Toronto Experience

Okay! I had the most amazing Hanson experience! It started on June 22nd 1998. I was staying with a friend I had met on the Internet a year earlier her name is Megan and her sister Christina! I also had Erin with me, Erin is 12, and All 4 of us are HUGE Hanson fans! Okay here is my review from our experience! On Monday we decided we want to get down to Toronto early! So we finally got into Toronto at about 11:20Pm. It took us a few minute to get too Much Music from the Go Train Station we finally found much music! There wasn't anyone there yet! So we just waited and looked in the window and since my mom was with us she went around to the side of the City TV door and just walked inside. We asked if they knew when Hanson was going to be there and they told us that nothing had been confirmed yet. They had told the exact same thing the whole week prior to this. So we just waited and asked again in a few minutes they said they didn't know. So at about 12:15pm we decided to go eat lunch and come back later on. Since Erin hadn't ever been to planet Hollywood we decided to go there and juts kinda jokingly we had said that Hanson might be there! So we grabbed a seat and kept an eye for 3 blonde guys! =) We sat and decided what we would order we kinda just wanted fries. When they waiter came he was like can I make some suggestions? We were like sure! Okay for Hanson fans that really know their stuff this will give u shivers (it might not but it did to me) He was like can I suggest the SPRING ROLLS? As SOON as he said Spring Rolls MMMBOP started playing in the restaurant! I kinda started screaming/laughing. And the waiter had no idea what was going on so he was like WHAT!?!?! The spring rolls are Good… I was like ohhhh its not that! So we just ordered fries and burgers. There was a piece of paper there and JUST INCASE Hanson came ( u never know) I wrote If Hanson comes here Give this to them, then I wrote like Amy Christina, Megan and Erin say hi, then I wrote, see you at your concert and stuff like that, then I wrote P.s. try the spring Rolls and Dr.Pepper =) hehe! So then we were eating and I was like Erin I dare you to ask him if Hanson's coming here and she was like ok! I wasn't really paying attention cause I though that he would be like WHO!?! And be like NO! So I was just eating and Erin goes "is Hanson coming here?" and the waiter was like "YES!" and I was like "AHHHHHH!" and then he's like " We just don't know when, check with the hostess" So then after he left we started freaking out! The whole restaurant was looking at us, but ask if we cared! So we finished eating and gave the waiter our little piece of paper we wrote for Hanson, and asked the Hostess if they were coming. He said he'd go and check for us. SO that guy disappeared for like 10 minutes. He finally came back and said he Hanson had not confirmed yet but that we could keep calling. So he gave us his number! Then we left! We just checked out the CN Tower and headed back too Much Music! We got there and there were like 10 girl out side and they had on Hanson T-shirts and we asked them if they knew if Hanson was coming for sure and they said yeah and that Much Music had announced it on TV at 12pm that Hanson would be there at 4:00pm. We started freaking out and stuff so THEN I got pissed off because they had told us that they didn't know anything at 12:15 and they had announced it on TV!!! That they were gonna be there! So I walked up to the security guard and was like excuse me u told us to come back at 4pm and that u didn't know it they were coming then he was like IM sorry. We ALSO found out that they had given away all the wristbands to get inside. We were Kinda upset about that cause I mean if we had stayed a few extra minutes we could of actually been INSIDE with Hanson =( So we just got a place at the window… Time kinda flew by it didn't feel like 2 hours although we were dripping in sweat and Erin looked as if she was gonna pass out any second so my mom kept getting us water and stuff like that for her! Then my mom came over and asked for a camera incase Hanson drove by her! And they DID! At almost 4pm Hanson drove in, in a light blue budget van we heard people screaming so we turned around and Hanson waving at us from their van! After my mom came back and said she had gotten a picture of them getting out of the van =) So FINALLY they came out in to Much Music the pushing got SO bad! When they came out Hanson looked right at US! And waved! And I told Erin to keep waving at Zac! Zac finally waved at Erin and we both started to scream! Erin was so happy. And actually Erin was the only person Zac waved at! She was soooo excited and I don't blame her it was the first she had seen Hanson in person and Zac waved at her =) ( WAY TO GO ERIN) hehe okay Taylor Smiled at me ( I'm still recovering) And he kept looking into my camera!!! And Isaac smiled and waved also! I KNOW we looked like awful because we were all sweaty and gross.. geez nice way to meet Hanson! Hehe =) then they did the interview we couldn't hear a lot of it because I was paying attention to Taylor but I could make