Does it fill your heart and soul with the roots of rock and roll?
Just as promised, I'm here again to finish narrating the incredible Hanson experience I had this weekend. I hope you're prepared, it get's thick with emotion.
March 2, 2007 -- 3:00 PM
The Unimaginable
We waited patiently on the corner of York St. for Andrew. He had walked into Toad's Place for a preshow interview with Hanson. While we were waiting Jessica and her boyfriend (Joe?) walked by looking giggly and cute and of course, in love. They're adorable together. Kate and Natalie walked past us and went into Au Bon Pain, and Kim and Julie followed them in. Kim bumped into Natalie and Kate had a squeaky voice like a spider monkey or something. "Nee nee nee nee," was all Kim and Julie could decipher.
We waited and waited and thought for sure they weren't coming, when all of the sudden I spotted Isaac, Taylor, and Zac along with Andrew, our reporter, a camera guy, and that surly black woman who calls herself Hanson's tour manager walking up the opposite side of the street. This is where it becomes surreal.
Kim and Michelle were the first to cross the street. I hesitated, for some unknown reason. Julie and I crossed the street a few seconds later. I pretended to be taking a picture of the building when Taylor Hanson walked up behind us and said, "Hey guys!" Andrew introduced us as, "The girls I was telling you about! They slept outside in the rain for you guys!" Of course Taylor was surprised and smiled. He shook all our hands. Shaking Taylor Hanson's hand and feeling like he was really tuning into who I was was an incredible feeling.
"Hey, I'm Kylie! It's really nice to meet you."
Taylor and I held intense eye contact for what seemed like an eternity. He was looking at me -- looking into my eyes, and I was looking into his. I held back my tears of joy the best I could.
"Do you guys want to go to a class with Hanson? You're invited."
This is when we all looked at each other in disbelief. We were going to be Hanson's personal guests to a private class at Yale. We weren't sure what to think quite yet.
We were walking down the street with Hanson. We were like old friends with Isaac, Taylor, and Zac Hanson, just taking a stroll down a beautiful street in New Haven, Connecticut. This was too much to ask. Andrew had already exceeded anything we could have asked for. We got to the doors at Yale -- a sign read, "Yale students and their guests only." I though for sure the journey ended here, so I paused. Taylor beckoned us in and Andrew nodded. What was happening? Why was I here?
We walked through Yale, which was beautiful, and stopped in a little court yard so Hanson's manager could sort things out before they went into the master's tea. The dean of Yale came out and introduced himself to the boys and they talked for a few minutes. Zac joked around with us and two girls from Yale that had showed up late. The four of us just looked at each other wondering what was coming next. This was already too much to ask.
Hanson went in the back entrance with the tour manager and we followed Andrew to the main entrance. "You guys are now Yale students, so act like it." That was all we needed to hear. We immediately transformed from Hanson fans to Yale students in a matter of milliseconds. We were still the passionate fans underneath, of course.
We walked into a beautiful conference room/classroom stuffed with College students. Andrew disappeared to do some interviewing and we wandered to a spot in the back corner. Hanson came out and introduced themselves. We were now at a private event at Yale for Yale students only and we were the only Hanson fans there -- and Hanson knew it too. At one point in the Q&A session, Taylor said, "We had fans camping out, sleeping in the rain on sidewalks -- That's huge. That's our future." The three boys looked at us and smiled huge, and that's when everything started to float. Not only were we Hanson's personal guests to a private event, they were making it a point to thank us in front of everyone.
They were slightly inappropriate throughout the interview, but they were completely themselves. Julie even asked a question, the most intelligent in the room. I swear, you wouldn't know we were in a room filled with Yale students, even Zac/Taylor said, "You guys go to Yale, come on!"
The screened a little bit of the documentary, and people seemed genuinely interested in it. Of course, the four of us knew all the words in the scene (it was the cell phone scene) and giggled about it. We couldn't help feeling like celebrities ourselves.
After the Q&A session, people flew towards the boys. Julie got her picture with Zac, and also with Isaac. Michelle and Kim got a picture with all three of them, and Kim got her Japanese import jacket signed by all three of them. I won't lie, I was jealous. I was the girl everyone handed their camera to for pictures. Whatever, I need to be more agressive. I can't really complain though, because of what happened a few seconds later. Hanson left and Andrew followed them, and since we were Hanson's guests and Andrew was our savior, we followed.
Michelle asked Zac one more time, "Zac, will you please take a picture with my friend Kylie?"
