Seven years after "MmmBop" paved the way for the teen-pop boom of the late- '90s, Taylor, Isaac and Zac Hanson are all old enough to vote, and two out of three can drink legally. Much has changed, and Hanson will play past hits and songs from its upcoming CD, "Underneath," during a simulcast concert at Regal Cinemas across the country.

"Hanson Underneath Acoustic Live," showing locally at 7 p.m. Monday at Regal Crossroads 16, follows the same model as the recent Prince simulcast.

The performance will be beamed via satellite to more than 40 theaters across the country, presented in high-definition video and 5:1 surround sound.

The acoustic set will feature the three Tulsa natives on guitar, toms and piano, singing past hits such as "Where's the Love," "MMMBop" and "If Only" as well as new songs including "Penny & Me," the first single from "Underneath."

In a recent "VH1 All Access" special, Taylor Hanson talked about the joys of performing their songs acoustically.

"You know, we wanted to start things out and take it back to basics," he said. "That's the way the tunes were written. Honestly, it's so fun to play it like that. When you take it back to basics, it's like you can just do whatever you want."

Taylor, 21, said that the use of unplugged instruments allows the brothers to act on any onstage impulses or react to audience requests.

"It's so much fun to have that complete liberation," he said. "It's like, you have a few acoustic guitars and an audience. And it's like, 'Well, I guess we'll play, you know, Queen, I guess we'll play Led Zeppelin, I guess we'll play Jimi Hendrix, I guess we'll play Little Richard.'

"Like, whatever you want to do that night, it's always been that way playing with the full band, but it's especially that way when you take it down to a couple of acoustic guitars," he said.

"It's like, we wanted to bring it into (people's) living room."

The trio's major-label debut, "Middle of Nowhere," became one of the top albums of 1997, but Hanson suffered from growing pains on the follow-up, 2000's "This Time Around."

That album, which boasted a more adult rock sound and featured guest appearances by Jonny Lang and Blues Traveler's John Popper, received strong reviews, but failed to live up to commercial expectations.

After parting amicably with Island/ Def Jam, Hanson started an independent label, 3CG, named after the three- car garage that served as their early rehearsal space in Tulsa.

So far, the independent route is paying off: "Penny & Me" debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Top 100 Singles sales chart.

According to Citadel Communications' Steve English, "Penny & Me" is currently the No. 5 SoundScan single in the Oklahoma City market.

Tickets to "Hanson Underneath Acoustic Live" are $10. For more information, call 632-4259.

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