Hanson at Toad's Place, New Haven, CT
March 2, 2006
by H.notes Staff Writer - Lisa Mulé lisact@hanson.net

Parking in New Haven was an experience. The elderly man running the lot in the middle of the street near the venue noticed our desperation as we gazed at MMMBop license plates on cars from Oklahoma, Michigan and Texas and circled the lot 3 times...he had pity on us and moved a cone to squeeze us in, then closed the lot. We rounded the corner by Toad's searching for the end of the line, having timed our effort to get there after doors opened a little wrong, and had the surreal experience of trooping by abandoned campsites into a green surrounded by the gothic buildings of Yale, with Yale students visible partying in a dormitory basement.

Going to the show with a total of 11 people ranging in age from high school through college to over 40 who were not all Hanson die-hards, but were all music students or musically talented was a surreal experience as well. Suffice to say that they all thought the band was good...very good...but that "You really had to want to be there" to be a part of the crowd. A very long wait after an opening band that didn't quite capture the crowd allowed plenty of time to appreciate the paired down but impressive set design, with a banner in dark red featuring 3 walking man figures.

It was a typical Hanson crowd, although the line for the over-21 part of the venue at the Webster Theater in Hartford a few years ago had fewer than 10 people in it, while the over-21 portion of Toad's had hundreds. The crowd was older, but the screams just as shrill and at the same time rocket engine powerful as the band took the stage.

The band was as tight as ever. The rustiness they claimed in their Hanson.net rehersal videos was confined to a couple of mistakes in key signature, quickly changed, and a miscommunication going from a jam into a song (Feelin'Alright), but once they started playing every song was as crisp as we have come to expect. The sound for the show could have been better had the instumental amps been turned down a bit in the tiny venue, or the vocal mikes turned up, but the balance seemed to improve for the acoustic set and the final third of the show. Hanson opened with Great Divide to the delight of the crowd and went on to preview 11 songs from the new album along with the B-side I've Been Down, which is a funky, melodic piano tune, playing a cover and a number of fan favorites from the past as well. The older songs that were featured were songs that were high energy rock tunes, with the exception of a beautiful rendition of Dying To Be Alive during the acoustic set. Been There Before is already a sing-along favorite of the fans. The response to Lost Without Each Other was huge and loud as always, and Georgia was a real highlight of the show, with the passionate vocal range of Taylor and the guitar riffs and drum rhythms in the crashing chorus impressive. The four song acoustic set, in addition to I've Been Down and Dying To Be Alive, included the single Go, which the band pulled off despite seeming to really have to reach for the falsetto chorus, and a solo performance of The Walk by Zac which was just gorgeous in its simplicity. Blue Sky was packed with power instrumentally, and the vocal performance by Taylor was as soulful live as the album would lead us to expect. MMBop was a highlight of course, as Taylor thanked the crowd and told us that this night marked 10 years of the band and us together and that it is our song, letting us sing the chorus alone as always. Feelin' Alright was one of the best parts of the second half of the show, for Taylor's piano jam and Isaac's powerful vocals. There was more for Isaac fans in the third segment of the show, as Watch Over Me (with Taylor encouraging the crowd to sing the na-nas) and his back and forth duet with Taylor on Something's Going Round brought the house down. Your Illusion was beautifully hypnotic and Tearing It Down was yet another fan favorite, as zac handled the vocals and the rhythm without missing a beat. What better encore than Rock and Roll Razorblade to bring the crowd to the point of frenzied exhilaration as the band took their final bows!

This was a show by a band that was energized and refreshed; all the band members communicated appreciation and excitement at being out there performing new music for their fans. It's great to have them back.

Setlist:

The Great Divide
Been There Before
Lost Without Each Other
This Time Around
You Never Know
Georgia
Go
Dying To Be Alive
I’ve Been Down
The Walk
Blue Sky
Where’s The Love
Running Man
MMMBop
Penny and Me
Feelin' Alright
Your Illusion
Tearing It Down
Something Going Round
Watch Over Me
Rock and Roll Razorblade