"If she can do it while I'm walking!" Zac Hanson beckoned me forward and I ran up to him. He put his arm around me and we walked the entire length of the street with our arms around each other. We crossed the street without looking both ways, and a Volvo nearly killed us. Michelle continued to snap pictures of us saying it was like a photoshoot, and Zac laughed. "Taking the walk with Zac Hanson!" Zac laughed, we laughed, and it was magical. Zac stopped at a hot dog stand to ask about their onions, of course. He walked towards Toad's with a couple of crazy fans chasing him asking for pictures (Not us), "I can't take a picture with everyone, guys!" And he smiled at us an walked toward Toad's Place. Michelle, Julie, Kim, and I stopped dead in our tracks and let the moment sink in.
March 2, 2007 -- 5:00 PM and On
"Can I give you a hug?"
The moment still wasn't real to us. Julie was crying, I was crying, Michelle was in awe, and Kim's jaw was on the sidewalk. We walked ask calmly as possible over to Andrew on the opposite side of York St. to thank him. We all gave him hugs, and he asked for our names again, my e-mail address, and asked us a few more questions for his interview. He told us the story would be up on Yale Daily News.com on Sunday, and to look for it. Andrew would live on in Hanson fan history as a hero. Well, atleast in our books.
We waited in line for the rest of the day. It had stopped raining and Hanson fans began to line up down the alley for the concert. The girl from Deal or No Deal was there, she's gorgeous by the way.
Titanium Joe waited with us in line and made sure that our doors opened first. I got my ticket figured out with Jessica, and all I needed was an ID for will call. Things were set, and we were anxious to get into the concert.
March 2, 2007 -- Around 8 or 8:30 PM
FRONT ROW FRONT ROW FRONT ROW
The doors opened just as The Cringe, the opening act, was getting out of their taxi and entering the building. Lame. We all made second row and were satisfied. The M&Ger's got front row, of course. I was in a very good spot, I was almost centered, but slightly in front of Isaac. The Cringe came on and they were awful. The Portland girls (with Bianca, she was able to come, yay!) sang along and screamed and jumped around with The Cringe, it was hilarious. At the end of their set, which was entirely too long, the lead singer brough a girl up on stage who was from Brazil and let her strum his guitar. It was so bizarre, I never want to hear The Cringe for the rest of my life.
March 2, 2007 -- 10:10 PM
It's time for HANSON!
Hanson finally came on and at this point, I was completely front row. Two of the meet and greet girls in front of me pushed aside and I took the chance to wrap myself around the baracade.
Isaac, Taylor, and Zac were in the best moods I have ever seen. They didn't stop smiling, and they were energetic and proud of their new music. The first new song they played (other than The Great Divide) was Been There Before. Everyone knew it, everyone. And I think it hit the boys -- These fans are amazing. We all knew a song that didn't even release in the United States until May. It was incredible. Through the whole show they all smiled at us -- Michelle, Julie, Kim and I. The setlist was as follows;
Great Divide
Been There Before
Lost Without Each Other
This Time Around
You Never Know
Georgia
Go
Dying to Be Alive -- I full out sobbed. SOBBED. This is my song. I've never heard it live, and I've always wanted to. My life was complete.
I've Been Down
The Walk
Blue Sky
Where's the Love
Running Man
Mmmbop -- Right before they played MMMbop, they talked about how it was 10 years since Middle of Nowhere and how they owe it all to the fans. "It's 10 years because of you guys. You guys made this possible. You guys camped out on a sidewalk in the pouring rain for us, and that's incredible." The three of them made direct eye contact with myself, Michelle, Kim and Julie. Isaac winked at me twice, and I knew that they were talking to us. That was more than I could have asked for. They were thanking us personally, and that was epic.
Penny and Me
Feeling Alright
Your Illusion
Tearing it Down
Something's Going Round
Watch Over Me
Rock and Roll Razorblade
Taylor walked on his piano, swung from the ceiling, Isaac stood on the drum set stand, Zac played the drums while standing on top of them and then jumped off throwing his drum sticks, Taylor messed up the first chord to Penny & Me (ADORABLE), Zac was just adorable anyways, Isaac was so excited and fun to watch (I'm in love with him now. I've never NOT liked him, but now I'm really in love with him), Isaac's fly was unzipped the last half of the show, the crowd was great even though it was the smallest crowd I have ever been in. Nothing could have been more perfect.
