One-time teen sensations Hanson, or as some might call them The Original Jonas Brothers, will play some area dates at local House of Blues venues this week, including the Hollywood location on Friday, November 14th followed by a stop in Anaheim on Saturday, November 15th. The “MMMBop” singers will be certain to sing some of their newer material along with some older hits.

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AT THE PHOENIX

Who: Hanson, with Matt Wertz, Everybody Else

When: 8 p.m. Wednesday

Where: Phoenix Theater, 201 Washington St., Petaluma

Tickets: $25

Information: 762-3565, www.thephoenixtheater.comBy any standard, it was a formidable line of fans waiting for a show at the mammoth South By Southwest Music Conference this past March in Austin, Texas.

The object of their devotion was not some new indie-minded trend-setter, but Hanson.

Yes, the trio of Oklahoma-bred brothers who gave us “MMMBop” are cool again, basking in critical praise for their latest independently released album, “The Walk,” and courting a mix of old and new fans on the road.

Always a magnet for screaming girls, brothers Isaac, Taylor and Zac — now ages 27, 25 and 22, respectively — are looking out at a different niche in concert crowds: guys about their age, with their own bands.

“In the last five years, we have really resonated with younger guys starting bands now,” Taylor Hanson says in a phone interview.

“I was blown away when we were at South By Southwest because some guy in the audience would say, ‘My band’s down the road at this club and I remember when I saw you play drums at this show.’ ”

At least one band vaguely reminiscent of Hanson — the Jonas Brothers — is sparking teen hysteria with the help of the Disney Channel promotional machine. Although he doesn’t see similarities in the music, Hanson isn’t without a twinge of deja vu.

“There’s a surreal quality to looking at that audience and the sudden awareness of that band by so many people,” he says. “From their perspective, I hope they are able to harness whatever is most authentic about what’s going on right now and make a career.”

For Hanson, the road to sustaining a career led them outside the major labels. On two independently released albums, “The Walk” and 2004’s “Underneath,” the brothers have been able to make their own decisions.

The new release has sparked a wave of activism. Stops on the “The Walk Around the World Tour” include one-mile barefoot pre-show walks by the band and its fans to fight poverty and AIDS in Africa. The location of each walk is disclosed three hours before it happens at Hanson.net.

So far, the band has walked more than 6,000 miles toward its goal of 24,902, the circumference of the Earth. There also is a coffee table book and EP inspired by the project.

Fans also can organize their own walks at the band’s Web site. The band will donate $1 for each walk to buy shoes, support clean water, schools, medical research and health care. Hanson also teamed with California-based TOMS Shows to send 50,000 pairs of shoes to Africa.

The idea, Hanson says, is to use the independent avenues that have sustained the band’s music for a larger purpose.

“We’ve got so much access to one another today that didn’t exist even 5 years ago, and we need to use these ways we communicate as avenues to make a difference.”

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If you haven’t been following Hanson since the “MMMBop” days, you’ll be happy to know the adorable tween blonde threesome from Tulsa grew up to be profitable, passionate and extremely savvy business men and musicians. They’ve released numerous albums and DVDs, toured all across the globe, and somehow fit in enough time to all get married and spawn a few Hanson kids of their own.
Isaac, Taylor and Zac Hanson are currently on The Walk Around The World Tour, a cross-country expedition that landed in Chicago at the House of Blues November 3rd and 4th, 2008. They’re promoting a new book and EP Take The Walk, the second of which tells stories of individuals taking action to fight poverty and AIDS in Africa. The unique thing about this tour is that before each show, Hanson walks a mile with fans, and for each mile a dollar is donated on each walker’s behalf-by the band-to one of five causes the walker can choose from. The causes range from building a school in Africa to a partnership with TOMS shoes to provide 500 pairs of shoes to African children, all on behalf of Hanson and their fans. They also have a site where you can donate, learn more about each cause, and also register to host your own walk to help raise funds.

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Philadelphia and its surrounding suburbs are home to several concert venues. The Keswick Theatre is one of these many venues. Located in Glenside, Pa., it is about a half hour drive from Eastern. On Oct. 29, pop-rock band Hanson stopped at the Keswick Theatre on their Walk Around The World Tour.

Glenside is a town similar to Wayne with many shops, restaurants and cafés lining the streets. Amidst all of this lies the Keswick Theatre. It is a small venue that holds 1,300 people. There is a parking lot located right behind the venue, but it fills up quickly so additional parking is available along the street or two blocks down the street at New Life Church. If you choose to take the train into Glenside, the theatre is just three blocks north of the train station.

The Keswick Theatre first opened in 1928. Since then it has undergone several transformations and was almost demolished at one point in time. Today, gold curtains line the stage of the Keswick, and ornamental gold plaster designs decorate the ceiling above. Blue and gold fabric drapes the walls, and red cushioned chairs cover the floor. The theatre has impressive lighting effects. Flash photography is not allowed inside the venue. There is a concession stand inside that sells snacks and beverages.

The Keswick was designed to have exceptional acoustics. This provided a great atmosphere for Hanson and their opening acts, Everybody Else and Dave Barnes, to perform acoustic and electric sets.

Hanson played a variety of songs ranging from “Great Divide” and “Been There Before” from their latest album The Walk to classics like “MMMbop” and “Where’s The Love” from their 1997 album Middle of Nowhere. They also performed covers of the songs “Higher” and “Soul Shine.”

The crowd was pumped up not only for Hanson, but also for the Phillies. Hanson joined in on the Phillies spirit by dedicating their song “This Time Around” to the Phillies and congratulating the crowd on their World Series win.

Before the concert, Hanson took part in a one-mile barefoot walk with their fans to raise money to fight poverty and AIDS in Africa. They do this before every show and donate $1 for each person that walks. The goal of the Walk Around The World Tour is to walk 24,902 miles, the distance of the equator. Hanson inspires fans to host their own walks in order to reach this goal.

Upcoming shows and ticket information for the Keswick Theatre can be found at www.keswicktheatre.com.

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