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December 2, 2004
Briefly, back @ my mall job for the holidays last weekend,
I heard "That's What Christmas Means to Me" by Hanson
overhead wedged between the Beach Boys' version of "Little
St. Nick" and the original "Christmas (Baby Please
Come Home)." This experience prompted a question that was
remarkedly like the one I kept asking myself during election
time (I live in the reddest part of a blue state), "Who
among us voted Democrat?" translated into "Is there
another who recognizes Hanson circa 1998?" Hanson certifies
my outsider status.
November 21, 2004
Happy belated Birthday
to Isaac.
I went out to a Vietnamese-Thai
restaurant last week and had Pho for the first time, but I've
been waiting for an opportunity for years. Does this soup tap
an ancient Hanson memory? I actually dug up MOE 5 and reread
Dr. Food's "friend or pho" raving endorsement of this
beef, noodle and herb dish.
For those who have
never tried it, it is indeed very fresh--it was served @ our
restaurant with sprigs of basil more lush than any that grew
on my porch last summer, saw-leaf herb, bean sprouts, jalepeno
slices and lemon wedges. Wonderful. Although quite adept with
chopsticks, you may want to try this dish with forgiving friends
as the noodles tend to slip through the sticks and wind up splashing
novices. (c;
November 1, 2004
This is the first year, that I haven't logged on to post
a Happy
Birthday to Zac on this birthday.
As the U.S. election
day approaches, I found it amusing that throughout the campaign
many of the hotly contested states had small towns that made
the national news--states like OH and PA--that were familiar
to me as highlighted stops on past and present friends' Hanson
tour journals (Cuyahoga
Falls , Columbus,
Hershey, Wilkes-Barre and Scranton). I found it unsettling that
cities like these evoke flashes of descriptions involving Hanson
concert-related activities and impressions in the same way that
the candidates would experience them--rather than the living
breathing communities that they are. Or am I just being overwrought,
as usual? (c;
October 13, 2004
photo journal of "fly away to where the leaves turn
red"
(Click image for larger view)
October 12, 2004
So the friend/co-worker, Lesa, who braved the Navy
Pier concert with me--not a long-time listener, but first-time
concert goer--sent me an email last week to say that she recognized
a Michael Tolcher song playing in the background of a preview
for a new show called, "Life as We Know It." I believe
she said the song was "Sooner or Later." I'm sure
this has been published on a million different Hanson forums
or whatever, but I now have no time to frequent these places
so I thought I'd preserve this notable item for future reference
here. Lesa has an autographed copy of Tolcher's album--as mentioned
in the account of the Chicago show. (c;
October 3, 2004
Every October, I always search through the place for my
stash of Christmas albums. I was curious to see that Snowed
In was being re-released. I thought it would have been devilish
of the band to call back long-time fans with the promise of
DVD extras to be included in this edition from their Dick Clark
special years ago. (c;
The next 2 weeks
are my favorite of the year in my part of the world--the crisp
air and all the harvest vegetables. I made squash soup twice
in the past couple days. Yum.
September19, 2004
A few things only a fan would notice or care about in Hanson's
appearance on Cribs:
- Isaac begins the
first strains of "More Than Anything" while at the
piano. A pleasant example of the past in the present.
- Zac's blend of
wisecrack and poignant--in the use of "where all the
magic happens" and "dear" when referring to
the instruments . . .
- As well as his
observation that his bedroom is the warmest room in the house,
"Literally, and I like to think figuratively as well"--this
makes me smile.
- The PG-13 sculpture
or 3-D picture in the dining room might be a throw-back to
one published in MOE 2, included in an article about visiting
the Getty Museum.
- Tiramisu: definitely
an especially amusing moment (c;
- Being inside the
"bachelor pad" reminded me of Zac's "Sounds
like every Thursday night" comment from the VH1 special,
which always makes me chuckle at random moments.
- Time
and Again, by Jack Finney
September 12,
2004
Watching "I <heart> the 90s" 1997 edition
involving the Hanson segment, my reaction was, "Whaaa?
Isaac, you have yet to meet anyone who can sing MMMBop correctly?
Ouch." Then, I thought, maybe Isaac was protecting the
fans in his own way. Because anyone who actually knows the chorus
to MMMBop, including its different harmonies? Honestly, most
people would wonder if that person needs to get out more. (c;
This means, if Isaac had said, "Oh our true fans know every
word, including the chorus," it would only serve to cast
Hanson fans further into margins of society. I should offer
to write spin for a major candidate. (c;
Oh, I caught "Garden
State" and the first thing I thought when I saw Natalie
Portman in those big earphones was . . . "Does she know
Isaac Hanson wrote a silly song about her?" and "If
so, are those headphones a 'right back atcha' ::wink wink::
to the band?" Like I have to even spell it out, fat headphones=Hanson's
new logo. Off topic: I read in Newsweek that Natalie
gave Julia Roberts, her costar in an edgy upcoming movie ("Closer"),
an off-color necklace with the c-word spelled out on it--Natalie
thought it was hilarious. When the movie wrapped, Julia reciprocated
with another necklace that said, "L'il c***." Now,
there's more material for you, Isaac.
