GRAND PRAIRIE – The big question Tuesday night at Nokia Theatre: Who would come to see Hanson, a band that made its name in the mid-'90s by re-introducing a fresh-faced (one could almost say bubblegum) pop sensibility to a musical arena that was still riding the nihilistic crest of grunge?

Although the three brothers who put the "H" in Hanson (oldest to youngest: Clarke Isaac, Jordan Taylor and Zachary Walker, all originally from Tulsa, Okla.) have close to a decade on their boyish charm, the answer to that question was found in the fact that they can still draw almost 1,200 fans.

Most of them were teenage girls, judging by the jet-stream shrieks that greeted the trio and its band as they took the stage and launched into "Optimistic."

The next song – the AC/DC thumper "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)" – made it clear that the brothers are looking to redefine their once-youthful image – even though they're not even close to 30.

Bolstered by an additional guitarist and bass player of equivalent age, their sound was full of crashing guitar chords, distorted leads and thumping bass that lent older songs like "Minute Without You" a modern sound that matched that of songs from Underneath, their third and latest album.

That aggressive approach made vintage songs like "Love Song" and "Hand in Hand" sound remarkably like Underneath's title track.

The three brothers retain their old, Tiger Beat hold on the crowd, consistently eliciting squeals with every nod, lunge and aside – a cotton-candy quality that often has obscured the fact that their songs and lyrics are pretty sharp.

Hanson's almost two-hour set leaned heavily on the new album, but the guys didn't shy away from "MMMBop," the infectious hit that – love it or hate it – will probably be used in movies to establish a late-'90s setting.

Tuesday, the Hanson brothers proved (even without a credible, late-in-the-show version of the Spencer Davis Group's "Gimme Some Lovin' ") that they are still a viable act. To paraphrase AC/DC, they may not be as close to the top anymore, but they're still a long way from the bottom.