CONTRA COSTA TIMES
Aug 30, 2003 |
From 'MmmBop' to grown-up pop
By Tony Hicks
CONTRA COSTA TIMES
THEIR FANS still scream occasionally, only the pitch is a bit lower.
Six years removed from the peak of Hanson hysteria, the boys are pretty much men now. The 14- to 16-year-old girls who screamed at their every move are now teetering on their 20s.
So much time has passed.
So much has changed.
Now, it's supposed to be just about the music.
It was a seemingly innocent return to real acoustic music for the three Hanson brothers at Slim's Wednesday night; a tour deliberately aimed at severing the boys from the boy band crush that somehow, mistakenly, included these guys.
Their biggest sin was being young and cute and writing sunny songs so catchy that few would deliberately think of them for fear of having them stuck in their skull for days. Marketers pray for jingles that catchy.
On Wednesday, Hanson sold out Slim's, a good-sized club, but a long way from their days headlining the Shoreline. And there were still parents in the back, leaning against the bar while their daughters shrieked.
There were even two worshipers from Washington who slept on the sidewalk for two days, waiting in line -- enough time to knit a whole sweater for one of Slim's equipment loaders. Seriously.
For most of the world, the hysteria is long gone, but the die-hards are hanging in, even if they require coaxing. Someday somebody might actually hear these guys through the noise. They might be surprised.
Even on the other side of puberty, Hanson still writes glowing melodies and catchy hooks. Their music isn't meant to change the world. But it's clear that, if another band with another name was playing these songs, they'd get more respect.
Playing Slim's didn't seem to bother them at all. They fully owned up to their music, from the new acoustic songs with a sliver of maturity, all the way back to the still-infectious "MmmBop." It's weird hearing deeper voices hit those harmonies, but the songs still shine (as long as you don't take it all too seriously).
Once you get past the unnecessary shame of singing along (admitting it is the first step to recovery) you have to admit these guys are pretty talented. The three-part harmonies are first-rate, especially the high ones of the youngest Hanson, drummer Zac. He's now a semi-burly 17 and snagging the "cute one" role from brother and keyboardist Taylor, who at the ripe old age of 20 has a wife and son. Geez, 22-year-old guitarist Isaac is practically dead of old age.
Of course, it's hard to ignore all the signs of career ebb. After their debut album sold 6.5 million copies in the United States, the 2000 follow-up died at around 270,000 copies. Hanson was dropped by record label Island Def Jam earlier this year. The trio's latest acoustic EP, much of which is covered on this tour, is available only on their Web site.
Smells like teen failure.
But there was no desperation from Hanson at Slim's. They seemed happy just making music. They haven't resorted to drastic format changes to recapture the glory (as if growing up isn't drastic enough).
Most of the material during the 90-minute show was new, with the brothers letting their harmonies and hooks loose. It's not folk music and it's not teen music. They're just songs. There were a handful of tunes from the two label releases, such as the crowd-screamer "Where's the Love," "Runaway Run," "You Never Know" and, of course, "MmmBop."
The guys took turns doing solo songs, including Zac's stint playing piano and singing. All three took turns playing guitar and percussion, more than satisfied to have the freedom to do what they wanted onstage.
As if their intent to become serious artists wasn't already apparent, an encore of Crosby Stills & Nash's "Teach Your Children" was the clincher. The song's floating harmonies are not easy to pull off, but the Hansons' smiles throughout told the crowd what the brothers want us all to know.
Their talent has outlived their hype.
Tony Hicks is the Times pop music critic. Reach him at 925-952-2678 or thicks@cctimes.com.
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