if you know the words, sing them with me.... (a review)
it's 2008. may 6th, 2008 to be exact. and today marks the 11 year mark for the release of middle of nowhere, the album that brought us lyrics like: "where's the love / it's not enough / it makes the world go 'round and 'round and..." "isn't it weird, isn't it strange / even though we're just two strangers on this runaway train" and of course "when you get old and start losing your hair / can you tell me who will still care / can you tell me who will still care / mmm bop, be duba dop / da du bop, be duba bop / ba du bop, ba duba bop". yes, it's hanson. 11 years and they are still blasting out on guitars, piano, drums, harmonica. they've moved forward through the years.
what started with an "in an mmmbop they're gone, in an mmmbop they're not there" has moved, morphed into "i heard them say that dreams should stay in your head / well i feel ashamed of the things that i've said / put on these chains and you can live a free life / well i'd rather bleed just to know why i died" and "the people you've touched / the way you've touched them / i hope they've touched you too / 'cause in this life, it's hard to tell / what's false and what is true / we're all on the ground just crying out / would somebody save me please / i won't sit around just thinking about / the troubles that tomorrow brings." from there they kept the evolution, the progression of their sound, their stories, going, and it became "maybe you could take a look at yourself lately / things keep coming and i keep wondering / i start feeling the walls close in / things keep coming and i keep stumbling / i start feeling strong enough to break," "all i know is what i'm missing / all i'm missing is your kissing / are you listening / don't go, don't go telling me you're all right / there's no room for getting uptight / don't go saying that you're okay / when you're lonely," and "tell me what it means / because you drive me crazy / cause you're crazy beautiful / 'cause you're crazy beautiful / don't go looking in my eyes tonight / don't go telling me lies tonight / don't go promising the skies tonight".
and now it's 2008, and in 2007 there was yet another progression of what started out with "in an mmmbop they're gone." and while that still may be true when all is broken down into the basics and deconstructed into the essentials of time and life and how our lives play out in the long run, hanson (isaac, taylor, and zac) bring us "i find hope and it gives me rest / i find hope in a beating chest / i find hope in what eyes don't see / i find hope in your hate for me / have no fear when the waters rise / we can conquer this great divide," and "i'm blind with eyes wide open / my body's tired and broken / i want a taste of something, that doesn't leave me dry / this hope for answered questions / as rare as true confessions / i stare into the distance, there is no truth in sight / who can tell me why / everybody's looking for a blue sky / searching for an answer on a satellite / i know that there's got to be a blue sky out there to see / a blue sky waiting for me."
there are guitars, keyboards, a piano, drums. and there are these three young men that started with an "mmmbop" but have slipped into roles of advocates for those in need, those who's voices are not loud enough for us to hear thousands of miles away, from simple upbeat, uplifting happy pop and long hair into fathers, conscious citizens and musicians with blues and edge and some grit, and with a small mile walked barefoot before each of their shows on "the walk tour" they are offering awareness, concern, aid, dn heart where our world needs it now.
so you get lots of things rolled up into a few hours of your time on a hanson concert day. you get...well, yes, there's mmmbop, and really, if you've stuck around since 1997, you're more than happy to hear that one word, or sound, because to you it means consistency, a steadiness of purpose, determination, and talent. and yes, there are other songs. many other songs. you get an amazing concert, with heart and soul and shoes and awareness and determination all wrapped up inside some serious guitar solos, some power drumming, and some amazing piano work, not to mention the vocals, the harmony, the voices that any hanson fan from 1997 to present can tell you is a powerful thing to hear, at any time. you become involved, shouting the lyrics to any and every song you know (and for some of us, die-hard fans since '97 that we are, and yes, we exist, proudly, happily, and peacefully, that is every song they send out over the airwaves for us in the two hours they're on stage, giving us pieces of themselves, and of every person that they have interacted with since their journey, and ours, began all those years ago). yes, hanson fans scream. yes, we jump, a bit. some more than others. and yes, we know every word to every song, and we proudly, happily, willingly will break some lyrics out for you should you only put in a request, we're more than happy to oblige.
so there was music. let me be clear on this: there was a lot of music. from kate voegle, who opened early on and who definitely can command the stage with her guitar and her band and her voice, and stephen kellogg and the sixers who can send you into smaller jumps and head bopping even though you may not know the words (but now you're determined to search for them, find them, and find the nearest cd), and then, of course...hanson. just about two hours of nothing but acoustic versions of mmmbop, georgia, strong enough to break, go, some serious rocking out with if only w/let's get it on, great divide, blue sky, crazy beautiful, lost without each other, hey, hole in my life, been there before, and an encore of coming back for more with stephen kellogg, it's a long way to the top with stephen kellogg and the sixers, and the chorus of great divide a cappella.
so happy hanson day. and to those of you reading this that aren't hanson fans, i'm sorry to say, but you're missing out. or maybe you aren't. it's a matter of opinion, and you're welcome to yours, but....