And in a magazine
that mysteriously comes to my home without ever being prompted,
Hollywood had a fashion spread which included pictures
of Samaire Armstrong. She had really dark hair and was wearing
bizarre outfits. I threw the magazine away, but I think I remember
seeing crinoline-like material over cut-off jeans--if not that,
something along those lines. Proving once again, that Hanson's
reach is unexpected and random.
September 9, 2004
Promotion is not usually my style. But I'm going to promote
HTP (Hanson Tribute Project) here. Let me try to explain. I
see a definite parallel between an involvement with HTP and
a contribution to say, a decisively Christian publication or
church activity. To outsiders, and if I was completely honest,
to myself even, this kind of activity smells a lot like "tacky."
But this instinct is overcome by the sense that this expression
is the natural extension of something you hold dear. You've
accepted that. You own it.
In fact, there's
something really unbreakable, and yet ironically fragile about
being with a group of others who take these things as seriously
as you do. Where talent is focused so narrowly, it comes under
suspicion. I say to the person wearing the earnestly "clever"
Jesus-related t-shirt and to HTP writers--I support you. That
neither the Almighty nor Hanson (not that they're in the same
category) spend their time openly mocking these devoted followers
always takes me by surprise. But this tolerance, no indulgence,
gives me the freedom to accept this expression as genuine. Celebrate
it for its vulnerability.
I commend May and
Chelsea for having the courage to shamelessly pursue excellence.
Their support of the fans who support Hanson continues to baffle
and hearten me when HTP arrives in my mailbox.
September 4, 2004
I'm intrigued by the seemingly random numbers that sometime
appear in Hanson songs. You wonder if they hold a significance.
For example, in Dying to be Alive there's "twenty-five
days ago" which officially remains a mystery--although,
I heard somewhere (rumor alert) that it's a reference to their
pal, Ashley's age at the time of the song. ::shrug:: In fact,
other numbers like 1,440 and 77th Street have been explained,
leading a person to believe that Hanson's evil genius does not
allow them to throw numbers around like statistics supplied
in a political campaign.
This
got me thinking about the line in Lost without Each Other:
"twelve nights since you ran away . . . " Naturally,
this lead to research on that Shakespeare classic, "Twelfth
Night." I found the first line of a synopsis on this play
(on a probably sketchy "homework helper" site)
intriguing:
Count Orsino of
Illyria is introduced; he laments that he is lovesick, and
wishes that "if music be the food of love," he could
kill his unrequited love through an overdose of music.
Yet, I found this
an apt summary also of LWEO--and in general, Taylor's love instincts
as he portrays them through song lyrics. Elsewhere, the site
offers an explanation of the significance of the title--its
reference to the twelfth night:
Although the title
of the play is Twelfth Night, it is not certain that this
title means that the play takes place on the "Twelfth
Night" itself, or the twelfth day after Christmas . .
. Thematically, there are links to this period of time, which
was a time of feasting and revelry; the reveling, pranks,
and merriment within the play resemble activities that are
characteristic of Twelfth Night, which was the culmination
of the Christmas season, and a time of much festivity.
So, gentle reader,
if this reference edifies your appreciation of LWEO, I'd be
very surprised. (c; But, I was interested in pursuing this tangent.
I also wanted to mention that the ending of the LWEO video made
me wonder if it was a tribute to Billy Joel's We Didn't Start
the Fire--wasn't there a piano or keyboard on fire in that
video also?
Although my love
for LWEO is not in question, I secretly feel that if my boyfriend
said some of those things to me during a fight, it would come
across as being a tad patronizing. "There's no room for
getting uptight?" What are you my dad? There's no room
for being (well, you supply the term (c;). Uptight? You want
to see uptight?
You know, I love
you, Hanson. It's just something that's been nagging at me to
finally share.
August 24, 2004
I feel I should comment on the Underneath Acoustic dvd
and the "Lost without Each Other" video. The short
answer on the LWEO video is that I really like the black and
white shadowy "born in a small town" feeling. However,
I saw it at my aunt's house on her roommate's computer since
neither my Macintosh nor the library's Windows computers could
access it. The video came across a DSL and looked very much
like a jerky, smeared slideshow. Was that part of the effect?
I suspect not, but if so, I didn't like that. Hanson is again
pulling away from my technology dock.
. . . I still haven't
seen the "Penny & Me" video. I assumed it was
on the dvd. My only disappointment.
August 23, 2004
During my last days at my mall job, I found out that when
one of our managers left the building, there were people who
literally sprinted back to the music control room to switch
the CD collection--the one that plays overhead. He had a penchant
for country. When he discovered his bad DJ status, he decided
to take requests at the morning meeting. When someone from the
footwear department offered, "Techno?" he obliged.
All at once, Sunday lost its quaint feeling--I realized I anticipated
the slow drawl of heart-sick songs on this first day of the
week. (c;
I relate this story
because on my very last day at my summer job, I think they were
playing the oldies collection. Thanks to Hanson and their lust
to share a love for classic favorites, I detected, "Johnny
B. Goode," "Feelin' Alright," and "American
Girl." Suddenly, my unhealthy dependence on Hanson--and
Hanson fan connections--for my music cultural education, exposed.