After the show, we skipped waiting for them. We had already been lucky enough that day, and we didn't want to push it. We got food at Gormet Heaven and went back to the hotel room to obsess and look at pictures and laugh and do anything we could to sustain our concert high. I passed out on the bed and slept solid all night. I was so overwhelmed with emotions I could handle staying awake.
The Days After
Emotional
We drove back to Maine after a quick stop at Ikea and in Massachusetts to drop Julie off. We listened to The Walk all the way home and were genuinely happy with our experience.
This last part is an excerpt from the e-mail I wrote Andrew Magino, the reporter that interviewed us for Yale Daily News and the hero that got us into the Yale special event. I think this sums up everything I want to say about the past three days.
Looking back on it, I thank my lucky stars for the experience I had. After every Hanson concert I attend, and I think this goes for most fans, there's a cycle that I go through. It starts with disbelief. It's never easy to believe what you experienced was real. After disbelief, it's a natural high that lasts forever. Hanson puts me on another planet.
It's hard finding a life after a Hanson concert. It's hard finding reality. I had just spent the night on a sidewalk in the pouring rain with my closest friends, I made friends with a homeless man named Titanium Joe, and I attended a special Q&A session at Yale as Hanson's personal guest, and how far from reality is that? For three days, I forgot what day of the week it was, I ignored the time, and a smile never left my face. I've already gotten homesick for the damp Connecticut air and the extreme feeling of unity among all Hanson fans. We were all there for the same reason -- Hanson. No matter our differences, our backgrounds, our lives, for that one moment in time, we were all there to experience the music -- the passion.
I wish I could capture these emotions in a bottle for safe keeping, and share them with those in need of a little passion, a little desire, and a little faith. Hanson is a lifestyle. In more ways that one, I feel like I've been let into the world's best kept secret. Hanson has given me amazing friends, values, passion, music, and dreams for the future. I'll never think twice about sleeping on a sidewalk for Hanson --It's part of being a Hanson fan, it's part of my life. It's just what I do. Not many people understand it, and probably never will. As long as I live, Hanson will be an instrumental part of my life. It's been 10 years since Hanson released that one song that would change the world, and my life. I owe them so much, and I want them to know that.
I live for Hanson, I live for sleeping on sidewalks in the rain, and I live for the friends that Hanson has given me. This weekend was amazing, and I'll never forget it.
Thank you.
Picture post later.
March 2, 2007 -- 3:00 PM
The Unimaginable
We waited patiently on the corner of York St. for Andrew. He had walked into Toad's Place for a preshow interview with Hanson. While we were waiting Jessica and her boyfriend (Joe?) walked by looking giggly and cute and of course, in love. They're adorable together. Kate and Natalie walked past us and went into Au Bon Pain, and Kim and Julie followed them in. Kim bumped into Natalie and Kate had a squeaky voice like a spider monkey or something. "Nee nee nee nee," was all Kim and Julie could decipher.
We waited and waited and thought for sure they weren't coming, when all of the sudden I spotted Isaac, Taylor, and Zac along with Andrew, our reporter, a camera guy, and that surly black woman who calls herself Hanson's tour manager walking up the opposite side of the street. This is where it becomes surreal.
Kim and Michelle were the first to cross the street. I hesitated, for some unknown reason. Julie and I crossed the street a few seconds later. I pretended to be taking a picture of the building when Taylor Hanson walked up behind us and said, "Hey guys!" Andrew introduced us as, "The girls I was telling you about! They slept outside in the rain for you guys!" Of course Taylor was surprised and smiled. He shook all our hands. Shaking Taylor Hanson's hand and feeling like he was really tuning into who I was was an incredible feeling.
"Hey, I'm Kylie! It's really nice to meet you."
Taylor and I held intense eye contact for what seemed like an eternity. He was looking at me -- looking into my eyes, and I was looking into his. I held back my tears of joy the best I could.
"Do you guys want to go to a class with Hanson? You're invited."
This is when we all looked at each other in disbelief. We were going to be Hanson's personal guests to a private class at Yale. We weren't sure what to think quite yet.
We were walking down the street with Hanson. We were like old friends with Isaac, Taylor, and Zac Hanson, just taking a stroll down a beautiful street in New Haven, Connecticut. This was too much to ask. Andrew had already exceeded anything we could have asked for. We got to the doors at Yale -- a sign read, "Yale students and their guests only." I though for sure the journey ended here, so I paused. Taylor beckoned us in and Andrew nodded. What was happening? Why was I here?
