(The pic above is of Me, Ashley, and his fiance. He's really nice! Isn't his fiance pretty?)
After Heather and I got back from the Kansas City concert, I got on the net and got on the Hanson forum. It turns out that around 11:30 a.m. when Hanson were supposed to be coming to do the Meet and Greet in KC, that Ike was posting on the forum! lol! So maybe that's why they were late! Anyway, I found out that fans weren't going to go to the Cotillion in Wichita where the concert was very early. Heather and I were originally thinking that we needed to get there around 7 a.m. to get good seats. See, the seats were general admission. So first come, first serve. So we got up around 6 a.m. The drive to Wichita was going to take a long time! Around 3 hours. I had directions printed out from mapquest, but I was very nervous about getting lost because I've driven that far without my parents. So we headed out of my town around 9 or 10 a.m. It took a little longer than planned to actually find the cotillion, because streets in Wichita aren't exactly labeled! I won't get into that! But we had to stop and get directions at a gas station to find the place. Heather and I were going to get a hotel in Wichita because there was no way I was going to want to drive back home after the concert late at night. So we went to the Cotillion to pick up our tickets, and see how long to line was to get in. There were about 15 or 20 people already there. Heather got in line, and I left to go find us a hotel. To make a long story short, I finally found a hotel. Hint to underage people, if you want to get a hotel, be over 21! Every hotel I went to wouldn't let me in cuz I was under 21. Even the hotel we stayed at almost didn't let me rent a room. The guy was like, "How old are you?" I was like, "19" and he looks at me like he's about to say I can't have a room, and I'm like, "Please? I've been trying to get a room and no one will let me!" So he says he's not supposed to, but he will if I promise to be quiet. I promise, and I get the room. It was a pretty nice room for $50. So then I go back to the Cotillion and find Heather and get in line with her. By this time it's around 5:30 p.m. It took me around two hours to find a hotel!! So then we're standing in line, and they say the doors will open at 7 p.m. It was outside, and very hot and we were all starting to sweat. It wasn't nearly as hot as waiting outside in KC, though! So then I decide to leave the line, and go walk around the back of the Cotillion to see if I can see Hanson's tour bus back there. So I walk back there, and I don't see any tour buses. But when I'm walking back, the backstage door opens, and this girl in a Hanson shirt comes out, and I start talking to her. She says that Hanson hasn't come yet. She says that she knows some radio people, and that's how she got back there. I tell her I hope she gets to meet Hanson. She says she does too, then she goes back in. So then I go stand in line for the rest of the time. They have these guys coming up and down the line telling us we can't take cameras inside. I give my camera to Heather to hide in her purse because her purse was much bigger than mine. So then at 6:30 p.m. they say if we're calm they'll let us in early. So they start to let people in, and it wasn't calm! People were totally running. As soon as I got through the doors, I took off running. I just followed everyone. The cotillion reminded me of a skating rink. There were seats and concessions in the back, and in the middle was this big wood floor with a stage in the front. So at first I'm in the middle, in the front, but then I try to move to the right cuz I wanna be on Tay's side. Don't worry, I don't have a thing for Tay or anything, I just like being on his side. =) So itz still like an hour before the show will start. I'm already being smooshed by people who are still getting let in the door and running up behind us. But lucky me, I work my way up to the very front again! heh...somehow I just have this way of getting myself in the front at everything I go to. And I do it non-violently, too. I don't shove or anything. So I'm already getting to where I can't breathe, and it's sooo hot, and everyone is sweaty already, and the show hasn't even started. Did I forget to mention that this was a radio show with other artists besides Hanson? Well, Hanson were I think 4th or 5th to go on. So the first band was Neve. At first I totally didn't like them cuz these girls behind me kept screaming in my ear and like jumping on me trying to get my spot. I wouldn't budge. So eventually I start to get into Neve's sound. I think a large part of that was due to Tommy, the bass player. He and I made some eye contact. =) He's very sweet. I met him after the show. So then they leave, and Sonique comes on. Her performance totally disgusted me cuz she had these two male dancers who--no offense--looked really gay, and they kept doing nasty freak dancing. Ew! So then she got off, and Hoku came one, I think...yeah. She was OK. I don't care for her music. Everyone around me, though, was being VERY mean to her and kept telling her to get off stage, and telling her she sucks and stuff. I felt sorry for her. So then after Hoku everyone knew Hanson was coming, so everyone started pushing and tyring to get closer. I don't know why people push at a concert. Listen, if you're in the back, and