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December 29, 2003
I finally have a real not quite full-fledged, maybe 75%-fledged, day of Christmas break. The kind of day where you're still in your pajamas at a time when you're normally in high-gear in your normal life. I've been debating whether or not to post this banal Hanson music intersection and figured it would only be posted for a few days before I would flip the calendar to 2004 so who would notice? These moments slightly tug at the back of my mind due to the centrifugal force of almost 7 years of orbiting around Hanson. So I share.

Background: I've been working at the mall during pockets of weekend and now holiday breaks as a mortgage company has newly bought me as a slave. During the days surrounding the Christmas rush, the joy of Christmas has become almost a cynical concept to me as a mall employee. Why? While overhead "Hark the Harold Angels Sing" refuses to acknowledge reality, people:

• haggle over prices
• glare intently at whoever has made it to the front of the line--daring them to take longer than usual
• get into hospital / jail ensuing battles in the parking lot over limited space (this actually happened at our mall)

In the final hours of retail opportunity, my co-workers and I were beginning to curse the relentlessness of the Christmas cheer--the most offending, "Santa, Baby" sung by both male and female "artists"--when all of a sudden something broke through my consciousness as I made change or swiped yet another credit card. It was the familiar as an old friend voice of Zac, belting out "That's what Christmas means to me." I only heard it that once. If you're like me, when these moments occur, you're in half-disbelief that something personal would make it's way into such a public space. I felt like I finally possessed a secret that transformed my smile to a more genuine quality once again--an early gift. Thank you, Hanson.

December 13, 2003
Believe it or not, someone I met at the House of Blues, Chicago concert, not only proceeded to visit "a hidden life" but has sent in a contribution as well. Here's Winona's contribution to the 24/7 section of this site:

Sister Hazel: From the album, Fortress, the song "Strange Cup of Tea" (coincidentally, right before "Save Me") sounds much like "Day Has Come." I dare you to listen to the chorus and not start singing "Well, the day has come..." It's
eerily familiar. My husband, who hadn't heard "Day Has Come" before that, upon listening to "Strange Cup of Tea" for the first time, said, "That sounds Hansonesque!"

Thanks Winona!

December 1, 2003
In my post-college life, I've managed to keep my Hanson fanhood at bay. Where I used to have friends translate obscure Hanson articles from Spanish to English and I would post copies of MOE contributions at my graduate assistantship, now in 2003 colleagues at my grown-up job have barely heard me utter two words strung together about the band. Not because I'm ashamed of my fanhood, but it just has never come up in the increasingly marginalized fan activities. A couple weeks ago however, I happened to share my appreciation for the band with another teacher since we were discussing the VH1 80s shows . . .

Last week, upon arriving to my classroom on my birthday something quirky caught my eye. Several internet print-outs had been taped to my phone, the windows, the computer screen along with conversation bubbles. A chic Isaac demanded that I, "Have a fantastic day!." While an angst-filled Taylor wished, "Happy Birthday to my biggest fan!" and a pensive Zac exhorted that I, "Take a walk on the Wild Side!" Other recent black and white publicity images of Hanson were also posted randomly in unexpected places.

This surprise really amused me and I proceeded to track down the mysterious birthday wishers. (c; I took down the birthday greetings before the students arrived, but it hit me . . . the first graders were born the year MMMBop hit the charts. Whoa!

November 21, 2003
My friend's husband sent me the Fox news article at my school address about Isaac's blood clot and then I knew, I had to face the music. Isaac truly was hospitalized. All the best to our serious guitarist . . .

November 17, 2003
Happy 23rd birthday to Isaac (rock musician): On This Day in History. Wishing you all of your favorite blessings . . . good food, good fellowship and your own rocking out shadow on the iPod commercial. You've earned it. ::smile::

November 12, 2003
If you stick with a band long enough, you will eventually become an extra in one of their ubiquitous film productions, no? (Ubiquitous in the miles of footage, but only periodic in the posting and commercial publishing.) If your time is still coming or if you've had this experience, I've posted some thoughts regarding last night's (Veteran's Day) House of Blues, Chicago show.