Ann comes through
again with "Blackbird" and "Drive My Car"
by The Beatles. These songs amused me for their sound effects--chirping
and beep-beeping, respectively. If Hanson decides to cover these
songs, I will be entertained. Not surprisingly, the songs fall
into two of their most loved categories: melancholy and, of
course, vehicles with a slight nod to stardom.
August 12, 2004
The setlist at the State Theatre
in Kalamazoo, MI felt very much like a parting gift as I step
off the Underneath Tour '04. Exhausted but already inching back
into school preparations, I'm still carrying the music in my
heart as I approach the increasingly anxious days ahead.
DVD thoughts are
still gathering . . .
August 11, 2004
As I'm caught between the rolling tide of panic associated
with, "Oh my gosh, school is starting in 3 weeks"
and the inevitable flushed anticipation of, "There's a
Hanson concert tonight," I've posted a hidden life journal
entry prompted by Ann's mix CD which contains wonderful musical
history and analysis: undercover.
To best capture my
familiar angst surrounding fanhood, here's an excerpt from an
email to Jacki, who wondered why my excitement for the show
was slow in developing (She will also be in Kalamazoo tonight):
In a message dated
8/11/04 8:23:42 AM, Dknstormy writes:
"I'm a tortured
soul who has to work through guilty feelings every time I
go to several Hanson concerts. But then I just say, 'To heck
with it, I'm going to have a great time even if I'm a fool.
Because, that's okay.'" ::smile:: See you tonight."
August 6, 2004
Yesterday near midnight, when my sisters and I got back
from Cedar
Point, an amusement park on beautiful Lake Erie, I found
the Underneath DVD in my mailbox. Naturally, I had to check
out a few chapters before going to bed. My favorite part so
far is when Zac wonders with a smile what is wrong with fans
at other concerts, since he's so used to the earthquake-inducing
Hanson love at his own concerts. This sounded all very amusing
and timely since this is exactly what my non-fan friend observed
at the recent Navy Pier concert she braved with me.
More on the DVD when
I actually have the time to view it in its entirety. (c;
August 1, 2004
Just getting back from a weekend where my parents approached
the gates of a Hanson concert and heard the initial roar of
the crowd. Puzzled and silently concerned by my Hanson devotion,
their participation in a concert felt, on a much, much less
majestic scale, like a blessing. They dropped us off at the
Skyline Stage on the Navy Pier (Chicago), left to take in the
Venetian Festival of lighted boats, and then met up with us
afterward in front of the new Millenium
Park. This new Chicago attraction is captivating. Included
are a giant metallic jellybean that reflects the surrounding
skyline, an outdoor music pavilion designed to host free concerts,
and mini-movies of extreme close-ups of Chicagoans digitally
reproduced on facing walls that spurt water in columns and occasionally
out of the pursed lips of the animated faces.
Only in the 21st
Century, could a woman of my humble means expect to find herself
in New York City one weekend and then Chicago a couple weeks
later to enjoy her favorite band. I give you my Navy
Pier concert reflections. (It also includes a reprint of
my thoughts on the Underneath Tour Book.)
July 31, 2004
I woke up and realized what I
had wished for the tour book was a re-print of the article that
appeared in the Playbill for the band's Carnegie Hall concert.
It was an insightful perspective of Hanson's evolving place
in the industry, as well as a comment on their parallel introduction
with the rise of online activity. There's a graduate thesis
in this social phenomenon.
P.S. A huge thanks to Ann, who came through
once again with an amazing CD full of Beatles / Hanson parallels.
I finally got to hear the Joe Cocker version of "Feelin'
Alright." She was singing along to this song long before
"Penny and Me." More on this awesome CD soon. I'm
off to Chicago in a few hours.
July 30, 2004
the underneath tour book:
I sold my tickets to the Detroit show to stunt the flow of the
madness--the complete madness of the Hanson tour frenzy. So
"I'm a fool, and that's okay" cuts both ways . . .
I'm a fool either way, is what I mean. Anyway, I forgot to mention
what I think of the Hanson Tour book that sells for $20. The
predictable response would be that it's probably worth a lot
less . .. $5 maybe? I broke out the Albertane Tour book just
to compare--to drive the point home. But the glossiness of that
era and all that early fanaticism represented by the clever
"han[d]son" cover (the guys hands are on the cover
of the first tour book) doesn't equal any of the raw, independent
feeling of a lonely street in any given town (the guys wandering
the street is the cover picture of this tour book).