out some of it and it was funny =) I Must say when Taylor walked out I almost dies because that is the HOTTEST I have ever seen him in my life okay? I was like WHOA! Okay then I think the interview lasted an hour and half, including commercial and all! Then Hanson left =( BUT we got out of there and ran over to where they would be pulling we got right in the front and since all my pictures were gone I took Erin's camera from her! We saw Hanson come out of Much Music and wave to us AGAIN! =) and then it looked like they were going to go out the OTHER side but they didn't! And as they were driving by they waved to us again! And I took about 4 pictures of their van and them pulling away! We were sad that , that was over but hey we still had another FULL day ahead of us! So after that we headed back to planet Hollywood to see if Hanson was coming but they guy that we talked to earlier said that Hanson couldn't make and that they had cancelled =( but he said that they would probably reschedule so we were like okay thanks! And we left! And so we headed to the Royal York hotel INCASE Hanson was staying there! We didn't see a Blue van but we went inside JUST incase! We went in and looked around for Hanson or anyone that might be associated with Hanson we even kept a eye open for Admiral Twin! We looked really out of place considering we were all sweaty and it in shorts and the peoplple there were in business suits! Erin again went up to the front desk and ask if anyone by the last name of Hanson staying there! They lady said she didn't know and that she couldn't give that information out anyways. So Erin came back and we decided to CALL the hotel from inside the hotel ( okay we're freaks) and ask if Jarrod Gollihare was staying there. We called and asked but they said no one by that name was staying there. So we just took a peek in the restaurant but didn't see anyone so we just decided to leave because we had to catch the Go-Train back home! SO we did that and we got home at about 7-8pm. Then it was time for us to go to Walmart and get stuff to make signs for Hanson, We tried to get our Much Music pictures done at the 1 hour developing place but they said they couldn't do it so we were like okay nevermind! We found this really cute teddy bear for Hanson, some markers and paints to make a sign and we got some more film and disposable cameras. As we were headed to check out I saw the pet section and I was like GUYS! Let's get Wickit a bone! SO we did! WE got like a chew toy! IT was kinda funny! Anyways we paid for the stuff and left! When we got back to Megan's we started to work on our signs for the concert the next day! After we took a break we went upstairs to watch TV we decided to watch and see if we had taped the Much Music Interview cause we had left a tape recording when we left to go pick up the stuff for signs… we rewound a bit of the tape and pressed we screamed when we saw Hot Taylor on the Tv screen! So we rewound the rest of the tape and watched the whole interview! IT was a awesome interview except for the part when Taylor admits he HAS gone on dates before =( After that we finished making our signs at about 1am or so. We a bunch of signs what we wrote on them were: ADMIRAL TWIN, CANADA LOVES HANSON, ZAC IS MY DRUMMER BOY, WE LOVE ZAC, TAYLOR YOUR LOVE IS RIGHT HERE, HANSON RULES, ZAC CAN WE PLAY SOCCER WITH YOU?, CHRISTINA AND ERIN BOTH LOVE ZAC, THIS TIME LETS MAKE IT 150 DECIBALS, And WE LOVE HANSON, And Finally we had a HUGE Sheet sign that said SAY HI 2 Amy Megan Christina Erin. We had also gotten 2 beach balls to throw into the audience during the concert! We got all the stuff we needed for the next day into one big pile and went to bed! TUESDAY JUNE 23rd 1998 We woke up at 6:30am so we could be ready by 7:15 for Megans mom to drive us to the Go-Station! We only brought the Sheet sign and the sign that said ADMIRAL TWIN and On the back Canada Loves Hanson so wouldn't have to carry all of them around all day. So we got in the car and headed off to Tronoto! I don't even remember what time we arrived in Toronto at. But we found the bus we needed to take to the Molson Amphitheater which was right outside of the North York hotel! Which we though Hanson was staying in! We looked for tour buses but didn't see any! SO we got on the bus and headed off to the Hanson concert! As we were driving by Casey's ( A restaurant) Megan saw a White Tour bus but since my back was to it I couldn't see. It only took about 10 minutes to get to the Molson Ampithater. We hoped off the bus and headed over to it. When we got there at almost 9am probabaly earlier there were already about 20 girls there waiting to see Hanson! There was already a Blue tour bus inside! The way the Molson Amphitheater is set is really neat because we HAVE to see the tour buses go in, there's no "secret entrance" well at lests Hanson didn't use it if there way =) From the parking lot you can see exactly where the tour buses go and the back of the Amphitheater where the bands hang out backstage. After about 10 minutes of standing there a white tour bus starts to pull in! Megan was like Oh mi God that's