Setlist:
1) Great Divide
2) Been There Before
3) A Minute Without You
4) Can't Stop
5) Crazy Beautiful
6) Hole in My Life (Police)
7) Penny & Me
8) Aint No Sunshine (Bill Withers)
9) MMMbop
10) The Walk
11) Got a Hold on Me
12) Blue Sky
13) If Only
14) Where's the Love
15) Oh Darlin (Beatles)
16) Watch Over Me
17) Hey
18) Rock n Roll Razorblade
19) Something Going Round
20) Joy to the World (Hoyt Axton)
21) Lost Without Each Other
On Monday morning the 5 of us left NB to head for NY: me, Michael, Brittany, Sarah, and Krista. It was a long drive... about 9 hours or so. We stopped in Freeport on the way down to do some shopping. Michael got an awesome leather jacket and jeans and some things. And of course we got Starbucks :) We had supper at Friendly's somewhere in MA, and it was like the funniest meal of life. Between seeing some mans extremely hairy chest, to listening to a waitress give her sob story to her table, we just could not stop laughing. It was one of those situations where you didn't know what you were laughing at anymore, everything hurt and tears were falling. It was sooooo funny. And I don't even know why.
Anyway, after driving through 4 states, several bathroom breaks and screaming bridges, and Michael passing out on Krista in the back seat, we finally made it to Clifton Park NY. Our hotel was super nice. The only downside was that there was no wireless internet. Sad times haha. We went to the venue at around 10pm, and to my surprise no one was there yet. It looked pretty sketch though. So we went back to the hotel and got a very light night's sleep... I was just way too excited.
We decided to get up around 7am on Tuesday. We started getting ready, when I got a text from Jen (hnet friend) that they had just gotten to the venue and were only #6-10 in line! So we BOOKED IT to the venue and ended up #11-15 in line! And we didn't even have to sleep outside! The venue was in a strip mall, and just down the way was a Dollar Store. The owner was really nice and said we could use the bathroom there until the crowd got big. The girls went and bought stools to sit on and coloring books. It was SO NICE outside - like 27 degrees or something, so we sat out in the sun some of the time (the outside of the venue had an overhang so it was kind of chilly under there). At around 9 I drove Michael & Sarah back to the hotel to get showered. A little later on Krista Britt & I found Starbucks! And took a picture by MOE Rd (this would only mean something if you are a long-time Hanson fan). The line continued to grow and grow... I think the #'s went back as far as like 35. At 1:00 the bus came so that was some excitement. Meeting new people, getting excited. Then at around 3:15....
The Walk! This was my first walk and I was excited. There were a fair number of people there. I didn't go barefoot on Mom's advice. I mean, I even saw some people hurt their feet pretty badly, and I had to drive us home after the shows were over, so I kind of needed my feet! I do however support what it represents. For those that don't know, Hanson have partnered with Toms Shoes, a company that gives a pair of shoes away to a child in poverty for every pair they sell. Hanson hold one mile barefoot walks at each tour stop, to spread awareness about what it's like to not have a pair of shoes, and to encourage people to take action. The walk was fun, I was by Isaac for a little bit and Zac for a little bit. Taylor was impossible. Everyone is fighting to be near them so I just didn't bother really. It honestly felt so good to walk - we were in the car the whole day before!
After the walk most people left the venue again. Everyone else got food but I just couldn't eat anything, I was too excited. Soundcheck was happening and we could hear soooo good. Zac played "Letters in the Mailbox" and I lost it. Unfortunately it didn't happen at the show, but I did get to hear it sort of! Also looking in through the window you could see the stage perfectly. hahaha.
Time passed SO slowly and I got more and more stressed. It was obvious the venue didn't care who went in when or where or how. Everyone on the walk is supposed to go in before everyone else, and most venue's will honor the numbers of the campers. Not this place though. They had 3 doors that were all going to open at the same time. And there were tons of people hanging around the doors that only got there a few hours before, and I knew they were going to cut. It got more and more nuts.... about 10 minutes before doors, one girl from security got all the campers in order, and then the walkers behind them, and got us all to one door. She said that door would open and go in first before everyone else. So we were waiting.... then we look at door #2 and it is OPENED, and all the people trying to cut the line were now getting in before people that were there since the night before. There was PANIC. I have never experienced anything like it. Anyway, to make a long painful story short, we got let in and ended up 2nd row center.
The hanson.net reporter was in the front row and then realized "I don't need to be here" so she got out, and I took her spot. The 2 girls next to me (who cut the line) were LIVID I took the spot from them and began harassing me, physically and verbally. They said that they were locals, this was THEIR venue and they deserved to be there, not me. New York hates Canada, go the &%^@ home, etc etc. They tried to tell the security that THEY were there all day waiting and that I cut them, but they just laughed at them basically. They continually pushed me, and at one point event started stomping on my foot to try and make me move it. Now, on top of this, I was a mess physically. I had not eaten ALL day and was super dehydrated. My back and knees were giving out and I thought I was going to pass out. So, this combined with the girls next to me, I decided it just wasn't worth it. If I passed out, the whole show would have been ruined. So right before Hanson came on, I left and went to the back.
I was so emotionally charged I was like crying uncontrollably. I was tired, I was hungry, I was in pain from the pushing, I was sad that I had just given up front row at a Hanson concert, I was angry at the venue and those girls, and I was incredibly overjoyed because I was at a Hanson show. So it was like, emotional overload!!!!!! I calmed down after awhile and seriously seriously enjoyed the show. Setlist highlights.... Aint no Sunshine, Penny & Me acoustic, Oh Darlin, Joy to the World, Got a Hold on Me, and Lost Without Each Other. Michael & Sarah were also in the back and we had a dance party. I could see okay where I was so tall, and Hanson really put off an amazing show.
When it was over we went back to the bus, but it was really dark back there and the tour manager said Hanson wouldn't be out that night. We said goodbye to some of the new friends we made (like the 2 girls who came from Oregon - hey!) and headed back to the hotel.