The real comparison, what's a poster? What
was I expecting from the tour book? A personal dedication, a
listing of the backup musicians, critical acclaim (for Underneath)
one-liners? One for 3, not too shabby? (c;
My favorite part was the section that listed
the possible songs you might hear on the tour. I told Laura,
"It's like the promise of free crack samples at Hanson
tour stops for drug addicts." Laura, mostly Laura, and
I gave this list of song titles an editorial review and found
basic spellcheck lacking, which equals pure entertainment: "Gimmie"
and "Gimme" listed in 2 different places each with
a unique spelling, "Optomistic" and "Cn't Alwys
Get what U Wnt" (priceless). Oh the fanciful allure of
a Hanson tour book! The fact that we heard "Signed Sealed
Delivered, I'm Yours" and it wasn't even listed in The
Book?!! Proof that Hanson still knows how to break the rules,
as we are all too aware. (c;
The book also contains some contemplative
(my favorite kind) black and white pictures of each band member
with bold red painted name identifiers. It felt like a throwback
to an early hidden life splash
page. A totally cliche concept in early webpages, rivaled only
by the black background and neon green text. (c; But in the
tour book, it looks retro-inspired. I like it.
Next to each picture is a couriar fonted
quote by each band member below a listing of the instruments
they play during the shows . . . It punctuates what Laura has
termed, "the raising of the bar as far as the musicianship
goes on this tour." I couldn't agree more. We all knew
it before, but "notice served" to those who have not
yet joined the fold marked, "believers!"
I've heard part of the cost of the tour
book goes to the Clear Channel moguls, so I guess I can forgive
a portion of the $20. I still find it telling and amusing that
someone observed that Kate wouldn't let her page through the
Tour Book before handing over the cash. But you decide. I obviously
found at least a few words to throw the way of the Underneath
Tour book. ::shrug::
Also, I so appreciated these articles published
in local newspapers (I'm including the Chicago article, because
I held onto and didn't sell tickets to the Navy Pier show tomorrow
night):
Detroit
Free Press
Chicago
Sun-Times
Detroit
News
July 19, 2004
My painful, dare I say poignant
reflections on the 2nd Irving Plaza show
(the only NYC show I attended) have unexpectedly arrived early.
There is probably much, much more to say, but what I've captured
in this piece surprised even me. It may color the rest of the
tour for me, the lasting impression was so moving. I'm not sure
what else to say, but I would love to hear from you.
July 18, 2004
city mouse-country mouse:
I just got back from visiting Laura in NYC (I usually hate pretentious
abbreviations, but I love to use this one because it reminds
me of "Penny and Me.") and I feel like I was thrown
up on the beach after 3 days whale riding a magnificant slab
of granite that is Manhattan. The surreal experience began with
a random haircut in Chinatown, ordered by my uncle, who with
my cousin, picked me up at the Newark airport and headed to
New York to meet the rest of the family and Laura at Noodle
Town. And it never stopped.
I am going to see Hanson again in the Midwest,
so I told Laura that this trip to the band's new hometown to
catch a show was really to spend it with her and meet all of
the now famous New York fans. Not to mention, pass by famous
Hanson landmarks left and right. Within hours of disembarking
the plane, Laura and I happened through the subway stop that
was the set of "weird" . . . we strolled by the Beacon
Theater . . . just around the corner I took in Central Park
with the black granite knuckles poking through the grass as
seen in one of Hanson's early photo shoots . . . this went on
and on. Of course, the latest Hanson landmark has become Irving
Plaza. Not on par with the Beacon, for the sheer nostalgia of
the Beacon--c'mon the brass-lined window doors featured in the
video that is nestled in the corner of every fan's heart, the
corner that is painted orange over yellow.
The fans Laura has collected as friends
in her new neighborhood, as expected, were smart and funny and
just plain adorable. I loved meeting: Aileen, Carrie, Kirsten,
Melanie, Kristin, Hannah, and Yael . . . some of these people
are not from New York (and please forgive me for misspelling
your name--I'd love to hear from you, if you stumble on this
page.).
Much more on the show later, but to address
why I traveled by plane, train and automobile to this concert:
the significance of "In the City" and the roar of
the crowd during the aforementioned, "flight to NYC"
was undeniably pure local flavor, among the top reasons for
my trip. Being there to experience this was like attending a
family reunion as an invited guest. Really sweet, but leaves
you with a homesickness for the knowing wink from your own kindly
aunt. Among the highlights of the evening was the encore, "Signed
Sealed Delivered" by Stevie Wonder (thank you Aileen) .
. . not even mentioned in the tour book as a possible cover.
Shocking, really! I need to ask Laura again, what the name of
Zac's solo was.
Lasting memory of the show (7/16):
the energy, the rock god energy of Isaac on guitar and Taylor
who spent some time on the floor, crumpled / kneeling / folded
over . . . Electric! And Zac's climb to handshake the fans in
the balcony--this kind of attention to the fans would inspire
melting, not envy, even in a Hanson girlfriend, I would imagine--just
so generous and unguarded.
Main difference between Laura and Me:
Her K-mart has no garden section and my condo association is
full of green thumbs.
Surprising similarity between Laura and
Me: We both use dial-up internet.
Contrast images from Laura and my neighborhoods:
(Sadly no venue pictures due to city travel not mixing well
with an old digital camera. How old is it? It uses floppy disks.