And one of "a hidden life"'s best friends, Ann, contributes her insights into that hallowed of halls: Carnegie. Many, many thanks, as always!

October 30, 2003
Ask anyone. The feeling was very close to heartbreak when I decided, definitively, to remain in Michigan the night of the Carnegie Hall concert--Hanson's last and no doubt, mind-blowingly incredible final tour stop. I attempted to console myself with the time-honored tradition that pain sharpens our compassion and carves our character.

::head shake:: ::slow eye blink:: What's this? P.S. Hanson in Chicago, House of Blues on November 11th. The Divine intervenes.

That is, until I realized the concert was scheduled for the week of critical parent-teacher conferences at our school! One of only 2 weeks per year when my career has a concrete claim on me after 4 or 5 p.m. Deep personal angst, dark clouds of temptation, a struggle no less violent than that between good and evil ensued.

Then, unexplainably, in a moment of divine mercy and grace--I'm not sure how many of those I'm allowed--my principal simply and shockingly signed an 8 1/2 by 5 1/2 "release to be off premises" form. My sister and I will be attending the November 11th show. Another miracle, since each time she attends a Hanson event with me she vows it is her last. Unless it all truly remains a figment of my imagination, I will see some of you in less than 2 weeks.

October 22, 2003
Zac is no longer the youngest person listed On This Day in History. Happy voting privileges to our favorite drummer . . . although Taylor keeps a pretty mean beat as well . . . to our favorite goofy Hanson . . . . no offense to Isaac . . . eh, to our favorite bonafide teen boy band member who genuinely fits the definition but crushes every stereotype with his ability to see right through them all. Enjoy your European celebration. ::wink:: Right back 'atcha'.

October 15, 2003
I missed the hanson.net chat for the most annoying of reasons, it's not even worth mentioning. Anyway, I was cheered by a note from my long-time hard-core music historian friend, Ann (Check out a few of Ann's contributions to this site in HansonKnowledge, Shave Me or Wake Up). Her love of Hanson's music, along with her informed listening were finally recognized by having her question selected by the band in the recent chat. This is her original email to Hanson, including the band's response:

Ann: You refer to "singin' along to Feelin' Alright" in the lyrics to Penny and Me:
Feelin' Alright - what a great song!

Does Hanson have its own cover version of this song, and might you do it at some point on this tour? I think that would be a perfect acoustic song for you guys.

I assume you-all know the six-degrees-(or less)-of-separation-from-Hanson for Feelin' Alright: Joe Cocker did this song on the Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour, with Leon Russell, who of course is (another famous musician/songwriter) from Tulsa.

And if you want to go in another direction: the song is written by Dave Mason, who was the road manager for the Spencer Davis Group (with Steve Winwood) who originally did the song Gimme Some Lovin - which Hanson opened with on tour. And Dave Mason was in the band Traffic (with Steve Winwood), which did one of the original versions of Feelin' Alright ... but enough music history ...

Hanson: The lyric IS "singin' along to "Feeling Alright" Good ear! We do know the history and one of the inspirations for that lyric was meeting Dave Mason a few years back.

October 12, 2003
Does anyone else feel that, like no other album, "Unlucky" AdmiralTwin, takes you back to the part breezy, but mostly frenetic experiences of the first Hanson tour? In a moment of nostalgia, I decided to revisit "Unlucky." I randomly made a connection between track #3 and Hanson's recent talk show single, "Penny and Me." Is there someone else out here that will support my theory that Hanson's song pays tribute or a wink to their friends?

Penelope, I guarantee
You've never seen a thing like this . . .
Penelope, you must believe
The sun will always shine on me
And I will wear this golden hat for no one else . . .
--Phone Call #27

Your bookmarks or favorites list looking to recruit a fresh face? Well, it's actually old friends posting exclusively about smart Hanson observations, thoughts and/or amazing experiences. Check out The HanBlog. No, seriously . . . go now--it's being updated as we speak with some incredible Buffalo concert tidbits--no need to thank me. (c;

October 2, 2003
Just thought I'd share my favorite misheard lyric from the recent album, I puzzled over this one for awhile and then just gave up, figuring it must be an obscure drug reference: "Sugar is the price you pay." "Struggle" makes a lot more sense . . .

