The Molson Ampitheater
As many of you recall on "Hanson
Scrapbook" (MTV), John Norris asked, "Can you tell us anything about the tour,
Zac?" To which, the band replied:
Zac: Um, music.
Taylor: There will be music.
Zac: Maybe some seats out in the audience.
Taylor: And there will be lights.
Isaac: People.
Zac: A few people.
I just returned from Toronto, Canada after attending the June 23rd concert from the 1998
Albertane Tour. I have a few words about each of the tour elements that the band mentions
~ not necessarily in order. I hope my thoughts will fill in some of the gaps that the guys
didn't have time to answer. I will also give you the scoop on the Tour Program before you
decide to spend $15-20 on it. But first, here's an account of my tour experience:
Toronto, Canada is very, very close to Canada's Wonderland. Any viewer of TT&MON knows
what that could have meant. Needless to say, I purchased earplugs before leaving Michigan.
(c: The band had been very explicit about the decibel level at that epic event last
summer. Let me just say that aside from being more than psyched to see Hanson, I was also
looking forward to meeting four of my favorite web authors: Laurie, Sarah and Mel of
"A Page of Honest Opinions" and Jenn of "Here We go 'Round." Since we
were staying in the same hotel (NOTE: The Toronto Metro Inn is quite near a scary section
of town, but public transportation is easily accessible. Thanks to Heather for leading the
way to the Molson Ampitheatre via Toronto's finest subways and trolley cars!), we met in
the lobby. I was able to recognize Laurie immediately from the pictures on her page. It
was a lot of fun to finally be able to chat in person with these online buddies. We also
met two of Laurie's friends from Canada as well, Heather and Jonnie.
I had been able to convince one of my friends ~ another 27 year old ~ and my 15 year old
sister, Janell to go with me (Check out my sister's page in my links section). My sister
insisted whenever she was asked about attending the concert, that the ONLY reason she
agreed to go was to witness her sister's reaction to actually seeing the band in person. I
have absolutely no idea what she was referring to with these comments . . . Now that the
concert is over, she won't admit to "fanhood" which she describes as
"owning every CD and playing them 24/7," but she will claim that she is a Hanson
"appreciator." What would she do if she ever had the opportunity to meet the
band ("They seem like nice guys.")? She would tease them by asking them
questions like, "Who came up with your name?" and "How did you meet?"
She says that the concert was, in fact, "a good time." (NOTE: Did I mention that
this concert ROCKED?! (c:) Apparently, the entertainment was provided not just by watching
her sister, but possibly by the band, as well. On several occasions, I discovered her
peering through our dad's tiny Minolta binoculars from our lawn location (I don't think
she needed them to see me, since I was only a couple feet away. Hehe). Our
"seats" were on a soggy blanket on the right side of the Molson Ampitheatre
lawn. We were surrounded by enthusiastic fans.
PEOPLE: Here are my thoughts on this element of the tour. I anticipated being annoyed by
screaming fans with band members' names penciled across their bodies in eye liner. I
expected to possibly be physically harmed by them: hearing loss, according to TT&MON,
or even worse, bruises, since some fans who had appeared on MTV Live related pinching and
kicking other fans at the Hammerstein Concert. I was pleasantly surprised (The most
irritating members of the audience were parents who smoked. Sharing carcinogens at a
Hanson concert does not add to the good times.) Oh yes, there were tanktops and bra straps
aplenty, there were pictures of Hanson on T-shirts practically everywhere I stared (c:,
and there were names of band members across fans' foreheads, arms and chests ~ but it was
all kind of endearing to me. As someone who spends her days with Middle School students, I
was taken in by that little girl with the braids who looked just like Zac, the sign that
was made to look like an alien with curly brown hair that read, "Girl from Milwaukee:
Abduct Me," and the young fan who was watching me clap to make sure she was keeping
the beat. The screams were piercing only at the end. That was the only time I made use of
my earplugs. I was able to see just why the band continues to appreciate their adoring
fans, as they have spent much of their lives entertaining them. I have only one request of
certain fans who may read this page, "Please, please, be kind to Admiral Twin. By
booing, or saying "no" when they ask if you want to hear one more song or when
you ask them to leave the stage or hurry up, you are ultimately showing disrespect to
Hanson. Of course, you're also being extremely rude to this incredibly talented band.
Hanson would not appreciate this treatment of their friends from Tulsa. Why not check out
their website to learn more about the band, if you haven't yet? Here's the link: Admiral Twin (BTW, Jarrod Gollihare, AT's drummer,
is the author of Hanson's Official Book.)