Get the picture? Such a terrible pun, Jackie!!):
| City
garden / Laura |
How Laura gets around |
No
address needed / Laura |
 |
 |
 |
| Country
garden / Jackie |
Another
way to get around / Jackie |
Condo
address (not really mine--I'm so guarded, no?) |
 |
 |
 |
click for larger
view
July 8, 2004
With reluctance, I've published
the final review of a MOE. MOE 12 delivers
a communication style that I argue will not be replaced by hanson.net,
hanson hotline, interviews on DVDs or any other means of connection
with the band. I've made my peace with that, which saddens me
not because I'm holding onto MOE so tightly but because its
losing its grip on me. Just like some life endings have ironic
names like, "commencement," I'm letting go of MOE
while embracing it at the same time.
July 1, 2004
Despite my initial lukewarm reception
of "Every Word I Say," the previously unreleased track
from the "Penny and Me" single, I am in love with
it now as a pre-concert anthem. I don't know if it's the sheer
love of being in love or the infamous, "I'm a fool and
that's okay" that captures all the sentiment surrounding
the anticipation of an upcoming tour--but it's also a pure summer
melody that begs to be played at top volume through open windows.
I received the final MOE today. I'm not
sure how I shot to the top of the mailing list now that I'm
no longer an apartment dweller, but it only confirms my theory
that my old apartment was withholding or delaying mail . . .
hmmm . . . Just the smell of it is simultaneously fresh copy
and end-of-era both. I'll read it cover to cover as usual, but
there's reluctance to devour it as in days past. Maybe because
this will be the last time an issue of MOE will be a first read.
I'm not sure if I'll savor it or if it will already seem too
short. I'll post my reactions as they unfold.
Again, I'm leaving traces of June. This
time in the hopes of hearing from Lynn. (c;
P.S. I hate off-topic posts, but I recently
saw "Saved!" and "Fahrenheit 9/11," so if
anyone is interested in discussing either of these 2 movies,
I have lots to share.
June 26, 2004
Hanson's visit to Thailand
prompted me to remember a letter I received
from Lynn back in January 2001 who described herself as someone
who "will never be a 'statistic' in the Hanson files"
due to the inaccessibility of Hanson concerts, appearances and
even snail mail from the band in Asia. (Lynn, I tried searching
for your email at your site but couldn't find it. I would love
to hear from you in email if you catch this note.). I learned
from her journal,
not only that Lynn missed Hanson during their recent visit (boohoo)
but also that Taylor unexpectedly mentioned Tiger Woods as someone
he would like to play him in a movie of his life (or something
along these lines) . . . my best guess is that Taylor is fully
aware that Tiger's mother is Thai. ::wink wink::
Once again, you might find something of
interest to music fans @ On
the Media. There are several music-related stories, but
specifically "Driven to Download" and "Wilco
Keeps It Real" are decidedly Hanson-related as Danny Goldberg
and Wilco, respectively, have Hanson connections for the die-hard
fans.
June 22, 2004
Today I spent most of the day
with a friend and her twins who are now two years old. The following
book caught my eye: Elmo
Get Up and Go Songs. I had to suppress a chuckle. I wonder
if a certain someone is in possession of a copy of this book,
despite a certain uncle's early objections to Barney (Elmo's
PBS pal).
June 16, 2004
From the bandwagon: "The
Detroit Pistons are National Champions!" I normally
avoid watching professional basketball due to the "squeak
squeak" of soles meeting the gym floor, but when the Pistons
took on the Los Angeles Lakers (Lakers? More like the Pacifics,
no?) in The Palace of Auburn Hills last
night, I had to catch a glimpse of the classic underdog rising
above. Naturally, the fact that they swept the series in five
here in Michigan at a venue where I attended a stop on the Albertane
tour, made it all the sweeter. ::fade to "We are the Champions!::
June 1, 2004
I read this gargantuan book called,
The Brothers K, by David James Duncan
and naturally, a section resonated
a Hanson chord with me. I say "naturally" because
it seems in many great pieces of literature, I manage to find
an eerie connection. I hope you'll see it in this quote:
"Technical obsession is like an unlit,
ever-narrowing mine shaft leading straight down through the
human mind. The deeper down one plunges, the more fabulous,
and often the more remunerative, the gems or ore. But the
deeper down one plunges, the more confined and conditioned
one's thoughts and movements become, and the greater the danger
of permanently losing one's way back to the surface of the
planet. There also seems to be an overpowering, malignant
magic that reigns deep down in these shafts. And those who
journey too far or stay down too long become its minions without
knowing it--become not so much human beings as human tools
wielded by whatever ideology, industry, force or idea happens
to rule that particular mine . . . "
Anyway, I left the post about Ashley on
NPR during the June updates page because I just think it's pretty
random and weird. If you go to On
The Media, scroll down to the "Man on the Street"
story near the bottom. There's a Real Audio link below it where
you can hear the segment--Ashley appears near the end of it.
May 29, 2004
Every Saturday morning, I wake up at 7:00 a.m. to listen to
NPR's On
The Media, which is a radio show devoted to a "behind
the scenes" glance into the news--print and otherwise.
This week, at the end of the show there was a piece devoted
to a notorious "man on the street," Greg
Packer. Packer is a Long Island highway worker who makes
a hobby of seeking out journalists searching for just the right
"man on the street" quote.
Amy O'Leary of OTM catches him on the day
he is spending the night outside the Virgin Megastore in Times
Square, which he does frequently for various celebrities. But
this day he is awaiting the arrival of Hanson. Packer's only
other companions is a gaggle of teenaged girls.
