By Amber Shaffer, SDAM Staff Writer
©Copyright 2024 SDAM.com/Amber Shaffer

I knew this show was going to be great the second I drove into The Scene's parking lot and saw an SUV with the Hanson logo, "Honk if you love Hanson!", and the names off all the brothers scrawled all over the windows, reminiscent of those cheerleader caravans you sometimes see on their way to state championships or cheer camps. Actually, I knew it was going to be a great show the minute I learned of it; one, I'd get to see the Hanson brothers all grown up (now 17, 20, and 22), two, I'd get to see their rabid fans all grown up but unable to refrain from screaming like they're still 13, and three I was going with a particular friend who, besides making everything fun, makes a hobby of periodically performing with his boy-band parody group and is always looking for inspiration. The weekend before we had watched Hanson's 1997 video "Hanson: Tulsa, Tokyo, and The Middle of Nowhere" which I had procured for the bank-busting amount of $.95. After the viewing we were ready to sing along with "MMMbop" and "Where's the Love" with the best of 'em. And to see if the youngest Hanson was still in need of a strong dose of Ritilan. I might as well admit right now that I ended up enjoying the show more than I probably should have. I was just a little too old to catch the Hanson bandwagon back in '97, but having been a die-hard NKOTB fan back in the late 80's and early 90's, I have to admit it was fun being at a concert full of screaming girls again, all dancing around and having a blast. Had my Beantown boys gone into hiding then toured again 5 years later as a group (none of this Jordan Knight and Joey Mac solo-project crap), I would have been there quicker than you can say "Step by Step". Plus that middle Hanson is really hot now - it should be illegal for him to run his hands through his newly cropped hair while he performs. But cuteness aside for a moment, Hanson actually has really wonderful harmonies. Heard best when the screaming of the 250 or so girls (and their bored boyfriends) would subside for a second. The whole show was acoustic so it showcased their singing quite nicely. The youngest and oldest were each given the stage for solos and they did a few accapella tid-bits to close out the night. The big hits were played and it was really cute and sweet to hear a roomful of girls singing the choruses. There were some fun cover songs like "Summertime Blues" and inappropriate ones like Little Richard's "Rip It Up". I'll just quote the boyfriend on this subject, "Hello!? I'm talkin' 'I'm gonna rip it up and BALL tonight!' If the little screaming girls knew what they were hearing, they would've screamed EXTRA loud at that." And how. People watching was especially fun this night. I can't decide between the trucker hat clad, thuggy tom boy who was prone to "raise the roof" type hand movements (done without a hint of irony) or the mullet-sporting pedophile walking around all night with his hand in his pocket for my Fan of the Night pick. There were some indie teenagers skipping around the room during "MMMbop", some of them being ironic, some of them pretending like they were but you just knew they were there because they secretly enjoy their Hanson CD just as much as their Weezer and probably more than their Built to Spill. And I wish I had brought my camera to take pictures of a couple of girls who had made "We love Hanson!" signs and hand-draw pictures of the brothers which they held up ALL NIGHT LONG. Signs are a staple of any good boy-band concert if you ask me. Not that Hanson is truly a boy band, but they also aren't "pop punk" which is what House of Blues, the promoter of this show, labeled this show on their Web site. Um...last time I checked, that was Sum Canadian boys with KISS dolls in their video, not kids from Oklahoma singing in front of big sunflower backdrops. But what do I know? It's not like I own any pop-punk CDs or anything... Moving on and finishing up, Hanson acoustic was both a good show and a good time and since I'm not part of any scene that requires me to be cool, I can admit that. The boys have grown up although the music hasn't changed much in 5 years. Still, I think they'll be making music together for a long time. Just not as a touring band. They sound great but they make me think of those older bands that play all the local fairs and concerts in the park and can play a mean cover song. Good family entertainment. That's what this trio of Tulsans are and it's nothing to be ashamed of or apologetic for. Find out more about Hanson.