Also, it's the beginning of "Snowed In" season. October marks the unpacking of one of my favorite Hanson albums--and the air just turned frosty. I was caught in a flash hail storm yesterday on a particularly uphill section of an after school bike ride. Yipes! (c;

September 27, 2003
"The Sharon Osbourne" show caused me to wonder, once again, if you know the back story of people in the media eye . . . "know" referring to knowledge available in niche fan magazines or online to dedicated fans, but not first-hand personal knowledge . . . does that reflect positively or negatively on a person's character?

From the time "The Osbournes" first aired without Amy, I wondered if a small percentage of her decision to withdraw from the project was a reluctance to appear tacky to Hanson, a band she had a public crush on. Okay, the fact that I related these two aspects of Amy's personal life reflects negatively on me. But when Mrs. Osbourne acknowledged on her daytime show that she and Hanson went way back, and I could identify one early meeting--backstage at a D.C. area concert--I felt like a real insider. Another insider moment was when Taylor mentioned, 3CG . . . and all I could think was that people who haven't kept pace with Hanson are probably wondering, "Is this a take off of CGI? Where in the world does that name come from?"

Near the end, I noticed that Mrs. Osbourne spoke exclusively to Taylor, as the general public is wont to do. The degree of equitable interaction among the band members is one of the measures I use to determine the closeness of a person's relationship to Hanson. That this would occupy even part of my time, can't reflect positively on me, can it? On a different note, I like Mrs. Osbourne, I do . . . she has a non-judgmental way of making everybody feel comfortable and welcome--a true gift. I also learned much more about what it means to be transgendered, when she introduced her new friend, Alan (Allen?) on this program.

Did anyone else feel the guys rushed through their performance of "Penny and Me"?

September 14, 2003
I've been meaning to share some local "color" (poor choice of words if you read on) that surfaced in Newsweek's (September 8, 2003) "Perspectives" section:

"It's an attention grabber." Mark Knudsen, director of planning in Ottawa County, Mich., on a new scratch-and-sniff brochure that smells of manure to educate would-be residents on the realities of rural living.

I am a new condo owner in this very county. I'm not even going to address this, except to say, call ahead to make reservations to visit, I may be booked. ::grin::

Unedited thoughts on Underneath Acoustic. Ann, I'm heading over to read your thoughts this very instant--thanks for the kick in the rear. (c;

September 4, 2003
The acoustic CD made it to my mail box today. I feel like I've passed some sort of patience endurance test--believe me I've failed plenty, even as recently as in the last 24 hours for other reasons. What draws me to "Misery" when the EP (Isaac ::smile::) is filled with fun-ner, more significant, more recognizable songs? Maybe it sounds like an Isaac song with Zac (?) as lead and it sounds less commercial--more 100% Hanson being, well, Hanson. Also, more thoughts on the CD will be posted after I've enjoyed it for awhile. As the songs unfolded, I thought of how Jenn said she wasn't going to ruin the surprise of the hidden track . . . and I realize now that this was a true gift, since it is so sweet to stumble on something like that on your own. Thanks, friend.

P.S. I'm pretty sure that the first encore at the Pontiac show was "Love Somebody to Know" or "Lost Without Each Other"? hmmm

September 3, 2003
Just a quick question about the myriad of reasons why Hanson's appearance on The Orlando Jones show was so unintentionally funny. Hanson has a new management team at this time, or am I wrong? Although, Magic Johnson was before their time, so . . . I'm trying to think of an analogy of what it was like to see Hanson on a show with an obscure cable audience without sounding overly race conscious . . . but dang! What did Taylor say in reference to collaborating with Rose Stone? "We're beyond white boys, we're clear?" Yeah, that's what pretty much fueled my amusement.

