In an MMMBop - the Hanson thread!

[Satya82]

Any Tay fans in the house?

 

 

In case anyone has been wondering what the boys from Tulsa have been up to in the last decade, here's some good vids I found:

 

 

Zac and his wife Kate

 

 

These boys getting married and having babies makes me feel old.

 

Wow, thanks, Mana! I don't know how Hanson fans find the pictures they do, but a lot of them seem to have family/home photos of the guys with their wives, kids, and families. It's a bit weird. But Hanson fans are insane, and always have been.

 

Just wanted to share some pics of the guys in Africa with their wives at the end of last year. They donated shoes to kids that didn't have any (also what they're raising money/awareness for now with their pre-show walks) and they're still really supporting these kids and raising money to help with the poverty/AIDS crisis there.

 

Hanson with their wives in Africa:

 

So cute. Tay with kids:

 

Taylor and his wife, Natalie:

 

Isaac and his wife, Nikki:

 

Zac and his wife, Kate:

 

Love them! Can't wait to see them this Saturday!!!

[Satya82]

Just a few more pics from Africa because I love them.

 

The amazing guys.

 

Some pics of Taylor with the people they met there:

Giving kids the shoes they raised money for.

Taylor (and Natalie) with some of the kids

Adorable, lol.

 

Kate and Nikki. (Hanson seem to have married some really sweet girls.):

[Cazinha]

For those who haven't had much information about Hanson on the last years, Taylor and his wife, Natalie, have got three kids: Ezra, Pennelope and River.

Isaac and Nikki have got Everett and are waiting another baby for this month or May.

And Zac and Kate are waiting their first baby! She or he will probably be born next month ^^

 

Nikki and Kate (both pregnant)

http://i27.tinypic.com/bg8d38.jpg

The baby on the left is Everett and on the right is River

http://i32.tinypic.com/2nss32a.jpg

Everett, River, Taylor and Pennelope

http://i25.tinypic.com/4tt79t.jpg

Ezra

http://s178.photobucket.com/albums/w280/07hitzpics/myspace%20pics/?action=view&current=n226400255_69398_1028.jpg

Natalie and Pennelope

 

*-*

;***

[Satya82]

Yep, they have some CUTE kids. (Although I've been refraining from posting pictures that look really personal, like stalkerazzi shots. Just be careful what you post.)

 

I did hear rumors that Hanson might do an A&E "Life of a Rockstar"-type show, where they allow photographers to film them at home and on the road. Don't know for sure if it'll air on TV or not.

 

Also, on Hanson.net, Zac said they're probably going to do a Christmas tour. So keep an eye out for that!

[Satya82]

Today at work, I noticed two of the Detroit newspapers had articles about the concert that LadyGodiva and I are going to on Saturday. Here's a link to one, just because I'm excited. (The concert's sold out!)

 

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008804170323

 

[lollipop_monkey]

Yep, they have some CUTE kids. (Although I've been refraining from posting pictures that look really personal, like stalkerazzi shots. Just be careful what you post.)

 

Especially Penelope! Holy crap I could eat her with a spoon!

 

Today at work, I noticed two of the Detroit newspapers had articles about the concert that LadyGodiva and I are going to on Saturday. Here's a link to one, just because I'm excited. (The concert's sold out!)

 

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008804170323

 

 

Ooh, just a couple more days! I'm looking forward to your reports. Nice article, btw!

 

And here's a pic I found of their three wives together - I can't get over how cut-from-the-same-cloth they all are!

 

From left to right - Nikki (Isaac's wife), Kate (Zac's wife), Natalie (Taylor's wife):

 

[Satya82]

 

From left to right - Nikki (Isaac's wife), Kate (Zac's wife), Natalie (Taylor's wife):

 

 

I love how we've all found the same "unofficial" pics.

 

And the concert is TOMORROW!! Today the weather is SO gorgeous, but I think it's supposed to rain tomorrow. Why does it always rain when I see Hanson? And we're going on the walk, too.

[LadyGodiva]

AHHHHHH!!! YAY! tomorrow!!!!! :woot_jump:

[Satya82]

Yay is right! I'll be back with a review and (hopefully!) some pics in the next couple of days. Lucky me, I get to work the day after the concert, but I'm sure LadyGodiva will fill ya in until I post.

