FAMILY PLANNING

Hanson's indie agenda keeps band in tune with loyal following
Published in the Asbury Park Press 06/10/05
BY CHRIS JORDAN
GANNETT NEW JERSEY

WITH GIBBLER

WHEN: 7:30 tonight

WHERE: Starland Ballroom, 570 Jernee Mill Road, Sayreville

TICKETS: Sold out

INFO: (732) 238-5500 or

www.starlandballroom.com

The Hanson plan.

It affords the former teenage band known as Hanson the ability to play sold-out venues around the world to its devoted fans, even if the act isn't selling millions of records or being played constantly on the radio.

"We started out this record completely backward," said Taylor Hanson of Hanson's independent release, "Underneath." "We started off touring acoustically ahead of the release of this record with the songs available on the Internet. We set out nine months before the release to bring our fans together with who we are, three singer/songwriters, three musicians — we wanted to take it back to our foundation."

The 2004 release "Underneath," an earthy and appealing collection of rockers, was Hanson's first recording since 2000's "This Time Around." If Hanson wanted to get requainted with its fans, the act succeeded. A sold-out 2004 show at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville had fans camping out at the venue.

"We all never really left," said Hanson fan Kristin Casamassina, 19, of Marlboro. "Things had calmed down for a couple of years, but since 2004 it's been fantastic. We still get the Hanson vibe, and we all still get excited."

Kind of like 1997. That's when Hanson — brothers Isaac, Taylor and Zac Hanson — burst on the scene from dust-swept Tulsa, Okla., with the soulful and poppy smash "MMMBop." Hanson's major-label debut album, "Middle of Nowhere," sold more than eight million.

The follow-up came in 2000, and despite doing much to create the teen-centered music movement of the late '90s, Hanson was on the way out.

But the Hanson plan is not necessarily about being the flavor of the month. Also, the Hanson plan includes a component that the boy bands of late '90s did not have: The Hansons are musicians.

So after taking a few years off to extricate themselves from their major-label deal, and to make room for a personal life, Hanson returned.

Their fans were waiting.

"We stayed true to them," Casamassina said.

Hanson is, perhaps, the new face of indie rock. As such, the band held a contest to choose an independent New Jersey band to open tonight's show. Hanson received more than 90 submissions from Jersey indie bands and Hanson picked three — Copperpot, Gibbler and Joe Condiracci. Band pages were then posted on www.hanson.net and fans were asked to vote for one to open the show.

Gibbler, a Hazlet-based alt-rock group, will open tonight.

"(Hanson) fans from Sweden and Australia just signed our guest book," said Gibbler drummer Matt Calchera. "We just can't thank Hanson enough — it's unbelievable."

It's about the music — and a plan.