And the best clip of the evening? The brief shot of the 2 DJ musicians head nodding to the beat of "Penny and Me." Fun.

September 2, 2003
A taping success story: I caught The New Tom Green Show tonight, even with the midnight possibility of a date confusion, September 2 instead of the broadcasted September 1. How did I dodge this pitfall? I've fallen prey to the Hanson midnight appearance before and missed the show--taping a segment a full 24 hours before the scheduled program. But this time, the learning curve, indeed, tipped slightly upward. (c; Didn't Isaac say that they had made a$$es of themselves during this taping? The band's interview before the performance was a treat.

It was definitely a Zac-centered evening from the moment he attacked Tom--Carson-style. Isaac made a valiant effort to highjack the focus with the album-making saga taken to the usual self-absorbed level (We all love him because he acts just the way we would thrust into the public eye.). Now the entire band is simply referred to as "Zac Hanson." He's stolen the show! This man actually delivers the best backstage stories. This time regarding a Rob Schneider injury that he was responsible for, the revelation of his "party house" (which seemed to irritate him) and his allusion to rock star-ish behavior involving dwarves. ::wink wink::. The whole show was highly entertaining . . . Oh, I almost forgot how the band confirmed the long-held urban legend that Zac's nickname includes the word "Father." There was a time when the kid could not get a word in edgewise, no?

So what was Taylor doing? He did not sit idle. Like true family, we sat through the retelling of what appears to be his favorite bada$$ moment at Sundance Festival involving duping security guards, a creative use of a roof and a cell phone call to Isaac. Now that he's a dad, Taylor enjoys telling bedtime stories from when he was a boy.. Again, entertaining. ::grin::

What about "Penny 'n Me" (from what Tom calls "Underneath, Hanson" which I found mildly amusing.)? Delightful!!

September 1, 2003
On a long stretch of highway recently, I was mulling over how Zac avoided persistent questions regarding his voice changing . . . no question, he had to answer a few, but do you remember the way Taylor became a virtual spokesperson for the "national voice changing association of america?" This thought also prompted me to think about how Isaac always seems to be just awkwardly a year or two older than the media perceive the band to be . . . do you remember one time he had to remind someone that he wasn't a teen any more after this person apologized for swearing in front of the guys? Meanwhile, is it me or does Taylor seem to sail along at the target age for the media's perception of Hanson? Then I wondered, did the public take the average of the band's ages to form a median age? Would things be different if Taylor had been the oldest? Is the whole focus on Taylor a function of the timing of when "MMMBop" was discovered? Random thoughts on this Labor Day (in the USA).

Still haven't received the acoustic CD in the mail (ordered last Friday online @ 7:00 a.m.), but am relatively and surprisingly calm about it.

August 24, 2003
My Hanson angst rears its ugly head again due to the recent concert experience. If you care (and I'm not sure why you would), check out my overwrought attempt to process its aftermath: sling bang boom.

August 22, 2003
This morning on my way back to school for a day of treading water, fully aware that I would tread water, although the whole time hoping I could do some laps--in other words, I went in planning to continue work on getting my classroom set up--I heard "Weird Al" being interviewed about his new album "Poodle Hat" on npr. He has a super parody of the Backstreet Boys' "I Want It That Way" called, "eBay." Such a clever man! So I went to the npr site hoping to catch an extended version of the interview, but unfortunately my computer couldn't handle that much multimedia at one time. Instead, I followed the link to "Weird Al"'s official website where I found this piece of memorabilia.

August 19, 2003
It's been exactly 3 years since I attended the Arlington, TX show where Taylor did his now famous Mick Jagger impression during "You Can't Always Get What You Want." A classic Hanson moment. Well, where has 1095 days brought us? Last night I attended the Detroit, eh, Pontiac, MI show with every intention that this concert would help me shed the drive to go to extreme lengths for Hanson. But, this appearance only impressed on me, the extreme lengths Hanson will go for us. ::sigh:: And you know what that means . . . yes, a very bruised heart once again. If you dare, feel free to check out some reactions to my latest Hanson excursion: clutch cargos.