[LadyGodiva]

..............okay, so Lissa just informed me that there are already 10 people in line. for the show that starts TOMORROW AT 8:00 PM:shocked:

 

hahaha, well, we wont be in the front.

[nico_collard]

You last saw them in concert when you were 5. I taught you the words to "MMMBop" when you were 4. You were so cute all 4-years old and singing "MMMBop ba duba dop ba..."

 

 

 

Those are SWEET!!! I have no idea how to make those, but they're awesome.

 

Awwww... how adorable would that have been! One of my cousins liked Hanson when she was little... she as about 9 at the time...

 

Thank you! Mine aren't as good as some of the ones people make using Photoshop, but I think they're okay...

 

Ah yeah, I also love Sure About It... IMO, the This Time Around album seems to be the best... in terms of having a wide selection of great songs...

 

 

 

It's on The Walk album, it's fab (wow, now I'm speaking as if I've been following their career like ye real fans....though I've listened to them sooooooooo many times in the last few days!!)

It's interesting to hear how their voices have matured, especially Zac's, cos he was sooo young at the time of Mmmbop! Zac has always been my fave, but I have to say that Taylor's voice makes me... *sigh*

 

That is a good album... one song on there I can't listen to is Dying To be Alive... I used it for an assignment in year 11... it irritates me now...

 

I personally think Underneath is better... to me it seems like they experimented more with their instruments on it...

 

i think you all will get a laugh out of this if you haven't seen it yet....

 

 

I love it!

 

Taygasm...

 

In case anyone has been wondering what the boys from Tulsa have been up to in the last decade, here's some good vids I found:

 

 

Zac and his wife Kate

 

 

These boys getting married and having babies makes me feel old.

 

Tell me about it... I feel like I've ben left behind...

 

Still, I love how they each found someone...

 

I know Nikki was a fan, and Natalie was a childhood friend, but was Kate a friend or fan (or both)?

 

HANSON!

 

Sorry, Jonas Brothers, you got NOTHING on the Hanson brothers.

 

Damn straight...

[Satya82]

Had to sneak on here before we left... I'm hopeless!

 

I know Nikki was a fan, and Natalie was a childhood friend, but was Kate a friend or fan (or both)?

 

The way I heard it, Natalie was also a fan, and Kate was a friend of hers. So if what fans say are true (take it with a grain of salt) all three Hansons married fans.

 

And yeah...last night there were already 10 people in line.. 24 hours before the show started!

 

I wonder how many are in line now?

 

Either way, we're off, and I'll let you all know how it went when we get back!

[lollipop_monkey]

Had to sneak on here before we left... I'm hopeless!

 

 

 

The way I heard it, Natalie was also a fan, and Kate was a friend of hers. So if what fans say are true (take it with a grain of salt) all three Hansons married fans.

 

And yeah...last night there were already 10 people in line.. 24 hours before the show started!

 

I wonder how many are in line now?

 

Either way, we're off, and I'll let you all know how it went when we get back!

 

 

Can't wait for your review!

 

And, how they met their gfs, according to Wikipedia:

 

"Taylor met his wife, Natalie Anne Bryant, after a performance in Atlanta, GA in August 2000, during Hanson's This Time Around Tour. They were introduced by one of the band's roadies."

 

"Isaac married his girlfriend of 3 years Nicole Summer Dufresne on September 30, 2006...Isaac met Nicole after spotting her in the 5th row of a crowd at one of the band's concerts."

 

"In August 2000, (Zac) was introduced to model Kathryn "Kate" Tucker. The two began dating in 2001 and their relationship continued for four years before Hanson proposed in January 2005. Their engagement lasted fifteen months before they were married on June 3, 2006."

[Satya82]

Morning!

 

I'm heading off to work so I can't write my review 'til later, but LadyGodiva will fill ya in when she gets up. (We got home at 3am--I am so not in the mood to work today.)

 

The show was GREAT and totally insane. There were security issues...as I'm sure LG will elaborate on...caused the concert to be delayed, and basically we were standing around waiting for Hanson to come onstage for an entire hour after the last opening act played. But they were awesome, and I love them and I'll post my pics later.

 

The walk was amazing, but again...fans are insane. I have better pics from that, so I'll upload everything when I get home!

