Robert Plant, Alison Krauss concert among centennial shows announced at Cain’s Ballroom

By | January 23, 2024

Tulsa World

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Cambry Shields, Tulsa World

Cain’s Ballroom will be celebrating its centennial with Robert Plant and Allison Krauss.

A news conference was staged Tuesday at Cain’s Ballroom to launch the iconic venue’s 100th year.

Three centennial concerts were announced, including a Plant and Krauss show. They will launch a summer tour June 2 at Cain’s.

Hanson, a homegrown pop-rock trio, will perform in December. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit will return to Cain’s Ballroom for May 5 and May 6 shows.

Cain’s debuted in 1924 as an auto garage before becoming a dance academy, the Bob Wills-fueled birthplace of western swing music and, ultimately, a 100-year honky tonk with a rich history.

“I got this to say,” former Cain’s Ballroom owner Larry Shaeffer said when he took his turn at the microphone on the stage. “At last, at last, thank god at last, Cain’s made it to 100.”

Shaeffer called Cain’s Ballroom one of the most revered venues in the U.S. and reminded attendees that few places like Cain’s exist nowadays.

The Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts & Culture — or Tulsa FMAC — partnered with Cain’s to kick off the centennial year celebration with an event that included the show announcements and attendees sampling Cain’s Centennial Beer, courtesy of Marshall Brewing Co.

“We are going to celebrate all year long, but this is the beginning,” said Renee McKenney, president of Tulsa Regional Tourism.

Meg Gould, executive director of Tulsa FMAC, said it’s because of Cain’s Ballroom that Tulsa is known as a music city. She talked about working with the city to make sure Cain’s is “acknowledged and recognized for everything they have done.”

Mayor G.T. Bynum called it a great day and issued a proclamation in Cain’s Ballroom’s honor. He said Cain’s is a special place for Tulsans.

“Just having grown up here, I have so many special memories at Cain’s,” he said, sharing specifics with the crowd.

Bynum said attending a show at Cain’s is like hanging out in a small club with the world’s greatest artists. Shaeffer mentioned Van Halen, Annie Lennox, the Pretenders, the Police, Bon Jovi and U2 among acts who have played Cain’s.

Shaeffer said he “was lucky enough to bring guys in here — and girls — and watched them grow.”

Shaeffer, who owned Cain’s Ballroom for about 25 years, said the shows at Cain’s are unforgettable and that that’s due in part to the “other” stars of the building — the people who showed up to support the shows.

Bynum said it’s important that, as the centennial of Cain’s is celebrated, people know they are not celebrating the centennial of just a building. There are other old buildings in Tulsa.

“What makes this special is it’s an institution,” he said, pointing out that an institution is an institution because of people — “not because of brick and mortar, but because of the dedication people have to that institution.”

Bynum credited Shaeffer and the current owners — the Rodgers family — with preserving Cain’s Ballroom. Shaeffer also praised the Rodgers family.

Co-owner Chad Rodgers, speaking on behalf of the family, said his parents recognized the importance of Cain’s, both for Tulsa and for music history, and took a big leap of faith in purchasing the building in 2002. He thanked his brother, Hunter, who has worked alongside him in shepherding Cain’s to its centennial, and a Cain’s Ballroom staff that he considers family.

To show appreciation for the support that Cain’s has received over the years, Chad Rodgers said some free concerts are being planned. Details will be announced later, and new merchandise will arrive soon.

Rodgers made the Isbell concert announcement before turning over the microphone to music artist J.D. McPherson, who recently returned to Tulsa from Nashville. McPherson, who has shared stages with Krauss and Plant, handled the announcement about their Cain’s show.

Rodgers returned to the microphone to announce the Hanson show and told the audience that Taylor Hanson was in the crowd.

“The Hansons have been friends of Cain’s for many years, and it is always a pleasure working with them,” Rodgers said.

Wes Alexander, Marshall Brewing Co.’s director of sales and marketing, said a release party for the Cain’s Centennial Beer will be held at Marshall Brewing Co. at a later date.

SONGS THAT WILL CHEER YOU UP (AND GET YOU THROUGH BLUE MONDAY)

By | January 16, 2024

1075 Cool FM

Blue Monday, often considered the most depressing day of the year, can hit us hard with its combination of post-holiday blues, short weather, cold weather, and the return to routine. Lucky for us, some songs have the incredible power to uplift, energize and cheer us up.

To help you combat the Monday blues, here’s a playlist featuring some feel-good tunes that are sure to bring a smile to your face.

8. HANSON – “MMMBOP”

The upbeat and catchy tune of “MMMBop” by Hanson is a throwback to the ’90s that will add a dose of nostalgia to your Monday. Hopefully its carefree vibe will transport you to a more carefree time. If that doesn’t work, consider that an MMMBop is a reminder that time passes quickly so you need to reach for what is important and meaningful.

“A lot of people ask what ‘MMMBop’ means … Well ‘MMMBop’ as a word, it represents time. It represents the fact that time passes very quickly … And so in a story about reaching for what’s important and kind of driving towards the impossible dream, ‘MMMBop’ is telling you: go now, go now, go now, because in a moment, in an ‘MMMBop,’ life will be over and have passed you by.”

— Zac Hanson

New Feature: Cover Songs

By | January 12, 2024

The setlist pages on the site have been updated with a cassette icon next to songs that are covers.  Now you can easily see which songs in each setlist are not Hanson originals.  This feature is available on mobile and desktop.

