Hanson Live at LIFEbeat: A Review
by angeltay@hanson.net

I had the privilege to attend the LifeBeat benefit concert featuring Hanson and some other great bands the other night here in Los Angeles at the famous Henry Fonda Theater on Hollywood Boulevard. Supporting a very good cause, LifeBeat seeks to educate and prevent further spread of the AIDS virus - which statistically has increased among those 24 and under - a large majority of Hanson's market/audience.

Kudos to Hanson, as usual, for putting their heart and music where it is often needed most - to uplift and bring understanding and light into this world by supporting organizations such as this. I won't get really philosophical on you, but I have to say that it was - literally - a divine evening!

Beside the chance to see Hanson perform, they were really at peak passion up on that stage - almost otherworldly. I have seen nearly every video - official and otherwise - of this talented band perform and last night topped them all. I'd like to say that fans and those-about-to-be-fans have a treat in store for them on this upcoming tour. Hanson is a force and their harmonies - for those who know them well - were stronger than ever, if you can imagine that.

Taylor, in particular, performed with an energy and passion that can only be described as transcendent. I have never seen anyone with such stage presence. His piano seemed to be a physical extension of his arms and hands - the music just pulsing through his body like so much electrical current. Taylor also impressed with his excellent guitar strumming.

And Isaac's singing voice certainly puts him well above his peers in the music industry, but last night his voice was for some reason magical. I have never heard such strong and clear evoking passion from the depths of his soul.

Zac's maturity is not only physically evident but his musicality and breadth has also expanded. The audience was delighted to see him perform both harmonica and guitar and sing lead. I have a feeling Zac will continue to surprise us with his talent.

But it really is - as it always has been - the chemistry that ignites when all three of them perform together. There is something not only genetic but ethereal about musical brothers - like the Bee Gees and the Beach Boys before them - that just takes harmonizing to whole other level. And with an acoustic set, it just emphasized the harmonics in their voices.

Besides playing some new tunes - "Underneath" with a special appearance by Matthew Sweet, "Penny & Me," "Misery" and others - Hanson also wowed the crowd with those songs we all know and love -
the infamous "If Only" and "This Time Around."

Sitting here trying to capture in words the intensity and emotion that came forth from the music is a near impossibility, but I am happy to say that hopefully soon most of you will get a chance to experience it firsthand when they hit the road to tour. Nothing was lost from the acoustic performance. In fact, Hanson is best, in my opinion, with the raw talent of their amazing voices backed by their own instruments. Something that becomes more rare in the music industry by the day.

Singing lyrics that captured the imagination - you can't help but wonder if the majority of the new songs have been inspired from recent tribulations hinted at in recent Hanson posts. But experience is the stuff that feeds the music muse, and Hanson just keeps getting better. And that is a marvel in itself.

Or maybe it's because it's been a while since they've performed live and they were hungry to hit the stage, but by all accounts from last night's performance, Hanson is ready to take the music world by storm.

Best of all, not only is this a band that writes, produces, sings and performs from the heart, they also relate from the heart. At a VIP afterparty, all three brothers climbed the backstage stairs to say hello to fans - many who came from as far as France just for this occasion - and sign autographs and pose for many pictures.

So few bands are this accessible, and Hanson seemed to truly and sincerely enjoy the interaction - laughing, chatting and even moving about the floor to ensure that everyone got a chance with each of them - all three standing almost - dare I say - strategically apart to maximize fan exposure. Brilliant.

Of course, as a fan, I am biased and while I won't deign to pretend otherwise, I was duly impressed. I once again got a chance to speak with all three although I assisted others in getting close to them as I've been lucky enough to have met them and chatted on several occasions. This band is real. Both on and off the stage.

It's been a delight and rare treat to watch these amazing musicians develop over the years, and based on what I saw last night, the future is very bright indeed. So next time you see them, bring sunglasses. Hanson just shines.

You can check out a few pics from the show HERE!