August 14, 2003
So tomorrow I go to a closing . . . my own closing--on a condominium that I will soon own, and it's scary and unbelievable and a huge blessing, all at once. I've had random crying jags over this for about a week. Before that, I was in denial. I've been packing up my life again, which is never fun for me--you question the reason why you drag every single thing you own through life. Several trash bags later, you wonder what will be the random item you later hold inappropriately dear that is now gone forever. Anyway, all of this is crowding out the fact that in less than a week I will be attending a Hanson concert. I wanted to record my fickle heart as it tries to process the hassle of driving 6 hours--round trip--to see a band, for whom nobody else I know (in real life) deems worthy of such a huge time commitment. This is my "before" post.

And, as "random" seems to be a the vocabulary word of the day, I'm posting a bit of news I read in Newsweek (July 28, 2003) about Steve Burns. Have you heard of him? Then, you're revealing that you also know what a blue paw print means. Steve was the first host of "Blue's Clues," a Nickelodeon educational children's show about a blue dog and, well, Steve. Maybe it was Steve's dark eyes or goofy smile, but there's always been a part of me that wondered what became of him . . . He's released a really neat album, "Songs for Dustmites" that, in his words is about love and science (not a children's album)--mellow and poppy in different places. Steve plays guitar and sings. Where do you check it out? Here's a clue.

August 5, 2003
In Gap Kids today, I was recognized by the staff while my sister and I were shopping for my nieces . . . we were shopping for my nieces only because everything is so machine washable and just barely more affordable than plain Gap. . . not that I would consider buying for myself there . . . ::whistling tunelessly:: When something began to dawn on me and I started to grin. I looked over at my sister, "Do you hear what's playing?" She responded with rolled eyes, "I heard." It was in fact, none other than "MMMBop."

August 1, 2003
I was out with a friend and so I set my VCR to catch the Switched episode on which the Hanson Hotel mentioned Hanson would appear. I rarely watch ABC Family, which means I almost recorded an afternoon talk show on ABC, if I hadn't have come home at 4:30 p.m. and caught my mistake. Once again, my recording dyslexia is revived.

It was a time warp to catch the guys interacting with fans again . . . I missed the premise of the show so wasn't quite sure what was going on, but the brief interaction between a couple of college aged women and Hanson was a reminder of how, no matter how much maturity we think we've garnered over the period of Hanson's absence, there will still be that immediate flush, part embarrassment and part disbelief, when faced with meeting the band. Am I saying that when it comes to Hanson, you can never become completely jaded--despite Isaac's Tupperware comparisons, Taylor's parenthood and the Zac's expressed world weariness? ::pondering:: . . .Grist for the mill: I reguarly check the "Hanson Hotel" and recorded "an after-school" show whose existence I never would have even considered . . . hmmm

July 23, 2003
It's no secret that I did not major in music nor do I even keep up with the latest pop scene. I've also begun tuning out "Hanson picks" like Maroon 5 or Bleu so I'm not well-versed in anything but National Public Radio, when it comes right down to it. However, I helplessly offered a comparison to the band, Travis, in some jumbled thoughts about the recent h.net CD (posted in May 2003). For this reason, I was shocked and, unexplainably, complimented to hear Taylor mention the same band in a recent article (This won't happen again in my lifetime, I can assure you (c;):

"When we started this record, we started writing a bunch of songs that had a mellower sound to them ... that leaned toward a Travis tune," [Taylor] said, referring to the acclaimed English rock band. "Songs that were all about the textures, all about the sweeping guitar, or the one melodic vocal line."
Older and Wiser, Hanson Hitting the Road Again
By Dean Goodman

July 16, 2003
Where does the expression "fell off the wagon" come from? I'm just nerd enough to have looked it up, because I fell off the perverbial one after watching the amazing "Penny and Me" performance on Jay Leno:

"The term comes from the army where wagons carrying water once accompanied the troops on the march . . . after a heavy night of drinking . . . a man was often in need of copious drinks of water--as well as inclined to swear off liquor for good. For this reason the man, literally as well as figuratively, "climbed on the water wagon." Dictionary of Word Origins, Jordan Almond

Pre-performance: "I may not even go to an acoustic concert since it's so close to when school starts."
Post-performance: "My favorite part [of the performance] was guitarless Zac's slightly awkward moment during the bridge (?) looking from brother to brother as they strummed through."