the tour bus that was at Casey's. The security girl was like this isnt Hanson, its crew, but wave just in case! So we did and we held up our Say Hi 2 sign! We watched the bus pull in but we didn't see Hanson get off it. We got in line because some people had told us that the first 15 people with MOE cards in line could go backstage so that's why I was there, we later found out that, that was a bunch of crap because NO ONE with MOE cards ever got backstage passes, not even during the concert =( We met some really nice people in line, some crazy ones too =) but that's okay! Later on me and Megan decided to go inside Ontario Place to check it out. We found this place where you could go on it and it over looks the parking lot where the buses pull in! It was kinda like a balcony! We stood there for a while and met some more people =) And then we went and bought some lighters with a few other people! I forget what time but around lunch time my mom and Erin and Christina met up with us and asked us to go to lunch with them, we were like no way we aren't going to lunch ever again and risk missing the chance to see Hanson! So they said five and headed off! We went back up on the balcony And stood there and talked for a while! After a while we heard all the people in the parking lot screaming, and we see 4 guys walking through the parking lot. The only thing that ran though my mind was ADMIRAL TWIN! So we yelled HEY! Are you guys Admiral Twin! And they were like yeah! I was like you're lying cause anyone could say they were. But then we held out our Admiral Twin sign and they were like LOOK! Cool and Brad was filing us with a video camera and came over to us! Then one girl was like which one of u is Jarrod Gollihare! The blonde guy was like that's me! So I said can I get your autograph, he said Sure! SO I ran down t them and handed him my Official Hanson Book! He asked us if we actually read the book or looked at the pictures! Then we asked what time Hanson was coming and he said "Oh they should be here by about 3:30pm!" Then Jarrod asked us if we had the Unlucky CD Megan told him she ordered but just didn't get it in the mail yet! He said that they would be playing songs off their CD during the concert! So we were like cool! Then I told him to look for our sign when they were in there and he said ok and that he will! Then we said bye! And they left!! It was really cool! Then we walked around for a while and stayed on the balcony! After a while a Blue tour bus pulled in and everyone started screaming! Cause the bus pulled down to the back doors! I thought it was Hanson but no one got off! But the Bus came back up and parked beside the other two buses that were already there from before! Only one guy got off it and started hooking it up or something! So we watched him for a while in case Hanson was on it. But then some stupid security guards kick all of us out of there! By then there were tons of people! The block it all off so we could stand there anymore! So we went out to the parking lot and set up on the side. We were the first there so if Hanson pulled in we would be the first people they drove by! So at about 3:30 ( exact time Jarrod had told us) A another Tour Bus pulls in! Everyone started screaming because obviously this was Hanson, arriving just in time for their sound check! I didn't notice it at first but Walker was crouching down in the front video taping us! When we actually realized it was him, we waved! Then we thought Hanson was probabaly watching us too so we waved and took a few pics of them! They kinda slowed down on the bridge! Because theres a little river kinda thing that splits the parking lot from the Molson Amphitheater ( its hard to explain) Anyways after that we ran over to the edge of the river! The bus pulled own to the bottom of the parking! The side doors opened and out popped HANSON! Zac was crazy waving and Taylor was waving too! I took a few pictures and then Isaac came out of the bus a bit behind the rest of the guys! Then they went into the back of the Amphitheater! IM not going to say All of the times they came out on the balcony cause they did about 5 times or so! There were balconys at the back that every so often they would come out on and say hi and waved! Then all the fans screamed! We were going to walk to the back of the line when we saw a lady from Global news interviewing some girls. So we walked over and then she started talking to us and when she asked where we were from she decided to interview us! So she asked where were from and how long it took us to get there and a few other things and then she said so Canadina fans scream the loudest and we were like YES! So she asked us to give them a sample so we did! And then that was it =) Later that night we were on Global. It was really cool! Anyways at about 5 Hanson started their sound check and we could hear them! They practiced Good Lovin' I didn't hear a lot of it cause I went to the bathroom! But then we sat down in a circle so we could get all of our stuff ready to go inside! We had to hide our cameras! And we wrote message to stick on the teddy bear we bought for