A final note: There are indeed male Hanson fans. There were several in attendance who were
even sporting Hanson T-shirts. Unfortunately, I don't have pictures to prove this, so
you'll have to take my word. (c:
LIGHTS (AND THE SETS): The colored lights that were dancing around Admiral Twin as they
performed, caused it to look like their hair was tinted purple, pink and blue. Zac's
drumsticks and drum set were sending out sparkly colors also. That was really cool. Some
information about the towers that appear on-stage for the first set from the official
program:
"Isaac, Taylor and Zac worked closely with set designer Bruce Rogers to come up with
the stage they are performing on this evening. They laugh about an interesting coincidence
that took place . . . The stage consists of fabric hung vertically as the backdrop of the
sets which we call the 'knives' and four towers rigged with Varilights.' 'At one point,'
says Zac, 'someone commented that the towers looked like oil derricks and wondered if we
did that because we're from Oklahoma.' 'It would be fitting,' commented Isaac, 'since our
home state has such a long history as an oil production Mecca, however it was completely
coincidental.' Or was it? Could growing up in Oklahoma have some kind of subliminal effect
on one's architectural tastes? Who knows."
During the second set, all three band members are able to sit as they perform. Isaac sits
in a really cool green arm chair. Taylor sits on a bench to play the keyboard that is
illuminated by a cool "stain-glassed" lamp. Of course, Zac remains seated at his
drum set. I mention this, because the band seems to relax during this set. They perform
this set from their "Garage" (3 car garage, that is). Very clever, I think. The
background sets are made to look like a funky garage. I have listed the music from each
set below in the "music" section. You will notice that this set is especially
sweet as Isaac closes it with "More Than Anything." Alone on stage, he turns off
the lamp before he leaves the stage. Sigh.
The last set is very, hmmm, the cover of MOE comes to mind. It's a traditional rock and
roll concert atmosphere. Not much to say about the set, but I will mention that the big
screens at the Molson captured some great close-ups for those of us who were not in
low-numbered seats. The band switched instruments as they introduced their back-up
performers. (Taylor gets to fulfill his penchant for the drums ~ at least for a minute or
two. ;-D). Taylor and Zac also reach out to meet some fans during this time of
introduction. There is a listing of the names of these fine musicians in the program.
(This doesn't have too much to do with the lights and set, but it's a way to get a flavor
for the mood that this final set creates.)
SEATS: Okay, you already know where I was sitting, so most of this section will be about
the band's attire. I will say that I was considering going to the theater early to upgrade
our lawn seats, but just decided to avoid the hassle and any hint of dealing with (gasp)
scalpers. So, from the lawn was where we enjoyed the amazing concert (More room to clap
and, eh, "bust a move"? ;-D). But all jealousy and longing for first row seats
were erased when Taylor dedicated "Where's the Love" to all of those "waaay
in the back." I'm still thinking about how sweet that was. I know all of the young
fans around me will be forever grateful for that comment. Way to go Tay!
Their clothes? (Please remember, these comments are based on what I could see through the
lenses of my dad's binoculars. ;-D). Isaac had on a brown shirt with a gray t-shirt and
dark loose-fitting pants with sneakers that had white laces (Janell thinks possibly,
Airwalks.). His hair started out down, but later, he pulled his up into a ponytail.
Taylor started out (and I mean, literally only started out) with a bright green shirt that
might have been silky. It was the kind of green that you might expect to see when you're
choosing an iceberg lettuce or the green of a lime Push-up Pop. Janell says it was a
"Hawaiian style shirt - neon green with darker green leaves or something." This
shirt was not seen again after the second song (It took the same route as the
"red" shirt in the "Live at the 10 Spot" performance. [grin] Oh
Taylor, after that stunning reaction, you found a way to incorporate this element into
every performance?). After witnessing the unbelievable pictures from the Cologne concert,
Janell was also relieved to see that Taylor's pants did not seem to be as tight as those
strange striped ones he wore in Germany. His pants were not loose, but they were not scuba
gear either. I couldn't see what shoes he was wearing. Taylor later decided to wear his
hair down during the last set.
Zac was wearing a white v-neck shirt with black lining. He wore really loose-fitting
pants, but we could not tell what color they were. They looked to be a dark color. We
couldn't see his shoes. His hair was down during the entire show. He looked comfortable.
By the end, all three brothers were in t-shirts and that looked very casual.
MUSIC:
Here's the playlist:
Towers Set:
-Gimme Some Lovin (by Spencer Davis Group)/Shake Your Tailfeathers (by Five Du Tones) ~ a
great opener! Tons of energy ("So glad you made it!")