(And this is only one of many items in my stream of consciousness that I'm recording) Oh my gosh! I sound just like the 1997 version of Hanson fan I've been trying to evolve away from all of these years. Part relishing the music all over again, and part calculating how much of my self-dignity I can manage to preserve intact after this round of Hanson. ::deep sigh:: Man, but wasn't it cool to catch more of the lyrics each listen? ;-) Their harmonies are simply magical . . . That's it--it's all over!

The acoustic album comes out August 9th?! Thanks, Jay!

July 11, 2003
So after encountering some endearing TicketMaster snafus yesterday, I am finally in theoretical, possibly electronic, possession of two h.net tickets to the Detroit concert. By the way, it's actually being held at Clutch Cargos, not Mill Street (which I noticed on their website hosts something called "American Idol Tuesdays" ::chuckle::) as originally broadcast--and as many fans in the greater Midwest are already aware. I hope all of you were equally and duly rewarded for your loyal following of this quixotic band. Feel free to drop me a line if you're planning to attend the August 18th show. I may or may not attend--still waiting to hear what my schedule is for the beginning of the school year. ::sigh:: (c;

July 5, 2003
I'm once again a summer mall employee. As an aside, the economy here is so tough 30% of high school and college students in our area could not find a summer job. This means it took me to July to end my summer of leisure. The upside is that now that I'm spending more time in the mall ::smirk::, and so this T-Mobile brochure available at one of those kiosks caught my eye. Am I the only person who thinks it resembles a certain album cover with a particularly orange glow?

Brochure

Album Cover

A quick glance at the Acoustic Tour Dates, I'm only going to be able to attend the Detroit concert (Mill Street) since the Chicago date coincides with a scheduled Open House at my school--when teachers welcome the neighborhood into our classrooms.

June 28, 2003
My most poignant reaction to VH1's "50 Greatest Teen Idols" (How tragic to have a poignant reaction to a fluffy summer countdown) was a sense of what it would look like to view Hanson somewhat objectively in the realm of pop culture. Ranked 32nd, they slipped in among vintage and current idols . . . in fact, all commenters referred to the band in past tense--another reality check. Reflection by the band, circa 1997, was dominated by Isaac . . . which was a pleasant surprise. In this way, VH1 avoided the cliched spotlight that's usually fixed on Taylor. Zac managed to be the brother included in the program's opening montage! (c;

June 24, 2003
I discovered HowStuffWorks earlier this year, and I thought I'd share this very informative section called, "How Recording Contracts Work."

June 1, 2003
Happy Birthday, Mr. Hanson! I just heard the other day that according to probability, you need only about 23 people in a room before there will be 2 people who share a birthday. I'm not a mathematician, but with 11 members of Hanson's family and 9 members in mine, odds are that there's a shared birthday somewhere. And there is . . . my brother-in-law and Mr. Hanson. So what? (c; I just like to test trivia against real life.

Anyway, I just got back from 5th grade camp and there was an ugly incident involving cabin inspection that left me feeling blue which was only compounded by extreme sleep depravation and hot, itchy bug bites in the most inconvenient places. But this experience allowed me to feel the full impact of Down. Yeah, Hanson at their best, anticipating our moods and coming along side with an original song. What at first sounded like melodrama, suddenly felt as comforting as crying on a trusted friend's shoulder. Dial up, HA (Hanson Anonymous) because I'm going to need a new sponsor:

"Why can't you just let it all go. Then I start to go down . . . Maybe I'll try falling up 'cause I've fallen far enough . . ."

