Taylor Hanson and his brothers perform during The Hop Jam in the Brady district on May 17, 2015. TOM GILBERT/Tulsa World
For Mesen, Belgium, resident Ellen Van Looy, a visit to Tulsa this week to see one of her favorite bands — Hanson — was her first exposure to the United States and its culture.
Van Looy and her friend, Antwerp, Belgium, resident Laura Lauryssens, met about three years ago in Belgium and became instant friends over their shared love of the Hanson brothers — Isaac, Taylor and Zac — even having different Hanson lyrics tattooed on their arms. While neither was expecting Oklahoma’s unpredictable weather, which this weekend consisted of humidity, severe thunderstorms and tornadoes, both said the trip to Oklahoma for the second annual Hop Jam Beer and Music Festival was more than worth it.
“They are really genuine people who are dedicated to their art,” Van Looy said of the Tulsa natives. “It’s not about their fame or about their money. It’s about the art and what their fans get out of it. We’ve seen them in Europe a few times and people always tell us, ‘You have to see them in their hometown. They’re so happy.’”
Lauryssens and Van Looy were among thousands of people from all over the world who descended on Tulsa’s Brady Arts District on Sunday to see Hanson and sample beers from places such as Tulsa and Oklahoma City to Germany and New Zealand. VIP ticketholders lined up from the beer garden’s entrance to the Hop Jam’s stage in order to enter the area an hour early. Attendance to the event was free.
Attendance figures weren’t immediately available Sunday night.
“All the fans bond. It’s like one big family,” Lauryssens said. “In Belgium we are famous for our chocolate, beer and French fries. I wanted to try Mmmhops (The Hanson Brothers’ beer) but I was afraid I wouldn’t like it. It’s actually very good.”
Hanson first performed at Mayfest in 1992 and became internationally famous with the release of their single “MMMbop.” Most recently, the group released an album, called “Anthem,” in 2013 and also releases EPs to fan club members.
“Last year was my first time (in Tulsa) for the first Hop Jam, and I had a great time,” Long Island, New York, resident Jennifer Scheiner said. “It’s a great city. There’s a lot happening down here, and you can see there’s a great up-and-coming vibe.”
Scheiner met up with fellow New Yorker Zaida Ogando and Lake Havasu City, Arizona, resident Amanda Shaffner for this year’s show.
“They’re an amazing band,” Shaffner said. “I know that they inspire a lot of their fans, and it’s great to be able to come out here to this amazing city and celebrate that fact with people that love their music.”
Níle O’Hagan and her sister Rosalyn Murtagh flew to Tulsa from Northern Ireland earlier this week for the festival. While the siblings have traveled to Birmingham and London for past performances, an intercontinental trip is the farthest either has gone for a show.
“We dressed purely for sun,” O’Hagan said. “So it was a shock whenever we got so much rain, especially Saturday.”
Murtagh said each of the brothers’ albums was “cheery” and that Tulsans they’ve talked to were pleased but surprised to learn they traveled so far to see the band play. But the decision to travel was easy, she said.
“I was expecting a much bigger city, but everyone (in Tulsa) is very friendly,” she said.
The Hanson brothers told the Tulsa World earlier this week that they wanted the festival to be a part of the best possible representation of their hometown, saying they would carry what makes them Oklahomans wherever they go.
“They make connections with their lyrics that speak volumes to all kinds of people,” Bentonville, Arkansas, resident Kristen Lange said after taking a selfie with her new friend Aileen Pham, which showed them pointing at Isaac Hanson while he talked to fans in the beer garden. “They’ve said the evolution of music sticks with people throughout the years, and each (Hanson) song kind of has a different meaning as you go along in life.”
Pham, who traveled to Tulsa from Orange County, California, agreed.
“For me personally, it was cool to see siblings working together and creating music and making it,” she said. “It was inspiring to see someone who’s 12 or 14 try and make it in an industry that’s adult-dominated. It’s a great way to bring people downtown and showcase the beer in the community and listen to really good music.”