We walked through Yale, which was beautiful, and stopped in a little court yard so Hanson's manager could sort things out before they went into the master's tea. The dean of Yale came out and introduced himself to the boys and they talked for a few minutes. Zac joked around with us and two girls from Yale that had showed up late. The four of us just looked at each other wondering what was coming next. This was already too much to ask.
Hanson went in the back entrance with the tour manager and we followed Andrew to the main entrance. "You guys are now Yale students, so act like it." That was all we needed to hear. We immediately transformed from Hanson fans to Yale students in a matter of milliseconds. We were still the passionate fans underneath, of course.
We walked into a beautiful conference room/classroom stuffed with College students. Andrew disappeared to do some interviewing and we wandered to a spot in the back corner. Hanson came out and introduced themselves. We were now at a private event at Yale for Yale students only and we were the only Hanson fans there -- and Hanson knew it too. At one point in the Q&A session, Taylor said, "We had fans camping out, sleeping in the rain on sidewalks -- That's huge. That's our future." The three boys looked at us and smiled huge, and that's when everything started to float. Not only were we Hanson's personal guests to a private event, they were making it a point to thank us in front of everyone.
They were slightly inappropriate throughout the interview, but they were completely themselves. Julie even asked a question, the most intelligent in the room. I swear, you wouldn't know we were in a room filled with Yale students, even Zac/Taylor said, "You guys go to Yale, come on!"
The screened a little bit of the documentary, and people seemed genuinely interested in it. Of course, the four of us knew all the words in the scene (it was the cell phone scene) and giggled about it. We couldn't help feeling like celebrities ourselves.
After the Q&A session, people flew towards the boys. Julie got her picture with Zac, and also with Isaac. Michelle and Kim got a picture with all three of them, and Kim got her Japanese import jacket signed by all three of them. I won't lie, I was jealous. I was the girl everyone handed their camera to for pictures. Whatever, I need to be more agressive. I can't really complain though, because of what happened a few seconds later. Hanson left and Andrew followed them, and since we were Hanson's guests and Andrew was our savior, we followed.
Michelle asked Zac one more time, "Zac, will you please take a picture with my friend Kylie?"
"If she can do it while I'm walking!" Zac Hanson beckoned me forward and I ran up to him. He put his arm around me and we walked the entire length of the street with our arms around each other. We crossed the street without looking both ways, and a Volvo nearly killed us. Michelle continued to snap pictures of us saying it was like a photoshoot, and Zac laughed. "Taking the walk with Zac Hanson!" Zac laughed, we laughed, and it was magical. Zac stopped at a hot dog stand to ask about their onions, of course. He walked towards Toad's with a couple of crazy fans chasing him asking for pictures (Not us), "I can't take a picture with everyone, guys!" And he smiled at us an walked toward Toad's Place. Michelle, Julie, Kim, and I stopped dead in our tracks and let the moment sink in.
March 2, 2007 -- 5:00 PM and On
"Can I give you a hug?"
The moment still wasn't real to us. Julie was crying, I was crying, Michelle was in awe, and Kim's jaw was on the sidewalk. We walked ask calmly as possible over to Andrew on the opposite side of York St. to thank him. We all gave him hugs, and he asked for our names again, my e-mail address, and asked us a few more questions for his interview. He told us the story would be up on Yale Daily News.com on Sunday, and to look for it. Andrew would live on in Hanson fan history as a hero. Well, atleast in our books.
We waited in line for the rest of the day. It had stopped raining and Hanson fans began to line up down the alley for the concert. The girl from Deal or No Deal was there, she's gorgeous by the way.
Titanium Joe waited with us in line and made sure that our doors opened first. I got my ticket figured out with Jessica, and all I needed was an ID for will call. Things were set, and we were anxious to get into the concert.
March 2, 2007 -- Around 8 or 8:30 PM
FRONT ROW FRONT ROW FRONT ROW
The doors opened just as The Cringe, the opening act, was getting out of their taxi and entering the building. Lame. We all made second row and were satisfied. The M&Ger's got front row, of course. I was in a very good spot, I was almost centered, but slightly in front of Isaac. The Cringe came on and they were awful. The Portland girls (with Bianca, she was able to come, yay!) sang along and screamed and jumped around with The Cringe, it was hilarious. At the end of their set, which was entirely too long, the lead singer brough a girl up on stage who was from Brazil and let her strum his guitar. It was so bizarre, I never want to hear The Cringe for the rest of my life.
