FANGIRL: “MMMBop” was just the beginning

By | August 1, 2022
0 Comment

The Anniston Star

callie wells

Lincoln resident Callie Wells with Hanson during the band’s 2020 ‘Back to the Island’ destination event in Jamaica. From left to right is Zac, Isaac, Callie and Taylor.

Submitted photo

It was the spring of 1997 when Callie Wells, age 11 at the time, heard a new song on the radio. It was “MMMBop” by pop music band Hanson, a trio of harmonizing Oklahoma brothers named Isaac, Taylor and Zac. “That bright, poppy music struck a chord in my young heart,” Callie said.

[Subscription needed at the source]

From the Archives, 1997: Hanson hysteria grips Southland

By | August 1, 2022
0 Comment

The Age

Fans are whipped into a frenzy at the Southland Hanson concert.

Fans are whipped into a frenzy at the Southland Hanson concert.CREDIT:JOE CASTRO

Wall-to-wall screaming teenagers, mostly girls, jammed the Southland Shopping Centre car park at Cheltenham yesterday.

Anyone who walked away from the American group Hanson mini-concert without ringing in their ears was not really there.

A distressed fan is attended by a member of St. John’s Ambulance
A distressed fan is attended by a member of St. John’s AmbulanceCREDIT:JOE CASTRO

More than 20,000 hysterical fans were in pop heaven when Hanson brothers Isaac, 16, Taylor, 14, and Zachary, 11, performed a short but spirited set.

They are on a whirlwind promotional tour of Australia.

When the group took the stage just after 11.30am, the crowd surged forward, jamming young girls against a barrier.

While security guards were lifting about 50 distressed fans to safety, some being taken away on stretchers, the Hansons pleaded for calm.

“Everybody step hack… we don’t want anybody to die here,” said Taylor Hanson.

From then, the only discomfort was caused by the pitch of the screams once the blond trio, dressed in simple pants and skivvies with their hair in ponytails, had launched into their first song, ‘Madeleine’.

The group, with Isaac on acoustic guitar, Taylor on tambourine and Zachary shaking a maraca, performed three more songs — ‘The Man from Milwaukee’, ‘A Minute Without You’ and ‘MMMBop’, its smash hit.

Tears flowed as each girl mouthed the words and hopped to the beat.

Their devotion was rewarded by an encore of a perfectly harmonised, a cappella rendition of ‘MMMBop’ — and then the idols were gone.

It was all too much for distraught Greenvale youngster Erin Nelson, 14.

“I want Zac to come back – why can’t they ask them to come back?” she pleaded.

The St John Ambulance treated 48 People for minor complaints. “I think for most of them it was just hysteria,” a spokeswoman said.

“It was a very young age group and they got a little bit overcome with hyperventilation or just being tired and emotional.

“Most of them we just sat them down and, once they stopped crying, everything was OK.”

Two people were taken to hospital, one with a back injury, the other with possible concussion.

About 30 people had slept the night in the car park to ensure a front spot.

Mrs Lee Stevens, daughter Tiffany, 11, and friends Brad Osborne, 13, and sister Rebecca. 11, from Laverton, slept in sleeping bags and on blankets near the stage.

Mrs Stevens said: “My daughter said, ‘I’ve got to go, I’ve got to go up the front, I’ve got to see them’.

“And I said yes, without hesitation. This is like the Beatles and Elvis, or Skyhooks, when I was young. If a mother can’t fulfil her child’s dream, who can?”

The crowd started building at 5am. By 11am, with Hanson due, it stretched the length of the undercover car park on the western side of the shopping centre.

The event was to have been in the shopping centre but safety concerns prompted Southland management to stage it in the car park.

The Hanson group screamed on to the rock music charts in May with ‘MMMBop’. Although its words have no apparent meaning, the catchy tune has hooked fans worldwide.

According to the Australian Record Industry Association ‘MMMBop’ was nine weeks at the top of the singles chart before falling to second last week.

‘MMMBop’ is said to have sold more than 140,000 copies in Australia since its release on 19 May.

Review: Hanson gives fun, crowd-pleasing performance at packed Empire Live

By | July 31, 2022
0 Comment

Times Union

Isaac Hanson, Taylor Hanson and Zac Hanson (back) of Hanson perform at the SiriusXM Studios on May 20 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images)

When I was in middle school, Hanson was such a big deal. Brothers Isaac, Taylor and Zac Hanson were intensely popular tween idols because of their hit single “MMMBop” and quadruple platinum-selling CD “Middle of Nowhere.”  

When high school rolled around, the Hanson craze had died down, replaced with a fervor for Backstreet Boys and ‘N Sync. But Hanson rolled with the changes, spending its post-pubescence recording on their own label and pursuing a sound indebted to ‘80s-era Steve Winwood and Elton John. 

On Thursday night, Hanson made a stop at a nearly sold out Empire Live. In front of an enthusiastic audience, los hermanos delivered an energetic two-hour set that showcased their musicianship and vocal abilities and encompassed material from throughout their 26-year career.

While the audience was lively and engaged throughout, the singles and album cuts from “Middle of Nowhere” and its immediate follow-up compilation sets went over best. Hanson busted out “Where’s the Love” as its second song of the night and fans gleefully sang along and spun their index fingers in the air for the chorus’ “’round and ‘round” refrain. Main set closer “Man From Milwaukee,” coming on the heels of “MMMBop,” earned the biggest response of the night and had folks absolutely losing it.