them and we wrote a funny little message for Wickit on the bone! Then we got all ready, stuck our signs in to a bag and headed back out to the parking lot to go inside! When we got out there the line was HUGE! But Hanson came out side AGAIN! And all the fans went crazy! The line was too huge to get to the back of so we just picked a spot to jump in when the line started moving! We met a few people from the USA a mother and her little girl were from Alabama ( or somewhere like that) and two other girls were from New York! I could tell they weren't from Toronto because of their Accents! But it was really neat! Then FINALLY the lines started moving to let us in! we hoped in! We got up to where they checked out bags! The girl told me to open up my bag so I did, she told me to move my jacket so I did willingly because I didnt have a camera in there, and then she told me to open up the plastic bag I had in there And I did even though my camera was wrapped up in a beach ball she pointed to it and was like whats that!? And I was like oh Just a ball she said okay! Then asked if I had a camera or Food and I said no And she let me though! All of us got through with our cameras! Then we started screaming and running to our seats the guy told us not to run so we slowed down and started to speed walked to our seats when we got in there we screamed again cause our seats were pretty darn close =) we got our seats and sat down! This was at about 6:00pm Then our friends we had met earlier in the parking lot came in and they were sitting behind us so we talked to them! Two other girls we met earlier had gotten better seats and were now in 200th section so I went over and said hi to them too! Then me and Megan went to the bathroom when we got back Erin And Christina had given their Soccer ball they got for Zac to a guy who was taking gifts for Hanson at the backstage door so ran down and gave him Wickit's bone and Hanson's teddy bear! Then we wrote stuff on the beach balls like Hanson rules and just stuff like that! Ever time Hanson would come up on the Concert listings screen Everyone would scream and it was really cool, most of them did the same for Backstreet Boys! Then at 7:30pm Admiral Twin came out and me and Megan held up her sign for Admiral Twin! We tried to make sure they saw us :o) And I think they did! We were only one of the few people standing up so that was cool! Then they finished but I have to say they are REALLY good! Then fished and since were on a angle we could see exactly what was going on backstage. They put up this screen so u couldn't see but we still could! The group of 8 of us screamed when we saw them bring out Tay's keyboards! Then it took them a while to set the whole thing up! When we saw Taylor come to his keyboards we all screamed! Cause not many people could see them Then the lights went out and they turned on the concert lights! They dropped the screen and for a second it looked like it was going to get caught, but it didn't and it dropped, Taylor looked SO hot! Isaac and Zac did too! But don't they always? After the first song Taylor took of the shirt he had on top and he had on that famous Live at the Ten Spot TIGHT white T-shirt! Ahhhh I almost fainted! Anyways through out the whole concert the security guard kept coming over to us and saying that they were going to take our signs away cause we were holding them up too long! So sorry an anyone who was behind us and couldn't see! But then we decided to run out of our seats and down to the stairs that led to the 100th section ( floors seats) That was cool because we were so close then! During the first set of songs Megan threw her beach ball in to the crowd and it actually made it on stage and Isaac KICKED OUR BALL when it got on stage =) it was sooo cool! Then I think they actually saw us keep getting kicked back to our seats! Near the end of the concert I threw mine in to the crowd and made sure Isaac was looking our direction when we did! Mine made it to the stage too but then some security guard took it off ! I was like HEY! But it was still really cool! And during songs like I Will Come to You, Weird, and With you in your dreams we used our lighters! It was So amazing! And they so so awesome! I don't exactly remember what songs they sand and in what order I just know they were so amazing! I know that for a encore They came back and Zac was like I cant Beleive you actually though we left! And then they sang Ain't No Cure Fort the Summer Time Blues and Man From Milwaukee! And during MMMBop Taylor was looking our way =) When it ended they waved and said bye! It was really sad that they were gone but still it was SOOO amazing! We planned on meeting them so we got all our stuff off the floor said bye to everyone and headed back out to the parking lot! As we were walking out Megan spotted our beach Ball that Ike had kicked so we asked the people for it back but they did give it back so we were happy about that! Then we made it back out the parking lot in one piece! We went over to the spot where we sat when Hanson came in the first time! But Hanson came out on the balcony again so everyone started