (a non-profit).

Macomb Daily

Hanson — seen at an earlier stop on its Underneath: Experience Tour — played the first of two shows at the Royal Oak Music Theatre on Tuesday, Oct. 8 (Photo by Trevor Niemann)

Screaming fans have been part and parcel of the Hanson experience since “MMMBop” vaulted the sibling trio to teen pop stardom back in 1997.

But can the faithful really bring the noise when the band is being deliberately quiet?

They certainly did on Tuesday night, Oct. 8, when Hanson played the first of its two Underneath: Experience Tour shows at the Royal Oak Music Theatre — just one of 12 cities the trek is visiting this fall. This was the acoustic set of the pair, albeit with some electric guitars, bass and keyboards but stripped down and at lower volume than Wednesday’s, Oct. 9, show will be. And while the fans did their share of screaming on Tuesday, but they kept it to a welcome minimum and even paid rapt attention to what was truly an unusual and special show from the band.

The acoustic setting offered Hanson a chance to dig a little deeper into its catalog and also to present the 22 songs in a manner that showcased the brothers’ vocal harmonies and instrumental dexterity, as Taylor and Zac Hanson in particular handled multiple instruments throughout the night. The nearly hour-and-45-minute show also displayed the space and sophistication of their songwriting; it’s pop, sure, but the Hansons hail from classic influences — nodded to by Tuesday’s covers of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s “Teach Your Children” and a back-to-back pairing of Paul Simon’s “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard.”

And the new version of the “Underneath” album’s “Penny and Me,” dubbed the “Moonlight Version” and re-arranged in the style of Nick Drake’s “Pink Moon,” offered another peek at where Hanson comes from and why its tunes have melodic merits beyond their undeniable hooks.

The brothers exhibited their individual differences via their attire — oldest Isaac in a white shirt and necktie, Taylor in a work shirt and red neckerchief, Zac (who managed to get in a quick plug for Hanson’s MMMHops beer brand) in leather jacket and T-shirt — but they performed like musicians who had been playing together, well, their whole lives. The “Underneath” album was duly celebrated with six songs beyond “Penny and Me,” including the show-opening “Strong Enough to Break” and the previously unreleased “Out of My Head” from the new “Underneath Complete” compilation. But Hanson also drew from seven of its other releases, delighting the near-full house with renditions of “Madeline,” “Georgia,” “Deeper,” “Runaway Run” and, of course, a breezy romp through “MMMBop.”

Isaac played “Hand in Hand” solo, while Taylor followed with a solo piano version of “Every Word I Say,” and the trio paid warm tribute to opening act Matthew Sweet before playing “Underneath’s” title track, which he co-wrote. And while acoustic implies laid-back, the closing portion of Tuesday’s show was anything but, with Hanson and its two additional musicians charging through “Dressed in Brown Eyes,” “Out of My Head,” “Thinking ‘Bout Somethin’,” the buoyant “This Time Around” and the anthemic affirmation “I Was Born.”

The gospel-flavored “I Will Come to You” was the night’s sole encore — and appropriate choice, too, as Hanson, along with opener Phantom Planet, will come to fans again for an electric show Wednesday, Oct. 9, at the Royal Oak, 318 W. Fourth St. Doors at 6 p.m. 248-399-3065 or royaloakmusictheatre.com.