you push people in the front, it's not going to get you any closer! Do you think that you can just push them on out of the place or something? It only makes people in the front push back, which starts all these pushing fights. Wich, of course, happened. I was soooo frustrated by people who kept pushing me and trying to pull me out of my spot. I must tell you I've never fought so hard in my life to keep my spot at a concert! It was like a huge war! But I wasn't as squished at this concert as the one in Kansas City in 97, believe it or not! That concert was the absolute worst! But at least at that one I didn't have to fight people off to keep my spot! They just pushed. Anyway, Hanson had JUST arrived right after Hoku got off stage. Like, they hadn't even been in the building yet! So we got to see them walking in to go backstage. A few minutes later Zac talked from backstage. He did that at the Dallas show. Then they came out. The crowd went totally insane, screaming, and pushing and just losing control. It was scary! I didn't have my camera, because Heather was no where to be seen, but it turns out that would be better, anyway! Read on! So they sing Runaway Run first, and I'm sooo getting into it cuz let me tell you that Tay and I were having this eye contact fest. LOL! I don't want to be one of those people that go on and on about how much Tay looked at me, but it's true. It's probably because I was sweating so much, and he was like, "Ew, look at her sweat!" lol! Whatever it was, every single time I looked at Tay he was looking right at me. I was in the front, so it was pretty obvious. The girl next to me kept looking at me, and at one point she was like, "Hey, Tay keeps staring at you." Anyway, so I was just staring at Tay and singing along to all the songs. This was the best concert I've ever been to! I can't really remember the order of the songs, but here are some of the songs I remember them singing: Where's the Love, MMMBop, If Only, TTA, Wish That I was There, and In the City last of course. Tay shook the hands in the front row, and during In the City he did his famous running around stage thing. Also, Tay jumped up on the speakers on the far left side of the stage for a while!! It was funny!! Then he jumped down. Oh, also! THis is sooo funny!! But one time Tay was leaning down to shake hands, and he kinda fell into the crowd. Like, he totally fell off the stage! He had to climb back up onto the stage. It was funny! He wasn't hurt or anything. That wouldn't have been funny! So I remember that they had the song list taped to the floor, and after every song Tay would look down to see what was next. Also, Tay was sweating sooo much! He had this white towel next to him that he would wipe his face, neck, hair, and chest with after every song. He was wearing this red silky shirt that was totally soaked! So right after they got off stage, I ran out and found Heather. We wanted to go outside and try to find their bus or something. I had to buy some water, though, because I was SO hot! Also, during the last song, people threw Sprite on the people in the front, so I was wet and sticky! ew! So I made a stop in the bathroom to try to dry off and brush out my hair. Then we ran outside. We couldn't get back in once we left, but we didn't care about seeing Westlife and BBMak. They were next. So outside, I saw Tommy from Neve leaning against this car talking to someone, so I went over and introduced myself. He was sooo sweet! He told us to drive carefully and enjoy the night! So then we look over, and Hanson's tour bus is parked right out in the front! They didn't even park in back! So there are around 30 or so people crowded around the bus. What was really funny was that Walker Hanson was standing there, and no one was really talking to him. Not a lot of people knew who he was. So I went up to him and introduced myself. I asked if I could take a pic with him, but he politely declined. He was so nice!! He must be an awesome dad! He said, "I'm flattered, but I try to stay out of it." So then I thanked him anyway, and we left him alone. So then I saw all these people crowded around the tour bus screaming at Hanson to come out. I didn't want to be part of that. It was pitch balck outside, by the way. So then I saw that over against the side of the building were some large air conditioners that you could sit on. I saw two little girls sitting there, so I went to sit next to them. I looked over, and I realized that one of the girls was Jessica Hanson! The girl next to me had dark brown hair, and next to her was Jessie. I started talking to the brown haired girl who said her name was Sarah. She had on a backstage pass, and I asked her if I could look at it. She let me. It said "Staff" on it. I knew she was with Hanson, because she was with Jessie, but I asked her anyway. I was like, "Oh cool! Where did you get this?" And she goes, "I don't know. Someone just gave it to me." lol! Ok! I didn't say anything. I just smiled. I thought it was cute how she didn't want to say she was with Hanson. I wouldn't either, considering all the screaming fans at the tour bus. So then I asked where she was from. She stumbled for a bit before saying, "Edmond." That's like, really close to Tulsa. I told her I went to ORU in Tulsa. She then patted Jessie on the back and goes, "Yeah, Jackie here is from Edmond too." Jessie