-Where's the Love ~ dedicated to everyone in the waaay back (including us (c:)
-Thinking of You
-River ~ A quote from the program about this song: "We're performing a lot of earlier
songs pretty much the way we originally did them, " says Taylor, ". . . but with
a few twists. On 'River,' for example, we've been performing it with a new bridge section,
which is not heard on 3 Car Garage." "We've always felt the song was missing
something," Isaac adds.
-Weird
-Sometimes ~ Who doesn't secretly love to sing along with "Shanananananana"? (c:
Garage Set:
-Stories ~ Love this song!
-With You in Your Dreams ~ "Please don't cry/Please don't sigh" version
-Madeline ~ Love the ending to this song when it's played live ~ the a cappella harmony is
amazing!
-Soldier ~ Slight lyric switch (And the boys from the town they said, ~ They skipped:
"Won't you look at the one-legged soldier. Let's stick him in a boat and send him far
away. 'Cause we can't find a use for a soldier with a missing leg." And replaced
those words with the lines that the cook usually says: "Look at the one-legged
soldier. It looks just like the one we lost the other day. Could this be the boy's tin
solider with the missing leg?" But then they sing the cook's section again when they
get to that.)
-More Than Anything ~ Isaac's eyes were closed during part of this song, just the way you
always thought they would be. So sweet.
Rock Set:
-Speechless ~ the faster, "Live at the 10 Spot" version, that always makes me
think of Steven Tyler (for some reason)
-Ever Lonely ~ Taylor introduces this song as one that they've only sung around Tulsa, so
it may not be familiar to all their fans
-I Will Come to You ~ fans' arms waving in the air is really an experience (c:
-A Minute Without You
-"I asked the family doctor just what I had . . . I said Dr. Dr, Mr. MD. What could
this feeling be?" (For the love of Pete, what is the name of this familiar song? Are
these lyrics even accurate? (c: I can't remember right now.)
NOTE: It's "Good Lovin''" by the Young Rascals! Thanks Amanda. You're a
lifesaver! ;-D
-MMMBop ~ a crowd favorite! Everybody was clapping along with this ever-popular
chart-topper that can evoke summer at any time of the year. Even though the guys might be
a tad sick of it, they didn't appear to be at all.
-Man from Milwaukee
Encore:
-Look at You ~ Zac: "We wanted to come back out and look at you again." I was
thinking about how certain fans might almost regret bringing the guys back on stage for
this song (since it is not among these fans' favorites), but let me just say the
danceability factor that this song offers, completely redeems it for me. At the same time,
what about "Boomerang" or even "Day Has Come" for an encore number?
-Summertime Blues by Eddie Cochran ~ You will love this song sung by Hanson!!!
And finally . . .
-Weird (A few bars, a cappella) ~ The guys stood together, like they were going to sing in
front of church or something. Incredibly sweet (Why does this word seem to come up again
and again? Because this concert can not escape this adjective.)
THE PROGRAM: This is a glossy program that is, let's just say it, overpriced. I prefer to
call it a "book" instead of a program, since it cost me almost as much as my
modest tickets. (smile) But the information in it is very sincere and there's some great
glimpses from backstage. The text is kind of skimpy, and the lay-out is in typical MOE
style. The lay-out is really very cool in parts (There is one very, eh, weird graphic that
appears over a picture of Taylor holding a water bottle. It kind of haunts me. If anyone
purchases the program, let me know what you think of it. Bizaare.) At the same time, it's
nice to have a tangible reminder of the tour (No, I didn't risk a camera or tape
recorder.) There is only one "self-promotion" item in it: a form to join MOE.
When she first saw the cover, where the band's names are written across their fingers,
Janell wanted to know who "LOR" was. Could s/he be a secret GF or even a new,
unheralded band member? Well, as you may have already guessed, since "Taylor"
does not fit on 5 fingers. My sister soon had "duh" moment when she realized her
mistake. (c:
As you can see, I LOVED the concert! It was so much fun! I'm looking forward to hearing
your comments about this review and about your own Albertane experiences!
A BRIEF ENCOUNTER WITH THE BAND
As we were walking across the bridge from the theater to the trolley stop, we saw a bunch
of people looking into the backstage windows. My sister said, "Jackie, there's 3 guys
looking out of the window, I wonder if it's them." She then noticed that Taylor was
looking across the water at the crowds. And then, all the girls noticed and the screaming
began. Taylor and, maybe, Isaac, along with 2 other members of the back-up band went out
on a small balcony and began to wave at the people on the bridge (where we were). A
security guard suddenly appeared and began ordering people to "keep moving. Get off
the bridge." There was nobody blocking the flow of people, since the flow of people
were mostly interested in waving to the band. We also wondered where these dedicated
security guards were when we passed people who were obviously selling tickets illegally
just outside of the ampitheater when we arrived. hmmmm . . .
The Albertane Tour |