[ircazo]

Hanson really know how to make music!

[nico_collard]

Had to sneak on here before we left... I'm hopeless!

 

 

 

The way I heard it, Natalie was also a fan, and Kate was a friend of hers. So if what fans say are true (take it with a grain of salt) all three Hansons married fans.

 

And yeah...last night there were already 10 people in line.. 24 hours before the show started!

 

I wonder how many are in line now?

 

Either way, we're off, and I'll let you all know how it went when we get back!

 

Oh, righto... would be kinda cool if they did...

 

Can't wait for your review!

 

And, how they met their gfs, according to Wikipedia:

 

"Taylor met his wife, Natalie Anne Bryant, after a performance in Atlanta, GA in August 2000, during Hanson's This Time Around Tour. They were introduced by one of the band's roadies."

 

"Isaac married his girlfriend of 3 years Nicole Summer Dufresne on September 30, 2006...Isaac met Nicole after spotting her in the 5th row of a crowd at one of the band's concerts."

 

"In August 2000, (Zac) was introduced to model Kathryn "Kate" Tucker. The two began dating in 2001 and their relationship continued for four years before Hanson proposed in January 2005. Their engagement lasted fifteen months before they were married on June 3, 2006."

 

That is so cute that Ike met Nikki after spotting her a few rows back... awwwwwww...

 

They'e just so cute...

 

I just needed to come on here and talk Hanson... there's only so much of Bono (and certain parts of his anatomy - see avatar) that you can talk before you stop thinking...

 

Can't wait for the reviews!

[LadyGodiva]

OOOOOOK. i'll try to give everybody the run down before i type and official review (it will be long a LOT happens haha)

So we go there around 11, ate at jimmy johns and then walked to the venue. The line was fairly long, so we went and waited by the tour bus for around two hours and finally saw them walk inside (well....at least ti wasn't for nothing.lol)so then only the ten people who were there knew that that meant the walk would start soon so we ran back to the front doors where within the next few minutes EVERYBODY gathered around (500ish people maybe?) se i was squished at the very front be the doors. within a few minutes people spotted hanson inside and everybody squished closer.

 

They finally opened the doors and came out which cause everybody to squish towards them so i was squished into taylor as he walked by, zac a little and then isaac too!. After being squished into isaac i used all my body weight to push everybody behind be back so he could walk, and then he saw this and told everybody to back up<3. so then the walk started, and we hung mostly around taylor at the front because the front of the walk gets better spots in line.

 

I didn't try to push near taylor, because the people who were shoving to get near him were obnoxious and i bet taylor didn't like them anyways. But i walked a bit in front of them and at one point taylor sped up so he was right next to me so i was about to thank him and tell him i had been a fan for ten years and show him the pic of me in my hanson t-shirt at age 5, but the girl next to him asked for a picture and he said he couldn't stop and then the girl in back of me completely shoved me out of the way the girl who had been shoving everybody out of the way for the whole walk so she was the only one next to taylor. whatever, i wasn't about to start shoving her back. so we got some good pics, but they're all on Lissa's camera, so we can post them when she gets home.

 

So ladeda we ended the walk and got out hand stamped saying we did it and got back in line. and this security guy came around and told us we were in the wrong line and that we had vip tickets (they get let in first i guess you pay a bit more money though) and so we went around to the other line and ended up about halfway in the line (if we had known earlier, we could have been front- pfft, oh well) so we waited in line for like two or three hours, sitting on a wall/ barrier type of thing and i bought a slice of pizza. So i had a water bottle i was going to bring inside the venue, but some security guy said that i couldn't bring it in (which turned out to be a lie, they also said that you couldn't bring cameras, but NOBODY checked out bags pshhh) so i drank my entire water bottle and didn't have any left for during the show (i got sooo thirsty and two or three people had to leave because they almost passed out.)

 

So we got in and at 8 the show started and Kate Voegele sang and did a great job, she has a really good voice. then the sixers came on and were HILARIOUS and amazing, they sang fun covers and kyle (the guy leaving to be in spring awakening,this was his last show) was hilarious and really cute. he had short athletic type shorts on and an oversized t-shirt that said "flying mango" on it making him look like he was in his underwear of pajamas lol. So they played a pretty long set. So after the opening acts finished, we waited. and waited. and waited. for hanson.