looks back at her, then at me, and smiles and goes, "Oh, yeah." lol! They were so cute! Jessie had a Staff pass on too, of course. So I talk to them for a lil. Then suddenly Isaac, Taylor, and Zac come out of the tour bus, and they start to sign autographs of all the screaming people crowded around their bus. Jessie goes, "Look, there they are! Go meet them." I was like, "That's ok." Cuz I honestly wasn't too thrilled about trying to squeeze into the large crowd of screaming girls. I said, "I want to meet them, but I don't want to mob them. They're just normal people, you know? I mean, they're awesome normal people, but they're just normal people." Then Jessie and Sarah are like, "Yup, they're just like you and me." or something close to that. Then I see this small little girl with brown hair fly around the side of the bus, and this woman with a backstage pass on says to Jessie and Sarah, "There goes Avie! Go get her!" So Jessie and Sarah stand up, join hands, and giggle as they go off behind the bus to retrieve Avie. lol! So then I'm just sitting there, and I decide to try my luck at getting something signed. So I go over toward the bus, and I see Heather by the door, so I stand with her. I see Zac, so I tap his shoulder to get his attention, but he's doing something so he doesn't turn around. Then I somehow get myself in front of all those people. They had security guards making a circle around them, and you had to stand behind them. But everyone was pushing and screaming, so the guards were pushing back on us. I remember one of the guards said, "This is worse than football" and Ike laughed. Walker was out there with his sons, too. So I found a notepad in my purse. For some reason I had forgotten to bring my CD for them to sign! So I'm standing right in front of Ike, Tay, and Zac. I hand my notebook thing to Tay, who takes it. If you read my review of the concert in Kansas City on the 21st, then remember how Heather signed her e-mail address in my notebook? Well, it was the same notebook I handed to Tay to sign, and since it was so dark, he just signed the first page, wich had Heather's e-mail addy on it! So he gave it back, and I was like, "Oh! He signed over Heather's e-mail addy!" LOL! Oh, well! So then this girl next to me was screaming at Zac and reaching her hands out, and Zac was holding a TTA cover that he had signed, and she kept reaching for it, so I though it was hers, so I said to Zac, "It's hers" and pointed to the girl. He looked at me for a second, and goes, "It's her?" and I shook my head and the girl just kept screaming and reaching for it, and Zac goes, "No, it's hers" and he points to Heather! lol! So then I look down at the girl, and she's like, "It's not mine!" So then I'm like, "Oh, sorry! I thought it was hers." And then he hands the cover to Tay to sign, and since Zac is already looking at me, I hand him my notepad to sign, and he takes it and he signs the same page Tay signed over Heather's e-mail address again! lol! So then he hands it back and smiles, and I say "Thank you" and smile back. So then right after that they start to go back into the bus. About this time I remember I now have my camera. So I start taking a few pix of them signing autographs, and of Ike and Tay standing on the stairs of the bus going in. They turn around and wave to us, then go inside. Heather and I are all like, wow! So then we see Ashely Greyson standing back where Jessie and Sarah were. So we go over to him, and he says he remembers us from the Dallas concert. I don't know if he really did or not, but that's what he said. So then I get a picture taken with Ashely and his fiance. His fiance is so pretty!! So then the tour bus is leaving. Diana gets out of the bus, and says to us, "It's over." lol! Then she goes and gets into another car parked behind the bus. So the tour bus starts to leave, and then this girl wearing a backstage pass runs after the bus, and knocks on the door. It opens and lets her in, and then the bus leaves! The cars holding Hanson's friends and Diana and everyone follow the bus. After that, Heather and I leave cuz we have no reason to stay there. We can see some of the cars in front of us until we reach the exit for out hotel. We go to our room and stay up talking about what happened and comparing autographs and everything. I told her about the convo Zac and I had about her cover and how I thought it was the girl's next to me, and how Zac knew it was hers! So then we finally fall asleep( after putting aloe vera on our very burnt skin!) In the morning we have a long drive back home (in wich we get majorly lost!). So that was my Hanson concert experience. Ahsley also told us about some appearance Hanson was doing in Oklahoma this week, but I don't think I'll be able to go. If you have any questions, let me know! Pix coming very soon!!! Keep checking back, cuz my pix are VERY close and VERY awesome!!
Here are some pix. Keep checking back as I will be adding lots more soon! These are awesome pix from when they were signing autographs outside their tour bus. If you'd like to purchase any of these pictures, or any of the many wonderful ones I haven't posted, you can e-mail me at WTL314@aol.com for prices. Enjoy!
Here's Tay performing inside the Cotillion. Heather took this pic.
Here's Ike signing.
Here's Tay signing on the bus stairs.
Look how close I was to Zac!! =)
