Students gathered around Tommy Trojan Thursday afternoon, some confused, some uncontrollably giddy and excited, to see Hanson. Yes, the same Hanson from "MMMBop" days who have since grown up and are now making a stand for the music they are so passionate about.

Their stop at USC in between Los Angeles shows on their tour is part of their master plan to spread the word of the importance of independent media that is the saving grace of the current redundant, watered-down state of the music industry. With such appearances they hope to lead the way in what drummer Zack Hanson described as "the Civil Rights Movement for music."

Keeping their performance simple and very "indie," the threesome played a short acoustic set; no stage, no amps, just their voices, guitars and a tambourine. But it was soon apparent that the music was just an attention getter for their overall message. Front man Taylor Hanson towered over the crowd and preached the value of the students taking a stand for music, "Its not about us, music is going down because it sucks. You have the power to change that," Taylor said.

But by no means are the boys all talk and no action. Leaving their record label that didn't allow them to "maneuver" in the way they wanted, Hanson built a studio and started their own label, 3CG. From that branching out, their latest album "Underneath" was born and it proves a testament to the possibilities of independent artistry. It's a far cry from their first hit single but songs such as "Penny & Me" and "Lost Without Each Other" definitely thrust the band into a new arena of melodic rock wonder.

One of the tag lines from "Lost Without Each Other" has become the anthem for Hanson's cause. "'Are You Listening' is our call to action," Taylor said. "It's important for young adults to start making noise about the music they're passionate about because the consolidated music industry is killing itself."

The music industry he speaks of is the same that no longer knows the term "diversity" but plays the same cycle of songs incessantly. It's the MTV generation that youth are lumped into whether their tastes are being represented or not. Hanson's plea for action called for students to become active, to call campus and local radio stations so their musical tastes can be accounted for.

More than changing the industry from the outside, Zack Hanson placed emphasis on the artist's role. "It's not only on the fan's side, it's our responsibility too," he said, "Hanson's not going to save the world, but we're going to attempt to change things."