However, along with breaking into a few
bars of Hanson's most recognizable song, Packer also mentions
he is in possession of a big poster of Isaac, Taylor and Zac--which
he poses with for a Hanson documentary. Then you hear Ashley,
"the documentary filmmaker for Hanson," who catches
Packer on film. He explains, "It's the big grin. It's what
it is. He just looks like a happy guy . . . Grins attract people,
that's why I came up." And he adds, "That, and the
huge poster."
The outtake for the radio segment, naturally,
is "MMMBop." This is the second time Hanson's song
has been played on a random NPR Saturday show. The other time
was when Studio
360 (February 2002) interviewed Danny
Goldberg, former CEO of Mercury Records, and he remembers his
kids' influence on his decision to take on Hanson.
May 23, 2004
Last week, I went on a fevered
quest to find a machine that would allow me to play the OutSmart
Hanson game. My home computer has low browser issues, my school
internet filters out sites with the word "game" in
them, so that left me with the library. This is what I posted
in Laura's LJ:
So Laura, at your
suggestion, I headed down to the local library to play the
Outsmart Hanson game, because my computer at home is having
Mac OSX issues with AOL--bottom line: my browser is too low
to Outsmart Hanson. So I'm sitting here at the public library
wearing questionable headphones--the kind you wonder if you're
going to extract lice or earwax from. This whole scenario
is feeding my theory that my Hanson fanhood indicates a character
flaw. Geeze! To prove my point, it was totally worth it. The
game was hilarious and I actually beat them for knowing that
a penny is, in fact, mostly made out of zinc. Weird.
May 12, 2004
Random dvd comments (that I didn't
even know was on its way--an epoch in my personal Hanson fan
history):
- The "welcome
video" has Hanson addressing the fans directly, in the
old familiar style of past fan club videos (think nanu nanu,
only with the 2004 sophistication). Which reminded me that
in the dvd that accompanied the album, Hanson speaks mysteriously
to people off-camera in golden light and at undefined events
as if they were on a 24/7 Hanson news channel. I found those
moments possibly self-absorbed to a general audience (not
to a devoted Hanson fan, however), and therefore somewhat
amusing.
- The mockumentary
format of "the making of underneath" is delightful--a
throw-back to the scratchy intros on the "Snowed In"
album . . . Youngsters, this is what a classic record is all
about . . .
- There are descriptions of songs on this
dvd that I had never heard before: "Dream Girl"
and "Time Will Tell ." I will probably never receive
a surprise gift that will surpass or even parallel this one.
- I'm intrigued by the chapter art . .
. just about every song has its own Renaissance woodblock
slash Gauguin-like art (people will disagree with my
references here I'm sure).
- This is the first time I saw the "making
of" a Hanson video before I actually saw the video. Why,
oh why does the "Penny and Me" video keep eluding
me?
- The "Save Me" video left me
wondering, "Was that white glob a brief glance of Zac?"
when unexplainably, in contrast, a spit strand from one of
his brothers' is depicted quite clearly.
- The most amusing section of the CD is
found for me in the photo gallery (Gallery Two): Hanson photo-shoot
pix (my least favorite, as opposed to my favorite--unposed
captures)--the guys are all one-suspender, angsty gaze, over-the-top
GQ, and--yes, and soundtracked by "Crazy Beautiful."
HIlarious!
After viewing the dvd the first time, I
felt a little bit like I had just begun a Toni Morrison book--overwhelmed
with imagery to unpack. It's going to take some time, but if
you're still around, I'll keep sharing things as they occur
to me. A huge thanks to Laura for drawing these observations
out of me and for defining the term "Easter eggs."
Happy hunting!
May 11, 2004
Thanks to Toona
and the unexpected Hanson dvd 2.1 that arrived today, reactions
to underneath are up. This past
week, I've gone to the BrainPop
site with some second graders and was reminded that sound is
simply vibrating molecules. How outlandishly straightforward
and yet how unexplainably powerful.
May 1, 2004
Today is the first day of Tulip
Time in my small town. I thought I'd share some local color
with you. (c; Last fall, I planted some white tulips bulbs in
a small patch of earth which have miraculously come up, displaying
some regional pride. Recently, a friend gave me some clippings
from her garden which I hope will grow into some black-eyed
susans and forget-me-nots . . . I've finally taken Hanson's
signature song to its logical conclusion and "plant[ed]
a seed, plant[ed] a flower," etc. (Tying this new springtime
rite into an early Hanson song was a corny afterthought. Forgive
me.)
Last night I was struck by how reassuring
"Broken Angel" can be when you're feeling a bit blue.
Zac is nobody's fool. (c;
April 21, 2004
translations
Some more revelations (I've limited myself to 3 bullets) since
yesterday:
- "Misery"
is probably my favorite album translation because the texture
is deeper, more contemplative and simultaneously more clubbish,
if that's possible. This was initially my favorite song on
the acoustic album.