May 25, 2003
The movie "Bend It Like Beckham" brought back all of the drama surrounding the Women's World Cup national anthem campaign--that is, the petition that may or may not have convinced a television network to air Hanson's impeccable harmonizing of "The Star Spangled Banner." Either way, I would heartily recommend this film. Sweetly understated romance and cross-cultural drama. Two of my favorite genres. A refreshing peek into a family life different than my own--not as kitschy as "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" but fun and touching. (That sounds horribly like a fake movie review. Ugh!)

Here's my current favorite 30-minute recipe--for all the meat and potato lovers:

Shepherd's Pie

May 5, 2003
Cinco de Mayo, anyone? All that angst I poured out this weekend was eased when I received the enhanced CD in the mail this afternoon. Feel free to check out my scattered thoughts: Next Train.

May 3, 2003
I said to myself, "You know what will be the best part about this next phase of Hanson's career for you? You'll be toned down . . . you won't feel bad if other people hear the new music first, you won't stress about the speed of MOE's arrival, and you definitely won't have to attend more than one Hanson concert. You will have had time to get things in perspective." Well, I feel my grip on this reality beginning to slip. It's another exercise in patience for me, but I'll try to give you a fresh perspective on the hanson.net bonus tracks when they arrive . . . Another note to self: "Must-hold-back-from-reading-other-people's-reviews."

April 4, 2003
Our first day of spring break and I'm probably the only freakishly melancholy person who was not bitter that it is truly bitterly cold out. I've been meaning to post the predictable, DTBA lyrics in response to the war . . .

I heard you crying
Somebody stole my soul
How could I be dying
I turned twenty five days ago

And yet, that seems almost as tasteless as my sister's college dance guild offering a chirpy, and completely ineffective disclaimer that the reason they did not yank a number scored by "B.O.B. (Bombs over Baghdad)" from their program was because "the dancers worked really hard, so we hope that you can still really enjoy it." When you acknowledge something is tasteless, it doesn't negate its tastelessness--does it? Anyway, I guess that's what our soldiers are dying for . . . for that "show must go on" attitude that is as American as what? Hanson?

March 15, 2003
I was back in Detroit this week--the first time since a Hanson concert at the Fox Theatre. As we were rounding a bend in the highway, the quick squeeze of concert anticipation overcame me. Unexpectedly, the promise of new music has begun to build, like pollen waiting to burst into the atmosphere.

Happy Birthday, Taylor--still the youngest person on the New York Times, March 14th "On This Day in History."

March 1, 2003
In 2 days it will be 03.03.03 . . . just like Ground Hog Day last year, this repetitive date is a reason to take notice for nerdsters like me. (c;

February 23, 2003
It's happening again! My relatively uneventful, but in this way ordinary, life has intersected unknowingly with Hanson's. Or, I should say . . . one of my obscure interests has come in contact with Hanson's life.

Every Sunday morning, I wake up an hour before I get up for church to lie in bed listening to Sound and Spirit, an NPR show that explores the diversity of music. Each week Ellen Kushner takes listeners on a musical journey through the portal of a certain topic. I've been fascinated and sometimes brought to tears by some of my favorite shows which have centered on: Courage, Cycles, The Lord is My Shepherd, Homesickness, Bicultural Women . . . the list goes on and on. I hope this show is playing in your area.

Well, Hanson got to meet Ellen Kushner when she hosted a show in Tulsa where the band made a surprise appearance!

"Hanson made a surprise appearance in Tulsa Saturday night (2/22/03) to perform two acoustic songs at a charity fund raiser held at B'nai Emunah Synagogue. The event called "Together In Song, The Sound & Spirit of Tulsa" was emceed by Ellen Kushner, a regular contributor to National Public Radio (NPR), and was held to benefit the Tulsa Public Schools' Musical Instrument Fund ." hanson.net

I secretly associated Ellen Kushner with the author of that funny book set in the Middle Ages, The Midwife's Apprentice . . . but I guess that person's name is actually, Karen Cushman. Either way, that book is worth checking out as well.

