State Theatre
Detroit, Michigan
September 28, 2000

The Ticket: Poetic Justice
As much fun as the prospect of a Hanson Tour is and as amazingly thrilling each stop can be, there are just some limits to what you should be willing to go through to attend a show. However, way back when Hanson first posted tentative tour dates online, it was like the checkered flag at a raceway. To what lengths and to what depths were fans willing to sacrifice to be at a show? As a fan from Michigan, I could no longer make a case for the lament, "Hanson has no love for the Midwest!"  All those Ohio dates, Toronto, Illinois and a couple dates in Indiana?!! Not to mention, Michigan itself?! However, on closer examination, many of the dates originally fell on school nights. Shucks!

I decided then that I'd see a show before the new semester began (Arlington, TX) and then I'd catch a weekend concert somewhere in the Midwest. That meant, no Detroit concert, since it was scheduled for a Thursday evening.  I was content--at peace.  But then, I rationalized, if I were awarded hanson.net or MOE tickets to the show, it would be an act of God and then how could I argue with that?! (c;  Sadly, neither materialized.   This meant, of course, that I was willing to stay home and do my homework on Thursday, September 28, 2000.  ::cough cough::

The evening before the concert, I was at school and decided to call Ticketmaster on the off chance of there being tickets left for the show.  It had been sold out, so technically, even a balcony seat leftover would also qualify as a "blessing from above," no? The voice at the other end of the line said in an all-too-calm, but pleasant tone, "It looks like there's a floor seat in Row A of the Golden Circle available." BAM!! ROW A?!!  The Golden Circle?! What could this mean? All of these things sounded like they should have belonged to other people. But, this fairy godmother, masquerading as a random TM employee, was offering this seat to me! (None of my friends could attend this performance since it was in the middle of the week, but they would join me for the Indianapolis show the next Saturday.).

The director of the Writing Center where I work on campus, said she saw me floating 3 inches above the ground after I got off the phone.  The most incredible part of this story is that this seat WAS, in fact, a leftover MOE seat.  Once at the theatre, I discovered that everyone seated around me had gotten their tickets from calling the secret MOE phone number. (How and when did they manage to get through?!! Amazing!) We were the first row of the raised platform behind the block of folding chairs that were directly in front of the stage (hanson.net and ticket broker seating).  I guess God sometimes  helps those who help themselves. ::grin::  I have yet to pay more than face value for a ticket. I know . . .it's disgusting.

The Show
The show itself was a "get lost in the music" experience as usual. I must admit that my flailing arms invaded the seated space of a step-mom/ chaperone seated next to me. At the same time, it was as different from the Arlington show as anyone can imagine.   The seasons had shifted from summer to fall.  The autumn venue was not an outside setting against the summery backdrop of a massive Texas Giant rollercoaster, but an old Detroit night club, the State Theatre. It seemed to have an "Isaac feel" to it, as it appeared to play backup for the "oh so vintage and glamorous" Fox Theatre, located right next door.  This vibe appeared to set the tone for the evening, in fact. It seemed Taylor's energy level did not quite match his "Mick Jagger" jauntiness from the memorable August performance in Texas.

Two notable moments for me included one of my favorite "Isaac songs," "I Don't Know" (I have the Australian "If Only" single, not a Napster clone if anyone is casting suspicion in this direction.) and, of course, you've all heard by now, "More Than Anything." First of all, "I Don't Know" is two-part heart-meltingly sweet and one-part blues, but all soul--in my humble opinion. (c; I was also in shock when I saw Taylor and Zac exit stage right, leaving Isaac alone with the keys. Yikes! Could it be? Yes, a curlier-haired, more self-possessed Isaac sang "More Than Anything" in all its Boomerang glory! To me, it was a combination "Ah-ha!" to anyone who had once snubbed the eldest Hanson in favor of his brothers and an acknowledgment of every fan who believed in him from his soulful "daisy or a rose" on MMMBop.

Then, there was Zac!! It was Detroit after all--and, from what I could tell, he sang lead on virtually every verse of "Money (That's What I Want)." I later heard from a friend in front row that part of his drum kit became wobbly (a la pre-fame, well, fame) and needed attention during the show.   I never noticed. Once again, Zac's professionalism shone through. And, the moment of all moments for me, was when I saw someone come out to adjust the drums to fit, possibly another drummer, before the encore.  Just to give this moment context: The guys had not performed, "In the City," the show seemed much shorter and less Taylor-charged than Arlington and there were tons of security issues . . . BUT then, Zac came out and sang, "I Want You to Want Me" with Taylor on drums. It was pure redemptive magic!! Whoa!

Zac's face was obscured by signs for 80% of the performance, but still the warmth and amusement of his voice, the power of his clapping and the sheer sunshine of his smile engulfed the State Theatre. He held us captive for the length of this cover song.

My theory is that Taylor wasn't feeling 100% that evening so his brothers stepped up to the plate and hit a few out of the park for the team! Undeniably incredible!

NOTE: I choose not to focus on the negative, but the State Theatre has definite security issues!! I mention this because it comes up in the account of the next concert experience. The guards, who by their own admission, normally police hip-hop and rap concerts, were openly amused by the Hanson fan base.  They were doing very little to keep kids from standing on folding chairs.   Think about the safety issues involved with that.  They were not asking people to put their signs down during the performance. The last 5 rows in the folding chair section had pushed their way to the front, causing general mayhem near the stage section. (Zac commented on being hit in the face before the show began . .. grrr)  Where were the guards? Openly mocking fans in the space directly in front of the Golden Circle, Row A. I was not amused for several reasons, but mostly because none of the taunts were either professional, or original in nature. (Screaming fans have been the target of caricature since Day One . . . please!)

[ Home ] [ Up ] [ falling endlessly ] [ Fox Theatre ] [ Arlington ] [ State Theater ] [ Murat Theatre ] [ photo journal ]