- The
album version of "Strong Enough to Break"
feels like tasting the gourmet meal that someone made out
of the fish you helped catch in your backyard creek. The "na
ne ne ne-na, na ne ne ne-na"
addition is perfect. From the moment I heard the original
version's guitar strains on a KLOS radio interview ages ago,
I was hooked. To top it off, the endearing moment of the DVD
was hearing Zac refer to this tune as one of his favorite
songs as well.
- Then there's "Underneath"
. . . where to begin? Witnessing the genesis of this song
unfold on DVD, even though we've heard it retold again and
again, there was something, yes, Taylor, visceral about its
beginning, as captured on film. Although, the cellos on the
album version are rich, the nakedness of the acoustic version
is somewhat masked by them.
captured
and I also received the DVD today
in the mail from amazon.com:
- Taylor's reference
to "1, 2, 3 go!" has to have caught in more than
one old school 3CG fan. ::silent tear::
- Did anyone else
detect a spark between a certain collaborator (who hearts
firemen) on the album and Isaac's song choice for that collaboration
. . . ? I'm crazy? Check out the sequencing of the edits.
::wink wink::
- When Zac is playing
"Misery" coached by Taylor, does this give anyone
else the feeling that the guys were at that songwriting camp
in France? And, okay . . . sad songs that sound happy? . .
. I'm not sure melancholy, minor-chordish "Misery"
is the first Hanson song that leaps to mind that fits that
description!! A sad song that sounds happy?!!! 20th
Century fans unite to shake heads in disbelief! (c;
cover art
The last
time I saw fat headphones like that, they were on the youngest
Hanson I've seen, to date, at a concert. This person's name,
according to some Biblical scholars means "help."
Reason #1441 to love Hanson.
Correction: I actually heard "Lost
Without Each Other" at the Chicago House
of Blues concert last October . . . in between the Pontiac
show and the new album. Who cares?
April 20, 2004
My favorite part of the new album
were the arcs I felt--over time and space and versions of myself
and Hanson:
- "Lost Without Each Other"--
The one and only other time I heard this song was at arguably
my favorite Hanson concert back in August in Pontiac,
MI. As an encore, it felt like a faucet had been turned on
full blast after a memorable storm. It sealed my transformation
from reluctant fanaticism to reborn devotion.
- "Broken Angel"-- Zac
back on trusty track #8 . . ." Lucy, so small, yet still
so proud." This song also made me think of the beautiful
out-of-print book of angels Laura unexplainably sent my way
awhile ago. So . . .
- "Crazy Beautiful"--
Years ago, a random post on the early hansonline forum (or
was it h.net already), mentions that brass would be fun to
mix in again sometime. Sometimes I feel my few and far between
posts are buried in words more compelling, less uninformed
. . .
A small, yet weirdly
immense detail which characterizes my growing comprehension
of what Hanson's independent label cost but also offers, is
that the technical cover of the album is not a stylized image
of the band. This represents even louder than the music, clearer
than Zac's now-historical tear, and more understated than the
fact there are no K-mart poster promotions accompanying this
album that Hanson is calling each and every shot! Frightening
and yet so d*mn impressive--and you know I rarely swear.
Much more on this
album to come, including thoughts on acoustic to album song
evolutions . . . then there's "Believe" and "Lulla
Bell" . . . I'm still trying to process everything . .
. right now the albums is like holding a newborn baby . . .
the pure delight and yet the wonder of how these songs will
wind their way into my heart, future thoughts and emotions.
Happy 4/20, Hanson! (c;
April 14, 2004
Oh and I'm adding "visceral"
to the list. You know the one. It also includes "zeitgeist"
and "disingenuous." For a guy who isn't a national
spelling bee contender, Taylor sure loves the gold-plated words.
And why shouldn't he?
visceral: of, pertaining to, or
affecting the organs in the cavities of the body, especially
those in the abdominal cavity.
April 12, 2004
My favorite moments from the All
Access: Hanson on VH1 have to be:
- Zac's tear--I had to watch it a couple
times to convince myself of its authenticity. How can I doubt
you, Zac?!
- Nikki Sixx: Hanson fan--Who is this person?
Hilarious!
As predicted, all of my ranting about my
least favorite Hanson songs seems like needless slander. Forgive
me, Hanson!
Did anyone else compare the public and private
Hanson portrayed in this VH1 depiction of Hanson's potential
comeback against a recent interview where Taylor ends the conversation
with a member of the "street team" by requesting that
the team downplay their die-hard fan status in publicity? My
thought, "Wow, the older fans definitely look authentic."
Yet, against the persistent "Tulsa, Tokyo and the Middle
of Nowhere" footage of girls shoving against glass doors--a
2004 fan would have to really work hard to blow their
cover. (c;
March 24, 2004
I wouldn't have predicted the
day, but it happened yesterday. I had forgotten that a Hanson
single was to be released. Gasp! I did not rush out and purchase
it the first available minute I could scrounge up. However,
thanks to Julie, I am, today, the owner of the Penny & Me
single. My thoughts on the previously unreleased track, "Every
Word I Say," included on it and other treacherous Hanson-related
material can be found at: with distance.
It's my attempt at concrete evidence that my fanhood has matured
beyond the gushing stage. Have I gone too far? My suffocating
lack of distance from the subject, proves me an unreliable source.
