Okay, full disclosure here: covering this show was a big deal for me. The first time that I ever got a CD, or even a CD player, was when I was five years old. A girl that was in my pre-school class gave me a present for my fifth birthday, an album called Middle of Nowhere. I had no idea who the three people on the cover were, or what music really was, to be completely honest. All I'm going to say is if I didn't press play on that record nearly eighteen years ago in the car, I really don't think I would be here today.
It's odd to say, but Hanson's music was kind of a gateway drug to other music for me. They were the first band I'd ever really listened to, and it built quite a bit of the foundation for what I listen to today. I love rock, and I love pop. Hanson played both of those genres, essentially. Through discovering rock, I discovered metal, metalcore, and every other genre offshoot you can think of. Through discovering pop, I discovered electronic music. It all came back to Hanson. So when I heard that these guys were coming back through town on a two night stint at The Fillmore, I had to take the opportunity to catch the band (they never came through my area as a child.)
I ended up attending night one of the two, and I couldn't have had a better time. Prior to the show beginning, I started to notice that many patrons were walking around with a beer bottle that I had never seen before. And then it hit me, as I turned to the bar and saw the advertisement: I had completely forgotten that these guys had their own beer. I laughed at how brilliant the name was (Mmmhops), and bought one to try. To be honest, I enjoyed it. I've never been a huge Pale Ale fan, but I really liked the after taste that other Pale Ales don't really provide to its drinkers.
Around 8 PM or so, the Hanson brothers (Isaac, Taylor and Zac) took the stage. Tonight's set, however, would be very different from tomorrow's: no original material. That's right, the first night consisted solely of covers, but it wasn't your usual top 40 fare. The band handpicked songs that had inspired them to play music in the beginning and throughout the years of their career. A number of covers included songs by The Beach Boys, Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel, and many more.
One original song was thrown in, however, much to my delight: "This Time Around", from the band's sophomore album of the same name. I could NOT help but smile the entire time.
The show finished when Zac and Taylor traded places on the stage to perform a cover of "I Believe In A Thing Called Love" by The Darkness. The crowd completely got into it, bringing a fantastic, fun night of music to a close. I will definitely be sure to catch the band the next time they come through town.
This has been another Shameless Promotion.