 

It had been like and hour and a half (the later of that time i got out my ipod because me an lissa were sick of waiting and i put on some mika toronto concert vids and pretended that he was on stage and danced around lol.) so then a few minutes after that some guy got on stage and said that there had been a "security breach" and that the first 5 rows were going to be taped off. So we were in row 6 at that point so i was right by the tape. So we were completely weirded out at this point and everybody was freaking a little bit.

 

The security patted people in the first 5 rows down and looked in purses and after that was over, the tape disappeared and hanson came on at about 10:30 (the show didn't end till 12:30 ish!!). the show was AMAZING we sang all the words and were clearly one of the most hard core fans, knowing songs recent and old. White we technically weren't supposed to have cameras, the security guard looked the other way big time, and we got some nice pics hehe. So after jumping around and going crazy, i was sooo tired and thirsty.

 

Hanson was AMAZING the ENTIRE show was BRILLIANT! It was what i had been waiting for for ten years so great. the only problem it was national tall people stand in front day, but i managed to wiggle my way around and ended up in 3rd row. 6th to third is pretty good i think! SO after the show ended, me and lissa ran to the bar two of the last four waters and drank the whole thing in just a minute or two. then we waited to get merch, but they sold out of our size and so we decided to order on line and went to meet the opening acts.

 

First i met the sixers, kyle (the one going to spring awakening) first. he complimented my shirt (!!) and i said thank you and that i was a fan of spring awakening and would be seeing it for sure , you could tell he was excited about that. we talked for a minute or two and he is THE NICEST CUTEST THING EVER. he singed my ticket and i got a pic with the whole band (Kyle actually help my arm surring the pic even though i was by one of the other guys and he hadn't done that for anybody else! sooo sweet anad amazing!)(oh, and i can post all of the pics later, again, they're on lissa's camera and she's at work) when i left and said thank you again, kyle sort of grabbed my hand and i turned around and he looked me in the eye and said thanks again like he really really meant it and i touched his hand back and said thank you and left. he is SO AMAZING.

 

So then i went to kate voegele and me and lissa were the only ones there so we got t talk to her for a few minuted.s he is THE NICEST thing. omg she is sooooo sweet. very peppy and happy too. I guess my shirt was good, because the first thing she said to me was that show loved me shirt an then my whole outfit a lot and even said she loved my shoelaces (they kind of matched my jacket lol) so she signed my ticket as well and then i got a pic and my sister got a pic and we talked a bit more and then said thank you again. then Lissa decided that she wanted the pic with kyle so we went over to him while the security was trying to kick us out. She got a pic with just him cuz the others were busy and i took it. He asked if we were sisters and we said yes, but she was older than me at 25, he seemed really excited about this (lol) and said he thought we were both 20ish but said that it was really cool that we were sister, then she told him about how i said we were getting tickets to spring awakening for sure and he was again, excited about this and said we should come for sure and we promised we would and then we left because the security was getting annoyed lol. So we waited by the tour bus for a few minuted, talking to some of the people we had met in line and such we saw isaac but then our ride was there and since i had already seen them all earlier, we left and slept the entire way home haha.

 

OH i forgot to mention that while we were waiting for merch, a girl from hanson.net txted my sister and said that what they were saying on the boards was that the entire theatre was on lock down before because somebody was stabbed!!!??? apparently it was on the news? I don't know if thats true of not, but thats really creepy and weird if it was,because i didn't know a thing, didn't even know we were on lock down if true? I guess now people are saying that bullet was found on someone but nothing happened, and i'm guessing that that's closer to the truth.

 

Anyways, i LOVED the show it was AMAZING and third row isn't too bad ;-]. I'm really sore today from all the jumping around and my voice is kind of shot form all the screaming and shouting the lyrics but all in all it was INSANELY AMAZING i'm so glad i got to see them!!!

Oh wow, i guess i sort of ended up typing the entire review lol. Lovely how that happens. Sorry that its so long, i don't blame you f you don't read the whole thing. Well, i hope you enjoyed!!!!

here is a pic of the signatures i got. the first is kyle and the second is kate voegele!!!! :biggrin2: :biggrin2:

[lollipop_monkey]

Ahhh, thank you for your great review! So nice to have something interesting to read while Mika's busy running around Beijing and checking out experimental theatre.

