Tulsa, OK –October 2007— Led by the song Great Divide from HANSON’s latest release “The Walk”, the band has been turning heads not only for it’s nearly sold out 35 city The Walk Tour, also for it’s partnership with TOMS shoes to help donate thousands of pairs of shoes to children poverty. With the bands 1 mile barefoot walks staged before each concert, thousands of  music fans and local artists have joined together  in order to fight Poverty and AIDS one Walk at a time.  In Mid November HANSON and TOMS shoes will take that walk that began in cities across America, to villages across Africa with shoes for children in need. 

After recording the song, “Great Divide” in Africa (the proceeds of which are donated to AIDS relief in Africa), HANSON continued their efforts by teaming with TOMS Shoes on a unique initiative to help with the fight against poverty in Africa this past Summer & Fall on The Walk Tour.  HANSON and TOMS founder Blake Mycoskie came together to provide clear simple ways for others to take action, like purchasing a pair of TOMS shoes (for each pair purchased, a pair is given to a child in need).  On each tour stop shoes have been made available and also sold direct on TOMSshoes.com.  In late November, thousands of  TOMS shoes will be personally delivered by HANSON & Blake Mycoskie to children in South Africa. 

Said TOMS founder Blake Mycoskie, “the message (and beauty) of TOMS is that massive change is possible...we need only work together and each contribute a little bit.  I cannot think of a better partner to help spread this message than HANSON.”

As part of the tour, a one mile walk was staged in each tour market inviting the fans and local artists to join the barefoot band, encouraging those participating to take action by purchasing a pair of TOMS as part of these symbolic one mile treks. 

Said Taylor Hanson, “We want to inspire others to look for simple, tangible ways to make a difference.  It is easy to be halted by the great hurdles of poverty and AIDS, but making an impact can begin as simply as giving someone a pair of shoes or buying a song.”

On October 30, TOMS founder Blake Mycoskie and HANSON, will gather at City Hall for a press conference to announce plans for the “Shoe Drop” in South Africa in late November. In addition, joined by West Hollywood City Officials a special one mile walk will be staged through the streets of Los Angeles culminating with a performance by HANSON in the old Tower Records parking lot on the famed Sunset Strip.

Earlier this month when the band performed two sold-out shows at Chicago’s House of Blues, hundreds of fans lined the streets to participate in the historic one mile walk.  HANSON’s  new single, “Great Divide” has also been the #1 Most Requested song on Chicago’s Q101 radio station and is now garnering airplay across the country .  Proceeds from the sale of HANSON’s song “Great Divide” go to HIVSA, an African AIDS relief organization.

LA Times praised the new cd, “”The Walk” is intelligent mainstream rock with a soulful influence. These brothers must be seen live,” and Billboard described it as “an iconic American sound.” 

Co-produced with legendary producer Danny Kortchmar (Billy Joel, James Taylor, the Eagles), The Walk was inspired, in part, by HANSON’s recent trip to South Africa and Mozambique, where they recruited children from the local orphanage to form a choir, who are featured on two songs on the new album.

HANSON has been ubiquitous in the media lately, with appearances on the Howard Stern Show, Fox’s Your World With Neil Cavuto, The CBS Early Show, The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet,  the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Tom Green show as well as major coverage in People magazine, Entertainment Weekly and Rolling Stone.

Details on purchasing tickets for the remaining tour dates and the one mile walks for TOMS Shoes can be found at the band’s web-site: www.hanson.net. 

here’s a list of venues/cities where you can catch the final 2007 performances of The Walk Tour: 

10/26/07 – CLUB V -   HOUSTON, TX
10/27/07 – LA ZONA ROSA – AUSTIN, TX
11/2/07 – HOUSE OF BLUES – ANAHEIM, CA
11/3/07 – HOUSE OF BLUES – SAN DIEGO, CA
11/5/07 – THE FILLMORE – SAN FRANCISCO, CA
11/6/07 – AVALON – LOS ANGELES, CA
11/8/07 – HOUSE OF BLUES – LAS VEGAS, NV
11/11/07-  CAIN’S BALLROOM – TULSA, OK
11/12/07 – BEAUMONT CLUB – KANSAS CITY, MO
11/13/07 -  PAGEANT – ST LOUIS, MO

The Walk follows the 2004 debut release on their 3CG label, Underneath, which went to #1 on the Billboard Independent chart, producing the #2 single, “Penny and Me,” a Top 10 in the U.K. as well. The band’s 1997 debut, Middle of Nowhere, sold more than 4 million albums in the U.S., thanks to the chart-topping hit, “MmmBop,” which U2’s Bono has called “one of my favorite songs of all time.” The group received three Grammy nominations that year, including Best New Artist and Record of the Year.