March 2, 2007 -- 10:10 PM
It's time for HANSON!
Hanson finally came on and at this point, I was completely front row. Two of the meet and greet girls in front of me pushed aside and I took the chance to wrap myself around the baracade.
Isaac, Taylor, and Zac were in the best moods I have ever seen. They didn't stop smiling, and they were energetic and proud of their new music. The first new song they played (other than The Great Divide) was Been There Before. Everyone knew it, everyone. And I think it hit the boys -- These fans are amazing. We all knew a song that didn't even release in the United States until May. It was incredible. Through the whole show they all smiled at us -- Michelle, Julie, Kim and I. The setlist was as follows;
Great Divide
Been There Before
Lost Without Each Other
This Time Around
You Never Know
Georgia
Go
Dying to Be Alive -- I full out sobbed. SOBBED. This is my song. I've never heard it live, and I've always wanted to. My life was complete.
I've Been Down
The Walk
Blue Sky
Where's the Love
Running Man
Mmmbop -- Right before they played MMMbop, they talked about how it was 10 years since Middle of Nowhere and how they owe it all to the fans. "It's 10 years because of you guys. You guys made this possible. You guys camped out on a sidewalk in the pouring rain for us, and that's incredible." The three of them made direct eye contact with myself, Michelle, Kim and Julie. Isaac winked at me twice, and I knew that they were talking to us. That was more than I could have asked for. They were thanking us personally, and that was epic.
Penny and Me
Feeling Alright
Your Illusion
Tearing it Down
Something's Going Round
Watch Over Me
Rock and Roll Razorblade
Taylor walked on his piano, swung from the ceiling, Isaac stood on the drum set stand, Zac played the drums while standing on top of them and then jumped off throwing his drum sticks, Taylor messed up the first chord to Penny & Me (ADORABLE), Zac was just adorable anyways, Isaac was so excited and fun to watch (I'm in love with him now. I've never NOT liked him, but now I'm really in love with him), Isaac's fly was unzipped the last half of the show, the crowd was great even though it was the smallest crowd I have ever been in. Nothing could have been more perfect.
After the show, we skipped waiting for them. We had already been lucky enough that day, and we didn't want to push it. We got food at Gormet Heaven and went back to the hotel room to obsess and look at pictures and laugh and do anything we could to sustain our concert high. I passed out on the bed and slept solid all night. I was so overwhelmed with emotions I could handle staying awake.
The Days After
Emotional
We drove back to Maine after a quick stop at Ikea and in Massachusetts to drop Julie off. We listened to The Walk all the way home and were genuinely happy with our experience.
This last part is an excerpt from the e-mail I wrote Andrew Magino, the reporter that interviewed us for Yale Daily News and the hero that got us into the Yale special event. I think this sums up everything I want to say about the past three days.
Looking back on it, I thank my lucky stars for the experience I had. After every Hanson concert I attend, and I think this goes for most fans, there's a cycle that I go through. It starts with disbelief. It's never easy to believe what you experienced was real. After disbelief, it's a natural high that lasts forever. Hanson puts me on another planet.
It's hard finding a life after a Hanson concert. It's hard finding reality. I had just spent the night on a sidewalk in the pouring rain with my closest friends, I made friends with a homeless man named Titanium Joe, and I attended a special Q&A session at Yale as Hanson's personal guest, and how far from reality is that? For three days, I forgot what day of the week it was, I ignored the time, and a smile never left my face. I've already gotten homesick for the damp Connecticut air and the extreme feeling of unity among all Hanson fans. We were all there for the same reason -- Hanson. No matter our differences, our backgrounds, our lives, for that one moment in time, we were all there to experience the music -- the passion.
I wish I could capture these emotions in a bottle for safe keeping, and share them with those in need of a little passion, a little desire, and a little faith. Hanson is a lifestyle. In more ways that one, I feel like I've been let into the world's best kept secret. Hanson has given me amazing friends, values, passion, music, and dreams for the future. I'll never think twice about sleeping on a sidewalk for Hanson --It's part of being a Hanson fan, it's part of my life. It's just what I do. Not many people understand it, and probably never will. As long as I live, Hanson will be an instrumental part of my life. It's been 10 years since Hanson released that one song that would change the world, and my life. I owe them so much, and I want them to know that.
I live for Hanson, I live for sleeping on sidewalks in the rain, and I live for the friends that Hanson has given me. This weekend was amazing, and I'll never forget it.
Thank you.
Picture post later.