 

I didn't try to push near taylor, because the people who were shoving to get near him were obnoxious and i bet taylor didn't like them anyways. But i walked a bit in front of them and at one point taylor sped up so he was right next to me so i was about to thank him and tell him i had been a fan for ten years and show him the pic of me in my hanson t-shirt at age 5, but the girl next to him asked for a picture and he said he couldn't stop and then the girl in back of me completely shoved me out of the way...

 

I don't get why people lose their minds like that. It's the same crap we heard about at Mika's afterparty thing in London. If people were civil, things would be so much better. Sigh.

 

so then a few minutes after that some guy got on stage and said that there had been a "security breach" and that the first 5 rows were going to be taped off. So we were in row 6 at that point so i was right by the tape. So we were completely weirded out at this point and everybody was freaking a little bit.

 

The security patted people in the first 5 rows down and looked in purses and after that was over, the tape disappeared and hanson came on at about 10:30 (the show didn't end till 12:30 ish!!).

 

Whoa - that's a bit scary! Glad things went, well, though.

 

Hanson was AMAZING the ENTIRE show was BRILLIANT! It was what i had been waiting for for ten years so great. the only problem it was national tall people stand in front day, but i managed to wiggle my way around and ended up in 3rd row. 6th to third is pretty good i think!

 

Yaaay! I've heard they're great live. I hope to be able to catch them somewhere on their next tour.

 

First i met the sixers, kyle (the one going to spring awakening) first. he complimented my shirt (!!) and i said thank you and that i was a fan of spring awakening and would be seeing it for sure , you could tell he was excited about that. we talked for a minute or two and he is THE NICEST CUTEST THING EVER. he singed my ticket and i got a pic with the whole band ...So then i went to kate voegele and me and lissa were the only ones there so we got t talk to her for a few minuted.s he is THE NICEST thing. omg she is sooooo sweet. very peppy and happy too. I guess my shirt was good, because the first thing she said to me was that show loved me shirt an then my whole outfit a lot and even said she loved my shoelaces (they kind of matched my jacket lol) so she signed my ticket as well and then i got a pic and my sister got a pic and we talked a bit more and then said thank you again.

 

Aww, that's so sweet! I think the opening acts are usually looking for a piece of the glory, so they're often really nice and really accessible.

 

OH i forgot to mention that while we were waiting for merch, a girl from hanson.net txted my sister and said that what they were saying on the boards was that the entire theatre was on lock down before because somebody was stabbed!!!??? apparently it was on the news? I don't know if thats true of not, but thats really creepy and weird if it was,because i didn't know a thing, didn't even know we were on lock down if true? I guess now people are saying that bullet was found on someone but nothing happened, and i'm guessing that that's closer to the truth.

 

Yikes! These rumours get out of control. I can't find any news reports about it, so it must not have been serious.

 

Anyways, i LOVED the show it was AMAZING and third row isn't too bad ;-]. I'm really sore today from all the jumping around and my voice is kind of shot form all the screaming and shouting the lyrics but all in all it was INSANELY AMAZING i'm so glad i got to see them!!!

 

Again - YAY!

 

 

And, I loved your long review! The Walk is such a good idea. Those boys are so sweet.

 

Now, we wait patiently for Lissa's review!

[ircazo]

thanks a lot for the review...

[LadyGodiva]

Thanks for reading guys! i'm sure lissa will write her review as soon as she gets home- i'll have her post all the pics as well.

Also, so i read now that there was a bullet found in the front row, but it actually came from and off-duty cop. so no worries lol. Rumors were crazy though!

I will also add i didn't know how completely spoiled i was with the mika concert. Also, Mika fans are much nicer than Hanson fans. Hanson fans also feel entitled to certain spots because they think they've been a fan the longest. there was a TON of pushing and shoving, a girl next to me almost passed out and people took that opportunity to try and push past her. It seemed people would do anything to get in front of you. there was a tall guy there with his girlfriend and her two friends and he wasn't even a fan, he didn't even clap at the end of songs. I was really pissed about that, you'd think the people in front could at least be fans of the group!? He blocked me from seeing a lot as well until later when he finally moved to the side more. Mika fans are much nicer in line, they know each other more and as far as i know, they don't feel like they have the right to push and shove everybody in front of them no matter what, just so they can get to the front. Hanson is INSANELY AMAZING, but their fan base is INSANELY MAD.