February 17, 2003
As I was semi-cleaning out the glove box since I could not jam my combination lock for the "Y" into it, I found some forlorn mix tapes sent by some Hanson chums--one person even sent a mix of her favorite Broadway tunes. For just a moment it felt like stumbling over old letters. Remember those days when you would make tapes of local radio interviews or that rare songwriting cassette for other fans? That technology seems so 1970s . . . um, 1997? I realized I was reaching over the technology gap that separates 1997 from 2003. From bootleg cassettes that melt and warp in the sun to the mp3 controversy that paints me self-righteous . . . music and technology seem to turn law-abiding avid fans into white-color outlaws somehow.

Well, I've surrendered to my witness protection program. I realize that now I really have no unique passion that defines rants or webpage updates. Don't get me wrong, I still have the garden variety passions of politics, social justice, and a dozen other personal "friend and family" concerns . . . but no "I can't stay away from my computer until this idea learns to walk" type passion. Do I miss it? Sometimes . . . but sometimes the memory is just as sweet as when it was all happening. Recently, there have been some interviews I haven't downloaded because they take too long on my ancient dial-up computer . . . an appetite for bleeding edge technology may be the measure of a fan's depth. Who knows?

February 12, 2003
A snow day here in West Michigan! Yay . . . and no hidden life updates?! Shameless.

February 5, 2003
I've been scouring my thoughts recently for a shred of self-respecting Hanson-related update-able material. Nothing. I mean, there's Iraq and North Korea . . . not to mention the Columbia tragedy . . . Michigan just got our first lady governor. There's so much else going on--and so in this perspective, what . . . Hanson?

As the band spends time in studios, producing their next album and we get pictures of this process . . . I have a sensation like when I visit my eye doctor for an annual eye exam. In that moment only, a slight fear surfaces that the letters might feel alittle fuzzier, alittle more distant than the year before. At no moment did you feel that precision actually slipping away . . . because in your heart you're confident that reading each letter or number is as simple as breathing. Only in the few moments of the vision test do you consider that your clarity might be eroding. Because in the world of pop music, each year you remain a loyal fan, it's like the next row in the eye exam, "Tell me what you see in this row." In some ways, I wonder if the new album presents a new prescription, a new vision, a new perspective . . . new clarity. I'm confident the next album will take me by surprise . . . but it may take some squinting and blinking when actually confronted with it.

January 3, 2003
Happy New Year! Over the holidays, a couple of people have asked, offhandedly with subversive grins, how Hanson are doing. My answer each time, "They're in the studio."

One person genuinely asked, as if an era had passed, "What made them so interesting?" I answered truthfully that I was and still am captivated by how a young family with talents deeper than their MMMBop fame allows, navigates fame and all its trappings while continuing to hold dear apparent values that I seem to share. Oh yeah, and their musical credibility is 100% real. They write their own songs and play their own instruments . . . [fill in the ellipses]

I'm still in this thing for the long haul (as long as Laura will have me--you're amazing!) . . . and yet I proceed with the commitment to protect myself from betraying my true identity each time I slip on the invisibility ring of "a hidden life." Thanks to anyone who has joined this fellowship in the past and those who continue in the upcoming journey. I am indebted to you.

In that vein, regarding the recent hanson.net holiday videos, they seem an anachronism . . . sustaining goofiness and interest in a process that, at this point, is like paging through your high school yearbook. "Oh, that must have been so incredibly intriguing about 5 years ago." Not that I find Hanson immature, but I'm reminded that my interest has shifted to serious discussion about their music and more frank references to their life rather than sarcastic outbursts that semi-mock the fans. Maybe the gap has widened, but I'm not sure who has moved, the band or myself . . . probably both.

It's not that they've taken too long to release this next album . . . in fact, I support devoting time to family in times of transition. It's just that my fanhood has endured scrutiny to the point of feeling its awkward self again. At the same time, all the best to the band and to you!! I'm looking forward to possible album reviews in 2003!

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