can you tell me who will still care?

May 8th, 1998

It’s been a year now and a lot of things have changed, but I keep thinking about . . . Okay, it's no secret, I still care. (c: Although, you may have noticed that I’ve been shamefully behind on my thoughts about Hanson appearances. So while I was babysitting my little cousin, I finally just popped in a few tapes while she took her nap. I was able to refresh my memory on the MTV Hanson day, May 8th, 1998 . . . a year and a couple days after the anniversary of the release of “Middle of Nowhere.”

Hanson Scrapbook

Ahhh, John Norris was a great tour guide – so to speak – of the past year with Hanson. He wasn’t patronizing, overly excited or needlessly clueless about the band, etc. He was laid back and let the guys do most of the talking. Again, more mileage out of “Tulsa, Tokyo and the Middle of Nowhere.” The networks should have paid the guys to make this tape for all the footage that has been used from it in news coverage of the band. (grin) The black and white pictures of the guys that flash across the screen in segues are pretty cool – you might have noticed my penchant for B&W photos on this page. Something about the angle of Taylor sitting on the couch makes it look like – well, he’s practicing for the time when he has his license (He mentions that getting your license means you can pick your nose in public in a hilarious JANE article on the topic of driver’s ed.).

I also liked when Isaac and Taylor say, “Oooh . . . “ together after John asks them a thought-provoking question. I just thought that was really adorable. Of course, Zac’s wise answers regarding the tour have already been mentioned in my account of the first concert I attended. The guys’ interview style was showcased in the way they answered the question, “What would you say was the highlight of your year?” Zac avoids the question with a smart aleck coment about how that very moment, with John Norris was his favorite part of the year. Taylor says he looks forward to the upcoming tour, and undoubtedly meeting all the worshipful fans (Taylor is always thinking of the fans. smile). Isaac is the only one who answers sincerely by talking about the making of the “Weird” video. It's not that I believe Taylor and Zac are insincere, they just know how to edit themselves into sound bytes (I'm not saying Taylor always chooses to exercise his self-editing skills . . . ;-D). Isaac approaches interviewers as he would anyone who really wants to know the answers to their questions. He strives to answer each question from his heart.

That having been said, later scenes from this same interview are played during MTV Live and I had to laugh at another revealing moment. After Isaac describes the “thousands and thousands and thousands of letters” they received requesting the release of their earlier work, Zac innocently wants to ask him a question, “Isaac, wouldn’t it be easier to say three or four thousand instead of thousands and thousands and thousands . . . ?” It looks like Taylor grins during this exchange, but he has also been known to take up quite a bit of air time during interviews. hehe

Top 10 Sibling Videos

First of all let me say, that the fact that Hanson is hosting this particular show, is evidence of just what it is that sets them apart from say, “The Backstreet Boys,” “N’Sync,” “98 Degrees,” etc. In a word: blood. I have nothing against these particular groups – and I may be biased, forgive me – but, face it, Hanson’s in a totally separate category, no? Alrighty, so am I saying that they’re in the same category as: Black Crowes, Kinks, Radiohead, Heart, INXS, Stone Temple Pilots, Oasis, VanHalen and the Jacksons? I don’t have to, since “MMMBop” is clearly in the elite category of the “Top 10 Sibling Videos of All Time.” Hey, this is a scientific MTV classification that I had nothing to do with. Unfortunately, in this instance, they are one or two notches BELOW Michael (and Janet) Jackson, instead of the other way around (TT&MON fans will know why I found this amusing . . . ).

In VH1’s “Save the Music” with Hanson, the band makes a joke about their original name, “We used to be called the Hanson Brothers – Wow, that was original.” Anyway, they make the same comment about the original name of the brothers from INXS, “The Farriss Brothers – Wow, that was original.” Pretty funny, huh?

The number of Hanson connections with the #1 Sibling Video of all time is astounding . . . well, maybe not completely mind-blowing, but I came up with a few. First of all, we all know that Hanson covered Jackson 5 music on an earlier album. They mention the Jackson 5 occasionally in their early musical influences. Taylor’s voice is repeatedly compared to young Michael Jackson’s – and Jenn pointed out the resemblance to me on “Yearbook.” (Good call, Jenn.) Michael Jackson’s name comes up in their long-form video as an example of a musical legend who they can’t believe they might share the charts with. Whoa! The person who built the spaceship for Michael and Janet’s “Scream” video also collaborated with Hanson on the “gravity room” for the “Weird” video. Some critical differences: Hanson, as far as I know, does not plan to have surgery on their faces. Hanson has never had to settle out of court in a case involving embarrassing charges. The band insists they will never break up, with one brother taking on a solo career . . . We can only wait and hope that this is completely true.

LIVE @ the 10 Spot

When I was feeling "Hanson concert withdrawal" recently, I popped in my LIVE @ the 10 Spot tape and relived some concert moments. I noticed for the first time that they had their “towers” and “knives” sets with them for this performance. It was truly a warm-up for the tour. But then, I realized I will never again have my anxious anticipation be broken by the electrifying first chords of “Gimme Some Lovin’.” Oh My Gosh! This is probably my absolute favorite part of the show! The 10 Spot performance is missing the drama of the silver curtain falling during the opening strains of this number by the Spencer Davis Group, but it was still cool to relive it in a small way.

The sweeping camera angles caused me to remember that I was not a member of this audience. The loud screams did bring me back to my concert days though. I don’t know what to say about this performance that I haven’t already said in my account of the concerts. Jesse seemed to be enjoying the bloom of his early veejay-ship. One tremendous opportunity he was granted in addition to instant wealth and fame – attending the “cleanest concert” he’s ever been to. But it’s still rock-n-roll right? That kid makes me laugh! I’m glad he had a good time.

After my experience at the Cleveland concert – where I had a 3rd row seat – I took note of all the things on stage. The teddy bears, boxes of presents, the roses, etc. . . . it makes me wonder – does Hanson ever get apprehensive about dodging these objects that could be potential weapons? Due to some fan interaction I observed at the Cuyahoga Falls (Cleveland) concert I mentioned, I also noted that Taylor put his hands up and jumped back at the end – I can only imagine that someone was throwing water at him. (shrug) A little scary – I think. At the Cuyahoga Falls concert, a fan near me was forced to throw her hip and say, “Back off!” to some fans that were shoving her into a young girl pressed against the stage. I’m sure that tons of “stories will be told” within the Hanson household of fan behavior on this tour. Amazing!

About Taylor taking his shirt off and Isaac looking at him: I don’t think Isaac was “checking out” his younger brother as mentioned on other reviews. I interpreted it as Isaac wondering what was causing all the screams and then looking curious about the attention his brother was receiving . . . obviously not music-related attention. I’ve noticed that in concert, Isaac seems to stay very cool – literally and figuratively – while Taylor truly looks like his temperature rises with each song. He was getting really hot – that’s why it was logical for him to shed a layer of clothing. Right? Zac falls somewhere in between his two brothers, depending on the concert.

This concert was certainly a teaser in regard to the tour. I loved the 3CG songs in concert – only “River” was played in this performance. The guys did save some surprises for the tour! How fun were the covers of old songs in concert? Good Lovin’, Summertime Blues, Sunshine of My Love (I didn’t actually hear this one live), Money, and Magic Carpet Ride (by Steppenwolf). Plus, in concert, you can check out their never-before-released, “Ever Lonely” and try to make out the words to this sweet song about always being there for a friend. AND, I truly feel sad for fans who have not yet heard Isaac's solo version of "More Than Anything." Nice prelude, but of course, nothing beats the real thing!