Woah, i just looked and my mika concert review was exactly 4 words longer. thats crazy how close it is!

[lollipop_monkey]

That's why I can't say that I'll be overly disapppointed if Mika doesn't attain mega-stardom in the US.

 

People like to think that North American fans are less insane than the European fans - after all, no one was beating on Mika's car here - but I think that's totally just because he's still something of an underground phenomenon here.

 

If he starts getting a ton of airplay, things will change - and as your Hanson experience proves, North Americans are perfectly capable of being perfectly insane.

[LadyGodiva]

That's why I can't say that I'll be overly disapppointed if Mika doesn't attain mega-stardom in the US.

 

People like to think that North American fans are less insane than the European fans - after all, no one was beating on Mika's car here - but I think that's totally just because he's still something of an underground phenomenon here.

 

If he starts getting a ton of airplay, things will change - and as your Hanson experience proves, North Americans are perfectly capable of being perfectly insane.

 

oh, for sure. Mika getting bigger would be a bit of a mixed blessing. While it would be great for fans to discover his music and for him to get more fans, I really don't want to gather crazy fans who start camping out and skipping semesters of school to go to every concert and be in front row every time, keeping everybody else from being in front. It just bugs me when fans thing they're entitled to certain things. The concert would have been a lot more enjoyable if everybody had just chilled out.

[Satya82]

If he starts getting a ton of airplay, things will change - and as your Hanson experience proves, North Americans are perfectly capable of being perfectly insane.

 

North Americans are completely capable of losing their minds. Go to a Hanson concert. You'll see. Hanson posted on Hanson.net today to let people know about the bullet incident and how it wasn't actually anything to worry about but they also said "I would not want to be the person who was on the wrong end of a pissed off Hanson fan." They know a lot of their fans are insane.

 

The concert would have been a lot more enjoyable if everybody had just chilled out.

 

So true. I still can't figure out what fans hope to gain by being insane. Hanson doesn't appreciate it; I'm sure the pushing and shoving and mobbing freaks them out a bit.

 

Good news: I FINISHED MY REVIEW! It's so completely long and detailed that I have to edit it somewhat or I'll bore you all to death. But I have pics too, so let me start editing and adding pics, and I'll post in a few minutes. Stay tuned...

[Satya82]

Here we go!!!

 

When Laura and I first arrived at the venue around 12:45-ish, we decided to wait by Hanson's tour bus, since I had had a successful Isaac spotting by their bus a few years before. We met two people there--Jennifer and Raina-- chatted with them for a bit while we waited. They were sane and nice, not something all Hanson fans are.

 

Finally, a little before 3:00 Hanson decided to emerge from their tour bus. I saw Taylor walk out (and someone had laid out a carpet for them to walk on when they step off the bus--I found that funny) then Isaac. I totally missed Zac--there were fans waving arms and cameras in front of me, but people said he looked pissed off. Uh oh. So that was that, and another fan we had met--Megan?--who had been to dozens of shows, told us this meant the walk was starting soon.

 

The walk was indeed supposed to start around 3:00, so we rushed around to the front of the venue. Megan led us over by the front doors where she thought the walk would start. She seemed to be a pro at this, so I let her decide where we would stand. Fans seemed to be aware of the time, and everyone started crowding together. We stood by one set of doors, while thinking Murphy’s Law would almost guarantee they walk out the other set of doors. It turns out we were lucky. Suddenly fans in front of us started screaming, and everyone surged forward toward the doors we were in front of. The doors were mostly glass, so people could see inside, and they could see Hanson standing just inside.

 

OMG it's Hanson!! Let's shove right up against the doors so they can't get outside!

 

I'm sure Hanson was looking outside thinking, "Are we ready for this?" But they did get the doors open, and stepped outside. Fans surged forward, and we were shoved forward toward Hanson. Taylor tried to say hello and greet us, and then Isaac said over his megaphone something like “You all need to just calm down and move back. This is not a good start to the walk.”