As always, if you have any issues with this new feature, please let me know at blog@hansonstage.com so we can troubleshoot!

*Still working hard on figuring out the log in and reset password glitches, but had this feature already done that doesn’t require logging in to see! As soon as things are working I will make a post!*

 

The Suggestion Box Is Open!

By | January 11, 2024

*Priority is going to be fixing the reset password and log in issues that are currently going on, but once that’s done I’ll be looking for something fun to try!*

The suggestion box is once again open!  At the end of 2022, I challenged myself to try and add 1 new feature a month for all of 2023.  I am happy to report that I was successful with that endeavor.  I do still have a bit of a back log of some past suggestions I will be working through, but am always looking for more ideas about what you’d like to see!  I am completely self taught and will look into attempting anything that is suggested (within reason).  Sometimes it take me years to figure it out, but I almost always do!  Leave a comment or email blog@hansonstage.com with any thoughts or ideas you have, and I’ll see what I can come up with!

January – Milestone show surprise

February – Songs Played Live by album [from a suggestion]

March – Shows by Date

April – Albums on Lyrics pages [from a suggestion]

May – Users at shows, Public member pages [from a suggestion]

June – Numbered shows! [from a suggestion]

July – % heard  [from a suggestion]

August – Photo Gallery

September – Albertane Tour ‘Zine

October – Concert Achievements

November – (More) Concert Achievements

December – Shows with others! [from a suggestion]

 

As always, if you like the work I’ve been doing and would like to help offset the hosting costs of the website I do have a virtual tip jar! Any amount helps!

Virtual Tip Jar

BTTI 2024 Song Stats

By | January 9, 2024

Back to the Island was one for the books! We had 7 live debuts, 12 BTTI debuts, 2 full band BTTI debuts and 2 repeats for a total of 89 songs over the event (not including the special guest songs they joined in on!)

Debuts:
Island in the Sun  (never before played)
Kokomo  (never before played)
Feelin’ Alright (not played since 2009)
Mother of Exiles  (only played virtual / at Isaac’s side project show)
The Weight of Emotion (BTTI debut)
Where You Come From (BTTI debut)
Trembling  (never before played)
Working (BTTI debut)
Speechless (BTTI debut)
The Gift of Tears  (Only played virtual)
Semi Hollow (never before played)
We Belong Together  (never before played)
So Lovely (Full band BTTI debut)
Grace Unknown (Full band BTTI debut)
(Also I Was Born was the first time Taylor did it solo)

Hanson played 89 songs live, 87 unique. (Hand in Hand and Back to the Island were repeats)


Middle of Nowhere

MMMBop
Speechless
Where’s the Love
A Minute Without You
With You In Your Dreams (Taylor solo)
Man From Milwaukee
Cried


This Time Around

You Never Know
If Only
This Time Around
Runaway Run
Dying to be Alive (Taylor solo)
Can’t Stop
Hand in Hand -2 (Isaac solo)
A Song to Sing
Lonely Again (Isaac solo)
Smile (Isaac solo)


Three Car Garage
River (Isaac solo)


Underneath

Dancing in the Wind
Penny and Me
Lost Without Each Other
Broken Angel
Deeper (Isaac solo)
Get Up and Go
Hey
Every Word I Say (Taylor solo)        


The Walk

Been There Before
Georgia (Taylor solo)
Tearing It Down
             


Shout It Out
Waiting For This
Thinking ‘Bout Somethin’
Give a Little
And I Waited
Use Me Up (Zac solo)
Musical Ride


ANTHEM

I’ve Got Soul
You Can’t Stop Us
Get the Girl Back
Juliet (Zac solo)
Tragic Symphony


Roots and Rock N Roll EP

 I Believe in a Thing Called Love    


Van Wilder
The Ugly Truth

 
Strong Enough to Break
Out of My Head

Boomerang
Back to the Island – 2

Watch Me Bleed (2003)
Down
 
Never Let Go (2005)
So Lovely
Never Let Go (Taylor solo)
    
Time & Trouble (2010)
Ordinary Words (Isaac solo)
 
Facing the Blank Page (2011)
Sunny Day (Taylor solo)
 
No Sleep for Banditos (2012)

Chasing Down My Dreams (Zac solo)    


Sound of Light (2013)

On and On (Zac Solo)
Call Out My Name (Zac solo)
Roller Coaster Love
Best of Times
Sound of Light     


Music Made For Humans (2014)

White Collar Crime    


Inside the Box (2015)

Dance Like You Don’t Care
Grace Unknown   


Loud (2016)

Ooh La La La
No Rest for the Weary   


Middle of Everywhere – The Greatest Hits

I Was Born (Taylor solo)                            


In Color (2017)

Somebody That Wants To Love You
I Don’t Want To Go Home   


Animal Instincts (2018)
Working


In Real Life (2019)

 The Ballad of Seymour Better Times     


Continental Breakfast In Bed (2020)

Dressed in Brown Eyes
Good Days        
Begin Again


Perennial
Nothing Like a Love Song

 


Red Green Blue

We Belong Together
Semi Hollow
Write You a Song
The Gift Of Tears
Cold as Ice
World Goes Around
Don’t Let Me Down   


White Rabbit (2022)

 Trembling


Ambient (2023)

The Weight Of Emotion
Where You Come From    

Unreleased
Mother of Exiles                                                  

Cover
Back to the Island
Feelin’ Alright
Island in the Sun
Islands in the Stream
Stir It Up
Three Little Birds
Kokomo