Murat Theatre
Indianapolis, IN
October 7, 2000

When we entered the theater, we surveyed the cheerful crowd.  We then made a shocking decision to sit in the balcony despite having floor seats as well. ::gasp:: We had just purchased leftover orchestra seats the day before the show from Ticketmaster and a generous online friend who couldn't attend, because we wondered if our balcony seats were going to be crappy.They weren't. Anything is possible. (c;

Let me backtrack a moment by saying that the whole vibe of the Murat Theatre began in the lobby.  A man in charge announced that there would be no signs permitted inside, but that the theatre was allowing personal cameras! I did a "Scooby-Doo" double take. Was this person for real? It was poetic justice after the State Theatre security fiasco! This announcement was the first in a string of potential concert annoyances that evaporated one by one as the night wore on.

The next to go was the possibility of poor fan behavior during the opening band's set, M2M. The Indy crowd, not only greeted these two girls and their band with enthusiasm, but actually seemed to enjoy the music. My 17-year-old sister is not even a fan of Hanson and she has put M2M on her birthday list. I thoroughly enjoyed M2M's Lionel Richie cover. And finally, there was one last irritation to overcome. Yes, the screaming. And truthfully, it wasn't that bad! There was even a petition among fans to not raise their voices during "A Song to Sing" and "Love Song" (which wasn't played). In fact, the band seemed so astonished, they stopped ASTS before the "glassy surface" verse. I've often thought that this song admonishes fans who don't appreciate the music first and foremost, and it seems as though the guys didn't think this crowd needed to hear that. Just a theory, more than likely completely unfounded.

Was it my imagination or, from the moment the band hit the stage, did Hanson seem extra-psyched about the show? The guys seemed to own the Murat Theatre from "You Never Know" straight through to "Man from Milwaukee."

Flashback--> My friend, Laura, and I had pulled up to the Murat at 3 p.m. to pick up tickets, etc. and we saw no one.  We looked at each other and were gripped by panic for a brief moment. We wondered, were we at the right venue . .. in the right city, the right state? The venue looked like a sacred meeting hall since the name we saw on a domed building with colorful mirages painted on the side was "Murat Shrine Temple" . . . hmmm . ..  A lone window washer steered us around front where--whew--a gaggle of fans were fenced off from a bus stop.  We were in familiar territory. Hanson fanhood in all its expectant glory.

Back to the show--> And the covers just kept coming . . . I had not heard "Crosstown Traffic" and it now has a spot on my "favorite Hanson covers" list (which includes most of the Christmas album and "I Want You to Want Me"). Zac maintained the Crosstown beat into the next song and it was unspeakably cool. I was originally going to illustrate the cover-fest by naming all the covers the band didn't perform, but then I realized, the guys cover a ton of songs. Another memorable moment was when the man seated behind me, clearly a chaperone to a screamer, stood up for "Can't Always Get What You Want" and sang along at the top of his lungs. Bravo! But the "Gimme Some Lovin'" encore was so random that it sealed the overall feel of the set.

By now, you've probably heard about the debut of "Bridges of Stone" and Zac's headbanging during 95% of "In the City." Other remarkable moments for me included noting that Taylor always introduces "Runaway Run" with the question, "Are you ready to rock?" For me, this question fits "Speechless" or "Man from Milwaukee" or a list of covers a mile long . . .much more closely than "Runaway Run." But how endearing to know that Taylor thinks this song ROCKS! Also, by the time the congas/bongo drums were being wheeled out for "MMMBop," I mentioned to my friend, Kim (at her first Hanson concert) that I was surprised Taylor still had his shirt on. At that instant, he left the stage to return with only his black tank--his signature TTA uniform.  Amusing!!

Finally, all the old school songs ROCKED ever harder.  How much do I love the BAM BAM BAM of the "Thinking of You" bridge?! And who can go without mentioning the lilting beauty "Lucy" has grown into? And I will embarrass myself if I mention my undying love for the mature version of "Speechless" one more time. I find it so clever that its title pays tribute to Hanson's affection for Jason, Scott and Matt--everybody knows by now that "Speechless" is the song that is played while Taylor initiates a "We're not worthy" emotion from the crowd as the guys introduce each of the members of the backup band.

How about same place, next tour . . . and don't forget to reserve the balcony for us again. (c;

Murat Theatre

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