A Day With Hanson
Ever Wonder What It Would Be Like To Hang Out With Hanson For A Day? On The Day Of Mtv's Live At The Ten Spot,I Did Just That...And It Went Something Like This-
The day beings as any other the brothers Hanson. They slide out of their hotel beds and head for the breakfast table. Isaac grabs a bagel with cream cheese, Zac the same and Taylor works up a concotion of an untoasted bagel with butter.
They wash it all down with milk and OJ. Breakfast is fleeting, and it is time
for school to begin. They start today with history and listen attentively while their dad speaks of the French Revolution. Ike gets on the net to see what he can surf up about the topic, Tay is soon quoting facts about the revolution that he has located on their CD-ROM encyclopedia and Zac takes notes and interjects an occasional question.
The enthusiasm makes it immeadiatley clear that history is a favorite of the guys.
The euphoria wanes when the history books close and the math books open. Zac appears undaunted and jumps right into his long division. Ike and Tay are noticeably less excited about their various levels of algebra. Just as the good Dr.Food exposed their dislike for vitello tonnato,I relate to their dislike for the manipulation of polynomials. They all work for at least an hour and complete their respective lessons without a hitch.
The guys let off a sigh of relief and the math books fly back into the backpacks, seemingly at the speed of sound. It is time for English, more specifically journalism. Tay retreats to a corner of his room to write a report on the Getty museum where the guys recently visited. Isaac is compiling his thoughts and notes about all that goes into putting a tour together.
And Zac, lying in the hall, is working on a "top secret" project. When I inquire as to what he is writing, he smiles largely, puts his hand on my shoulder and says ever so politley, "I could tell you, but then I would have to kill you." On a second thought, I don't really need to know what he is writing. School begins to wind down for the day but not really.
They are constantly learning, be it from a book or from a museum or landmark. I have learned that the life they lead is a constant education.
Before they leave for the Hammerstein Ballroom (the place where the Mtv concert is being filmed) they must go through the ritual of vocal warm ups.What an odd practice this seems to be. Each guy grabs a small tape deck and goes to separate corners of their hotel room.They proceed with their various warm ups which to my untrained ear sound more like the desperate cries for help from a wounded wildebeets.
After a half on hour or so they emerge with crisp, smooth voices. They liken the process to a runner stretching before a big race. Makes sense to me. With our departure time for the Hammerstein rapidly approaching, they have to pick out their wardrobe for the day. They choose their clothes and are informed that since this is a TV shoot they will have to have some make up. None of them are excited by it but agree that make up can make the occasional blemish, caused by that late night chocolate bar,a bit more tolerable. The van arrives and everyone departs for the Hammerstein. Upon arriving the guys check out the stage and are quickly swept away to another room where MTV's John Norris is waiting to interview them.
The room is beautiful and upon closer persual it seems to be the room from the last Wallflowers' video. The interview goes well and now it's time for a break.
The guys have two dressing rooms that are small but adequate to accommodate them and their family. One room is filled with food, stuff for sandwiches, chips,
candy and soda. The other room has a couch or two and some chairs. The break lasts just long enough for them to have some lunch and talk a little about
tonight's show.
The manager knocks on the door and lets the guys know it's time for sound check.They head to the stage and go through the ten song set. A few problems with their newly adorned ear monitors are quickly worked out and Ike, Tay and Zac set out for the back entrance where the van is waiting. The driver circles the block and when we arrive at the front entrance of the ballroom we all exit the van and filter through the screaming crowd.
Despite the rain, many die-hard fans have been waiting for hours. The guys wave and let the fans know how much they are appreciated. Once inside it is off again to another interview, this time with US magazine. Composed but excited, the guys answer the questions set before them, most of which they have heard million times before, and in less than 15 minutes they are done and heading back to the dressing room for a much deserved break. No tension, no nerves, just a band goofing off. After a half an hour or so the knock comes again. Time for the show to begin. A few nerves begin to appear but none of the guys are scared, eager would be the better word.
The crowd is anxious to the nth degree and voices (loudly-VERY loudly) show their appreciation for the guys as they walk out on the stage in near darkness. When the music begins, the first few notes of "Gimme Some Lovin," an excited roar begins that will not cease for the next 45 minutes.
The show goes well and Hanson seems to impress all that attend, from fans to media, they all love the show. Ike, Tay and Zac leave the stage and walk right into a brief interview with MTV'S John Norris and a new VJ addition Jesse, who seems impressed but bewildered.
It's finally back to the dressing room and just as everything seems to wind down we are startled by the shrill screams of some fanatical girls who took it upon themselves to scale the fire escape and sneak backstage. The guys seem unaffected and are primarily concerned for the girls' safety as they are balanced perilously on the skinny fire escape stairs.
Ike and Tay help the girls down and the security politley escorts the giddy young ladies down the stairs. The guys are all smiles but look at each other with an "okay, that was a little weird" expression. They sit and relax while the crowd clears out. The show is over but the work is not done.
Next comes the traditional "meet and greet" with fans, v.i.p.'s and radio guests. Finally after about a half an hour we depart for home. Well, not home, but their home on the road. Another thing I have learned from being with Hanson is that home is where their family is.
The vibe is the same whether they are in a hotel room or relaxing in their room in Tulsa. They are a tightly knit bunch. Ike, Tay, Zac and the fam gather up all their stufff and we all walk out to the awaiting van.
We hop in and head back to the hotel. Conversation is light as most everyone is exhausted. When we get back to the hotel we realize that we did not eat dinner and order up some room service. A rare occurence with this clan, they usually opt for a fast food burger or burrito over room service but hey, it's easy and it's getting late.
Everyone but Ike, Tay, Zac and myself fall asleep almost immediately. We settle down and watch a movie, "Volcano," starring Tommy Lee Jones. The guys watch intently and we pass around a bowl full of candy bars and a bag of white cheddar popcorn (not one of their favorites but one of those things you find yourself eating because it is there).
The movie ends but our room service never comes. We call to inquire and apparently they got they wrong room number. Perhaps three orders of penne alfredo were delivered to Puff Daddy's room. At any rate, we are tired and tell them not to worry about it. It's the end of a long day and we are all ready to hit the proverbial hay. They all head for the sack, the light switch falls and so ends my day with Hanson.
Email: totallytaylor83@hotmail.com
