Detroit Review
They laughed. They cried. They screamed. A lot. Loud and
deafening screams- and shrieks.
Yes, the wildly popular band Hanson finally made it to southeast
Michigan, actually Clarkston's Pine Knob Music Theatre, on Monday
night.
Miraculously, the amphitheater and the metroplex are still
standing. Thousands of teen and preteen girls were left quivering- and
hoarse- in the band's wake.
Amber Earnest, who's 12 1/2, and Amanda Trautman, were among
them. Sitting-it was more like standing, screaming, jumping and waving
their hands- in Row FF on the left side of the pavilion, the girls
shared an experience they'll probably never forget, nor will their
parents, who shelled out 50 bucks a pop (nearly double the face value)
to scalpers so their daughters could see their idols in person.
It was the hottest ticket in town. The show sold out in eight
minutes, though a second has been added July 28 at The Palace, making
the Detroit area the only place in the country to get two Hanson shows
on their recently launched "Albertane" tour.
::edited out teenie statements::
The audience, nearly 90 percent female, waved handmade banners
that proclaimed "Hanson Rules" or their undying love for the Hanson
heartthrob of their choice. The screaming started early, around 4
p.m., when a crowd of 10,000 fans pressed up against the entrance as
the brothers performed their soundcheck. Some passed out from heat
exhaustion.
By 7:30 p.m., when opening act Admiral Twin came on, things had
pretty much died down. Except the screaming, of course.
::edited out stuff about parents and where they waited during the
concert::
About the only breaks the Hanson brothers have not gotten have
been in their schedule. They've gone from singing at county fairs to
15,000-seaters like Pine Knob in three years.
Seventeen-year-old Isaac, 15-year-old Taylor, and 12-year-old Zac
Hanson have been performing for seven years now. They're kids, but
they're vets.
It showed in the earnest, adrenaline-filled performance they gave
last night, the seventh stop on their "Albertane Tour" (named for the
fictious Martian capital from one of their songs) and only their
second U.S. stop.
They have something many of their peers in bubblegum's new wave
don't- talent. They're not prefabricated. There is a very organic
quality to the brothers' youthful sound, maybe because they write and
arrange their own hook-filled songs and play their own instruments.
As ear candy goes, their stuff is pretty good. The fact that
catchy songs like "Mmmbop" have a little weight to them lyrically only
makes them that much more appealing.
Monday's concert squeezed 22 songs into a fast 95 minutes. The
brothers seemed to genuinely marvel at the crowd's enthusiasm ("This
is awesome," Taylor said), which was never baited with contrived
choreography or cloyingly cute gimmickry.
This is a real pop-rock band, augmented by a second guitarist, a
bassist and a backup keyboardist. Theirs is more rock concert than
dimple pageant, though the crowd squealed with delight at just about
every tight facial shot on the video screens.
They played all their hits from last year's major label debut
album, "Middle of Nowhere," including a pumped up version of "Mmmbop,"
a buoyant "I will Come to You" that ended with some nice three-part
harmony and a breezy version of "Weird".
They dipped into the recent "3 Car Garage" compilation songs from
their first two independently released albums, with "Soldier," the
story of a toy soldier that falls in love with a broken ballerina
doll, an obvious crowd pleaser. They also pulled out a few unreleased
songs, with Isaac's dramatic solo ballad "More Than Anything" earning
screams of approval.
And they bared their rock, pop and R&B roots- the brothers were
weaned on'60s classics- opening with a medley of the "Gimme Good
Lovin'" and "Shake Your Tail Feathers," closing with the Who's version
of Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues".
And, in honor of their stop in Detroit (and a visit to the Motown
Historical Museum), they served up a lively, acoustic version of
Barret Strong's "Money."
Though they could easily milk a crowd with minimal effort, the
brothers seemed intent on working hard for their applause. their
humility seemed genuine. Spunky Zac, who squirted the crowd with water
from a large Super Soaker, offered a pair of drum sticks to one little
girl and stepped precariously on the barricade to shake another little
one's hand.
Oldest brother Isaac (Ike to fans) is more of a presence onstage
than he is on TV, and his voice is more powerful than expected, though
his guitar playing was pretty average.
Taylor, the most attractive and most popular of the three, is
more soulful, less of a rocker than his older brother, and he's a kid
who seems unfazed by his immense popularity.
Zac, whose bored, sullen expressions suggest a pre-adolescent
Charlie Watts (the Rolling Stones' stone-faced drummer), is a steady
if unspectacular drummer who holds down the beat without unnecessary
flash.
The group's competent musicianship, appealing harmonies and
genuine character, adds weight to its lightweight melodies and squeaky
clean image. It's heartwarming to see so many moms and daughters (and
a few dads and sons) singing, dancing and waving their arms together
in obvious joy.
That's a feat that few performers can accomplish these days. Rock
music traditionally has polarized parents and kids, but Hanson has
found a way to bridge the gap.
Mark my words, these Hanson kids are here to stay. They're for
real.
Email: mmmtay@ilovechocolate.com
