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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