From a performance standpoint, Hanson played these tracks with an earnest joy and visible enthusiasm. They also wisely adjusted to the fact that Taylor has a considerably deeper voice now at 39 than he did at 14 and lowered the tuning on them accordingly so he could still sing them and do so competently.

“Red, Green, Blue,” the latest Hanson LP, consists of three, five-track sections where each brother tackles lead vocal duties and takes the role of bandleader. This approach carried over to the live show and its presentation of new material. Taylor took the reins for the rootsy-ish ballad “Child at Heart” and offered a solo acoustic rendition of “Save Me.” Isaac sang “Write You a Song” and led the band through the blues-rocker “Cold as Ice.” Zac stepped out from his drum kit to play keyboard and sing a track, and also sang lead on the arena rock-lite “Don’t Let Me Down,” which was highlighted by some phenomenal lead guitar work from touring guitarist/keyboard player Dimitrius Collins.

While nearly half the audience left after “MMMBop” and “Man from Milwaukee,” Hanson offered up a two-song encore. Opener John Calvin Abney blew some mouth harp on the first track and the band ended with the uptempo “Lost Without Each Other.” The remaining fans went nuts for it, ending the night on a energetic note.

Abney played a sturdy half-hour set of folky singer-songwriter fare. The audience was fairly polite and Abney noted repeatedly that he understood folks weren’t there to see him. Still, his set was solid, and in a smaller venue like Caffe Lena with concertgoers more inclined to dig on acoustic singer-songwriters, it probably would have killed.

Hanson
with John Calvin Abney
When: 8:00 p.m. Thursday
Where: Empire Live, 93 N Pearl St., Albany
Length: Hanson, 2 hours 6 minutes; John Calvin Abney, 30 minutes
Highlights: Hanson’s “Don’t Let Me Down,” “Man from Milwaukee” and “Lost Without Each Other
The crowd: Not quite up to the venue’s 1,000-person capacity, but close, mostly female and very excited to be there. 

Hanson – August 2, 2022 at the Corona Theatre

By | July 27, 2022
0 Comment

The Montreal Online

Hanson – Red Green Blue 2022 Tour

Emerging on the world stage in 1997 with the ubiquitous smash single “MmmBop”, HANSON, the pop-rock band of brothers Isaac, Taylor and Zac Hanson, introduced themselves to the world. Blending their influence of soul and rock n’roll with a love of song craftsmanship, the brothers quickly earned stardom and also respect from peers, earning them three Grammy Nominations and millions of albums sold.

HANSON’s focus on the long game was apparent from the start of their career, with their admiration for touring acts like the Grateful Dead who cultivated fanbases outside of the fickle radio world. Today the beloved band is heading into their 30th year performing together (25 since their major debut), and is in the coveted position of having an active global fanbase and independence as owners of their label where they have self-released music since 2003. Knowing their history informs the bold moves they continue to make, and frames the world tour and new album project which marks their return to the world stage in 2022.

The RED GREEN BLUE Tour and Album utilize the inspiration of colors to reflect the unique creative voice of each brother, with a third of the album written and produced by each individual (Taylor’s Red, Isaac’s Green and Zac’s Blue).

“Going into our 30th year as a band we felt like it was imperative we continue to tell our story like only we can, and telling stories in ways that will continue to challenge us to grow and give people new reasons to listen. Red Green Blue is about sharing what has made us a band that has been able to weather so many storms,” said Isaac Hanson.

The project also brings together a team of collaborators, with the album co-produced by Grammy award winning Producer, Engineer and Mixer Jim Scott (Tom Petty, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Wilco), and Grammy Award winning Artist and Producer David Garza (Fiona Apple, Midland, Sharon Van Etten).

“Our love and respect for Jim Scott has only grown since we first met 20 years ago. He has been behind some of our favorite albums, so it was an absolute joy to have finally made a project together,” said Taylor Hanson.

Added Zac Hanson, “We have had a long friendship and a deep connection with David since our early days as a band. We could not have had a better musical collaborator for this milestone project.”

Fresh off of the release of Against The World, featuring seven songs released consecutively each month, the prolific band of brothers are reinforcing their deep musicality and credibility as writers, performers and producers with the new project. Leading up to May’s full album release of RED GREEN BLUE, fans got a taste of the trifecta of sound, with a single featuring each of the brother. On February 11th Taylor’s earnest and dynamic “Child At Heart”, March 11 saw the release of Isaac’s organic and heartwarming “Write You A Song” and April 15 featured the rock infused pop of Zac’s “Don’t Let Me Down”.

Founded in 1992 at ages eleven, nine and six, brothers Isaac, Taylor and Zac spent their first five years building a fanbase as an independent band in Tulsa, OK, performing both classic rock ‘n’ roll and soul music and their own original material, to form their own unique blend of harmony-driven, soulful pop-rock. This unlikely focus was forged by an early introduction to music from the 1950’s and early 60’s, with the young brothers citing influences from Aretha Franklin to Otis Redding, The Beatles, Elvis, Little Richard and Chuck Berry. This formed the bedrock of their musical inspiration, helping to forge their signature sound which incorporated strong melodies and song craft, as well as reverence for their musical forefathers.

HANSON has never been driven by trends or fame, but instead is fueled by the personal drive to create great art, inspire connection and cultivate community. Those qualities are at the root of the band’s longevity and lasting connection with fans.

Corona Theatre
Tuesday, August 2, 2022

To purchase your tickets visit: www.evenko.ca