March 15, 2004
A couple weeks ago, I think I
caught Hanson on a late, late show that I didn't even know existed
(taped, of course). I was thinking about how "Penny and
Me" delivered with piano, percussion and backups had not
really lost the magic of the three guitars from "Leno"
but somehow felt more, "Okay, this is slipping out of 'Hanson
coming back to us'." And yet, being one of a few people
to catch the band so late at night, it felt clubby at the same
time.
The fact that I missed acknowledging Taylor's
birthday yesterday must indicate something in the evolution
of my fanhood. But what, I'm not sure. For old time's sake,
here's the NY Time's link:
On
This Day in History
February 27, 2004
I love this--my friend, Ann,
sent me this random connection which reminded me that my 5 years
of French has all, but faded:
"Ever take
French? Did you know ... in French, 'the songs of Hanson'
would be 'les chansons d'Hanson?' . . . Actually, what's really
weird is that it didn't occur to me sooner. And the two family
members named C. Hanson are even more musical, I suppose ..."
--Ann
I'm trying Español now, but this
kind of epiphany will continue to elude me I'm sure.
February 15, 2004
I hesitate to post this, but it
truly has been my most recent Hanson-related musing. Am I the
only person amused by the recent announcement that the U.S.
release date for the band's latest album is set for April 20th?
What with the mention of the "ganja boys" on the h.net
sampler and the veiled references to having dabbled in
other states of being, I find it less than coincidental or hardly
without side glances and a chuckle that Hanson announce that
their next album will temporarily enshrine 4/20 among the noteworthy
Hanson dates. I'm surely not alone in also finding the airing
of the reruns for "That 70s Show" at 4 p.m. no accident.
What am I revealing about myself in these
observations? Nothing, only that, if a person who would be described
as virtually "a Protestant nun" by most of her friends
recognizes the underlying subtext of 420, then this is surely
a sign that it has been mainstreamed.
February 9, 2004
Version 7.0: Recently someone
mentioned the significance of May 9th--I've since forgotten
the context--and my immediate thought was May 6, 1997. Is it
wrong that one of my personal watersheds is synonymous with
the launch of Hanson's first commercial album? This experience
spawned a renewed penchant for "Middle of Nowhere."
I wondered how it would hold up against another backward glance
expressed in "Perspectives" of Newsweek (1.19.04):
"'Crap, crap, crap. I apologize to anybody who bought them
and wasted their money.' Singer and actress Mandy Moore, on
her first two albums."
Once every nuance and pause of "Middle
of Nowhere" was etched into daily routines. Now, 7 years
later I feel the smoothing effect of time most poignantly in
having to strain to remember the track order--punctuated by
the haunting sense that this exercise might be pathological.
Or can I classify it within the boundaries of sanity? I just
heard that the word "nostalgia" was first used by
psychology to refer to an aberrant condition. It has since been
co-opted by Hallmark and VH1 as a sweet state of being. Why
can't I simply embrace my on-going connection to Hanson and
their music? My favorite Hanson fan-friends do just that--and
make it look so smart and inevitable!! Welcome back to my Hanson
angst, version 7.0. I'm still looking for a credible reason
not to marginalize my Hanson fan self.
Beneath my skin: Two forces have
raced towards each other and collided in the past few weeks:
I had an unexplainable encounter with the love of my life--raw
unrequited love--at the mall (this sounds so jr. high and it
so is!!) and unrelatedly, I've also begun to explore what it
means for me to be a member of a Korean diaspora--the recipient
of cross-cultural adoption. It's mysterious, rejuveninating
and tumultuous, though oddly calming all at once.
The loss theme that runs rampant through
Hanson's music has informed my attempts to process whether my
vision is more blurred or clearer in the on-going aftermath.
It's "Underneath" that continues to stir the blood
sloshing around in my brain, through my suddenly foreign veins
and around my spine. For me, the narrator could be addressing
different aspects of his/her identity. An explosive vantage
point. hmmm . . . There are echoes of "MMMBop"'s true
theme running through just about every Hanson song . . . the
acceptance and sorrow of inevitable loss, but also the hard-won
process of survival and what remains. The evolution of Hanson
does not discredit their first album--we all live with every
version of our former and present selves. Mandy, we are most
identified with what we most shun, no? Never shun, instead embrace
and keep going.
Tell me what you see.
You'll find me underneath.
January 2, 2004
This year begins with two friends
tipping me off to obscure Hanson media appearances. Betsy, an
amused by-stander, reported on Hanson's recent appearance on
a talk show ("Ally and ?") which I missed. She had
tried to call me at the time, but I was not in. She summarized:
- Taylor seems to be shrinking.
- The camera was never on Isaac.
- The guys spoke about how their fans keep
aging with them, from 16 to early 20s.--She wondered why the
band failed to mention, "the fans that started in their
late twenties and are now in their thirties?" Huh?
And the faithful New York Ann--not NYC but
NY State--sent this scan of this snapshot she stumbled over
in The New York Daily News. You've probably already seen
it, but I feel it sums up the guys' past year for me because:
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