 

Some fans listened, some fans didn’t, and around this time, Laura was shoved up right against Isaac. Luckily I had given her my camera, so she took the opportunity of being that close to snap a few pictures.

The fans that were considerate enough to listen to Isaac did back away enough for them to start walking, and everyone else began to cluster and hover around them. (Think London afterparty for Mika--except each Hanson had their own mob as they walked.)

[Satya82]

So the walk began, Taylor in the lead, Zac dropping back to the middle, and Isaac staying near the back to make sure everyone stayed together. Taylor was very concerned about all of us, telling us to wait for the lights to turn green (some fans were so star-struck they wouldn’t have noticed) and telling us to be careful when we crossed the railroad tracks. (Hanson fans are like lemmings. Whatever Hanson says, they do…except when Hanson’s telling them to back away or calm down.) Taylor was trying to educate the fans near him about the poverty and AIDS crisis in Africa, and the same fans were sticking to him like glue. I don’t even know if they cared or not--they just wanted to be near Taylor.

 

Let's play "Can you spot Taylor?"

 

At one point, Laura walked ahead of me and I lost sight of her for a bit. When I finally spotted her, she was walking RIGHT next to Taylor. And I was thinking “You go, girl! Say something to him!” But apparently, the same evil Taylor-obsessed fans pushed her away and kept walking with him. In retrospect, if we had wanted to chat casually with a Hanson, we should have lingered back to where Zac and Isaac were. Apparently, Isaac even talked to a woman’s daughter over the phone, and was signing things. (Even though that wasn’t the point of the walk.) Taylor stayed very focused, though, and Zac refused to take pictures with fans, which is understandable. This walk wasn't something Hanson was doing just so they could be mobbed by fans. They're raising awareness and taking action for something they feel strongly about.

 

Stopping to explain the walk:

 

At one point, Taylor stopped in a little square, where there were a cluster of trees, each one surrounded by a short cement wall. He climbed up on one, and encouraged us to all gather round. Isaac and Zac walked over to where Taylor was, and stood up near him. Once all of us were gathered around (Laura, me, Jennifer, and Raina were all standing higher up on one of the cement walls, too) I started taking lots of pictures as Taylor gave a little speech.

 

The speech is actually on YouTube, so if you want to listen, here's the link:

 

Taylor started talking about their trip to Africa, and how what they saw and experienced affected them so much. How they met a 5-year boy (the same age as Taylor’s son, Ezra) who had to walk 20 kilometers to get to school every day--and he had no shoes. He said it was such an incredible moment to be able to put the first pair of shoes that boy has ever had onto his feet. He talked about how important it was to buy TOMs shoes, because every pair you buy on this tour will give another pair to a child in need in Africa.

 

Isaac also stepped up with his megaphone and said “I notice that a lot of people here are young women.” And everyone screamed. He then went on to say that HIV and AIDS affects women far more than men--that they contract it and start showing symptoms more readily. Taylor also mentioned--and I thought this was amazing--that he wants to hear what we’re doing, and how we’re taking action to help others. He said if we start a campaign, or organize our own charity, that he wants to hear about it, and he wants to join us with our cause. He said “I’ll follow you,” and said how important it is to take action, and that we’re not on an awareness walk, we’re on an action walk--we’re doing something. Taylor said it’s our choice--we can be the generation that is remembered because we took action, and did something. How we have so much power, and can do so much if we only make that choice.

 

While Taylor and Isaac were talking, Zac was on photo/video duty.

He had a small camera, and was taking pictures and video of the crowd. And at one point when Taylor was talking, he stopped, bowed his head, and put his hand on his forehead, and just…stayed like that for a few moments. I don’t know what he was doing, but it concerned me for a moment.

However, then Taylor stepped down, and we started walking, and Zac seemed fine, so I figured he was OK. While we were stopping, Taylor also encouraged us to take our shoes off--that if a 5-year old boy can walk barefoot every day, we can do it for a mile. I still wasn’t going to risk it, and kept my shoes on. I’m very, very glad I did because as we continued on the walk, someone yelled out “Watch out, someone barfed on the sidewalk!” I looked down, and stepped just on the edge of it, caught myself, and jumped over most of it. But I shudder to think that if I had been barefoot, I would have stepped in barf. I’m not willing to step in barf, even for Hanson.