Concert Review/Interview: Hanson At The 9:30 Club, Washington DC, 9/16/07 - Page 2

But Hanson played my favorite, "Been There Before," a bluesy/rock shout-out to rock 'n' roll legends. Taylor's soulful tenor tones enrich the tune's simply elegant chorus ("Tell me does it move you, does it soothe you, does it fill your heart and soul with the roots of rock and roll...")

As the band played through a 20+ set list crammed into about 90 minutes, all I kept thinking was how good the vocals and music sounded: clear, crisp, and loud. The brothers moved downstage to play acoustic versions of a few songs, including "MMMBop." Acoustic "Go," a ballad about a relationship gone bad, is much better than the album version. Zac sings lead on this song, and his clean falsetto and acoustic drumming were pure gold.

Hanson’s trademark three-part harmony is easy on the ears. Naturally, the brothers' vocal styles have changed through the years, especially Zac's. In 1997, he was the hyper, long-haired, 11-year-old on drums. These days, he's the mellowed man on drums, with a surprisingly strong and sensuous voice. Zac told me there's more lead-switching on The Walk than on other albums, mainly because he has more to contribute now that he's older. He sings lead on almost half the album's tracks.

Taylor, once de facto lead, carried most of the songs at the show, and Isaac, who has a smooth and soothing singing voice, performed two solo numbers while the rest were off-stage. Hanson ended the show with fan favorite, "Rock N Roll Razorblade."

Some bands sound horrible live, but the Hansons are in top form, especially when they go acoustic. Yes, the hype is true. Live Hanson is a must-see event. The Walk tour runs through the beginning of November.

Charity Walks

After the show, I talked to Isaac, Taylor, and Zac about their pre-concert charity walks. In addition to donating proceeds of "Great Divide" toward fighting AIDS, Hanson partnered with TOMS Shoes to donate shoes to children in Africa. For each pair you buy, TOMS Shoes will give a pair to a deserving child.

To help publicize their charity efforts, the brothers are urging fans to join them on a one-mile walk around 3:00 p.m. before each show. Fans can buy shoes at the venue or order online through Hanson.net.

Article Author: La Shawn Barber

La Shawn Barber is a Southern California-based freelance writer, blogger, and blog consultant. She writes about politics, faith, culture, digital technology and, occasionally, how these things intersect. …

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