B96 Halloween Bash at the Rosemont-Horizon, Chicago, IL.
October 30, 1997
Let' start with a little background........
My seats were not that great since I waited for confirmation from Hansonline before I bought tickets. A lesson learned. Next time (and there will be a next time) I'll buy tickets first, ask questions later. I was in the lower portion of the second balcony, off toward Isaac's side of the stage.
It was sold out,
actually that's a good thing, but what I mean is it was really
crowded! My family were nearly trampled in a serious crush of
people in the foyer. I mean total human gridlock! There was
literally nowhere to put one's body that wasn't already occupied
by some other weary concert-goer at concert's end. This was
technically not a Hanson concert. We had to sit through 3 1/2
long hours of LeClick, INOJ, Backstreet Boys (actually, they were
good),
Robyn and Aaliyah and several unfunny skits performed by the B96
personalities before Hanson even took the stage at 11pm.
The sound system at the venue was seriously flawed. It emitted nearly constant reverb. (The value of a decent sound system cannot be overstated. I was fortunate to see Hanson again in November '97 at an acoustic set where the sound system was fully operational. You could hear a pin drop at certain brief moments. The vocals were crisp and clear! So, so much better for everyone involved!!)
There were lots of
technical/instrument problems. This stuff happens at live shows.
It's to Hanson's credit that the show was still totally
entertaining and professional, despite these glitches.
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Now on with the show.....
The 35 minute set list included Madeline and Man From Milwaukee (acoustic) and Thinking of You, Where's The Love, A Minute Without You, I Will Come to You and MMMBop.
Zac had on a shiny
yellow and black outfit, matching jacket and gloves and red
shades (which he kept on the whole performance). It was
Halloween and some people around me said he appeared to be
dressed as the Yellow Power Ranger. This seems plausible to me.
His hair was in braids. He always looks good, and this night was
no exception.
Taylor had on a long-sleeved red pullover shirt that was split to the sternum. It had a lace, but it wasn't laced up. His hair was pulled back in a ponytail, tendrils were sort of hanging loose willy-nilly. Tay is in constant movement, by the way. His arms, hands, legs, head and hair are each kind of in their own orbits when he is performing. It is positively dizzying to mere mortals such as myself (and then there's that impossibly beautiful face- such a pleasant distraction!). He really looks into it, sort of possessed (in a good way) with the music!
Isaac really looked the finest, in my opinion. He's SO much handsomer in person I cannot believe it myself! He had his hair down and wavy. He had on a white v-neck shirt with a beautiful brown leather jacket and jeans. He's a tall, stoic presence on stage. Very inspiring!
Zac's performance on the drums was fierce!! Some of his solos were lengthened and it's a treat to hear him wail! He seemed energetic to me. He does appear fairly serious when performing though (he didn't really smile during the show). And Zac, like Taylor, seems to be a fairly fidgety guy. At the end of MMMbop, Zac bolted from behind the drum kit towards the audience and proceeded to spray the first few rows with water. He was smiling then! He seemed more than willing to continue the party!
Tay's voice is
lower now than this time last year, when MMMbop was recorded, of
course. But his unique vocal phrasing hasn't changed. I love his
current sound. Beautiful! Hanson had the rest of their band on
stage for the non-acoustic
numbers. You could tell, even with the unavoidable technical
difficulties, Hanson knows how to rock! Middle of Nowhere is a
great album, no doubt, but it's pop elements are not that evident
to me in concert. Hanson in person seems to be straight-ahead
rock and roll, with a healthy helping of soul on the side. I
could be wrong, but Zac seems to be in charge on the drums, and
he is flawless, as near as I can tell!
Nearly 20,000 people attended. It was a sell-out. It was packed. People were dancing in the aisles. Everybody was singing along. Isaac introduced Man From Milwaukee by saying, "Here's a little song from the album people seem to like". Thunderous applause followed! I think it may have been the biggest crowd reaction to one of their songs. MMMbop and I Will Come to You seemed to garner the other biggest crowd reactions. Audience content: My family and I estimated 75% teens and preteens and 25% adults. A good mix I think. Mostly females, but plenty of guys, too.
The most important thing was what a good time it was. With awesome Hanson music as a common thread and a unifying force, this concert was a total love-in, utopia and mutual admiration society for all of us in attendance. It was a really happy joyous occasion!! I'm so pleased to have been there.
We drove 10 hours, round trip, to see Hanson perform. I would do it again in a heartbeat! To witness so much true talent, focused determination and enthusiasm, the pleasure was indeed all mine!
Pamela Bogue
**We thank Pam for sharing this with us...wish we could have been there with you!! Maybe next time!!?