screaming again! After a while the crowd started to thin out and TONS of people left! We stayed cause we didn't wanna miss a chance to actually meet Hanson! We sorta just layed down on the ground and waited! Finally there were only about 20 of us left! Then we spotted 4 guys walking away from the parking lot! It was Admiral Twin! So no one else would say anything so I yelled Jarrod and they all stopped Erin wanted to get their autographs and Megan wanted to get the rest of their too so Megan Christina and Erin all got theirs and we told them that it was a good show and then we let them go but they were really cool :o) So we headed back to where Hanson was coming out and there were only 8 other girls and their parents left so we waited for Hanson to come out! Then they came out on the balcony and all of us were like okay stay calm and don't scream so they came out and were like Hey Taylor and he was like Hey you guys then we yelled Hi to All of them and they said Hi! We said Good Concert and Then we asked Can You guys come over and see us Please and they said Maybe! Then they headed back inside and we yelled Bye! But hey! We had a conversation with Hanson! It was soooo cool just actually knowing they HEARD us… That's probably the closest I'll ever get to meeting them! But U never know, miracles happen. =) Okay so then we just kinda waited and talked then we noticed 4 guys walking through the parking lot! I was like hey! Its admiral Twin so me Megan Erin and Christina kinda ran after them, no one else would say anything so I was like JARROD! They stopped and Erin asked them if they could hang on for minute while she ran back to get a piece of paper and a pen for them to sign so they waited and Megan got the rest of their autographs! I just kinda watched them. I even forget what we talked about but we were there for about 10 minutes Then I think we said they were Really awesome and they said thanks! Then they had to get back to the hotel cause they were leaving for Boston the next morning! So we were like Bye and headed back over to where Hanson was! We could still see people in the rooms we could every so often pick out Taylor, Isaac and Zac and then the people left the rooms and were now on the ground floor! You could kinda tell they were saying goodbye And they some crew and stuff got on a tour bus and I think the family got on a separate bus and Hanson got on the last tour bus! The first tour bus started to pull out and the security guards told us to back away so we did but we were really close we all stayed calm too! Then when they bus got on the bridge it slowed down and then as soon as it got in the parking it STOPPED! I think my heart skipped a few beats! Then the next tour bus pulled out and STOPPED too! I was like Please god please let them come out! I told Christina to hold out the pen so it looked like she wanted their autographs we were all standing paitently in a line just waving… not screaming so its not like they had to be afraid of us or anything! Then the third tour bus pulled out which I think had the family on it! Maybe crew but u never know. Then that bus Stopped behind the others too! By this time I think I was going to faint, I mean Hanson HAD to of seen us! I mean come on we were the only people left standing in the parking lot and we were all on one side! Then the tour bus we saw Hanson get on started to pull out! They started coming over the bridge and I was like please stop please stop please stop the it comes into the parking lot and guess what… yup.. it STOPPED! So we just waved and stuff! We were trying to look into all the windows but it was hard because they were REALLY tinted =( But we could see outlines on bodies and Im pretty sure I saw people looking out every so often but when they realized we were looking in the window at them they sat back! Erin was pretty sure she saw Avery or Jessica and I think she did too because we could kinda see kids running back and forth! Then I was looking in and I saw a guy in a white T-shirt ( ummm taylor? I sure hope so) looking out I could kinda just see his eyes! Then I pointed for Christina to look but then whoever it was sat back so we couldn't see them anymore =( BY this time we were on the other side of the buses where the doors were. All of a sudden a woman with LONG blonde hair ( obviously it was Diana) got off one tour bus with a young lady with short brown hair and got on to another one! We were still waving but STILL no one got off! The buses were there for about id say 20 minutes! But then they started to pull out =( I was like COME BACK! But they didn't and they pulled out of the parking lot and drove off =( that was the last we saw of Hanson but I mean look how close we ALMOST came to meeting them! After that we all just left we finally convinced Megan mom to drive by the Royal York hotel but we didn't see any sign of Hanson so just drove by! It's a experience im sure all 4 of us, probably even our moms will never forget! Maybe next we will actually get to meet them face to face! It was a amazing two days and im sure Erin Christina and Megan would all say the same thing too =)