Going The Same Way – Tracing Footsteps #4
Each month until June 2017 we will share fan stories from around the world to celebrate Hanson’s remarkable career and Fan Community.
We have invited fans from five continents, to share their experiences and they tell us in their own words, how they have traced footsteps on a journey with Hanson and their music.
This month, Lisa from California shares her story.
Lisa’s Story
Compared to most of the fans I’ve met, I’m new to the Hanson fandom. I remember liking “MmmBop” when it came out, but I was in college and listening to a lot of moody REM and Depeche Mode. I liked “Where’s the Love” even more, and was happy to see Hanson was growing up and proving their talent, but that was about it. I mostly forgot about them after that.
Then “Anthem” came out and I read a few articles about Hanson’s persistence and dedication to music. I was impressed with their story and decided it was time to check out a concert. I took a friend, who had serious doubts about going but agreed as long as I bought the drinks, and we were both surprised by the large turnout at the Boston House of Blues. We had no idea what to expect from the show, and maybe because of that we kept turning to each other throughout it saying, “They’re really good! Like, *really* good!”
The guys blew us away with their energy, talent, and range. I was especially impressed with the acoustic version of “With You In Your Dreams” and by them all playing guitar together during “On and On” (the song I immediately loved and joined the fan club just to be able to download).
After that show I started getting caught up on all the Hanson albums, videos, documentaries, tours, YouTube clips, and interviews. It was fantastic to have so many years of material to dig through.
I was inspired to start baking with Hanson themes (Fired Up Cupcakes, Bittersweet Chocolate Cookies, etc.) and using my concert photos for Hanson sewing projects. Hanson was making me extra crafty.
And then, at the beginning of 2015, I quit my job.
I’d been in the same role for eight years and wanted to travel, take time off, and get a new start. And when I started planning my 6-month, 15-country trek, I decided that Tulsa had to be on my list of destinations.
I arranged my itinerary to include Hanson Day, and while I was excited to make the trip, I was also a little nervous. I didn’t know anybody else who was going, and a lot of these fans had clearly been doing this for a good part of their lives and all knew each other.
Going through the fan club forums before my trip I saw that there were a lot of first timers headed to Tulsa who were also worried about being alone, so I started a thread to see who might want to have dinner the night before events kicked off.
Five people responded and showed up for that dinner and it was awesome. We met at the Tavern and shared the Hanson-recommended bacon popcorn with dinner. We talked about how we each got into Hanson, who had been to which shows, what our favorite songs and albums were, and even a few non-Hanson related topics. We got photos with Zac on the sidewalk outside afterwards and decided we were already having the Best Weekend Ever.
Our little group picked up more newbies at fan club dinners and in lines as we met more solo travellers, and we all had a blast. In a city I’d never been to before, with people I’d only just met, I felt at home. It was a sad goodbye once the weekend was over.
A few months later I went to Dallas to visit one of my new Hanson Day friends and go to the RNR shows together. Then I met more friends in LA and San Francisco for the California shows.
In Jamaica this year more of us got to reconnect and I was introduced to more friends of friends, so that by the time my second Hanson Day came around this year I was seeing familiar faces everywhere.
And that’s been the best part of this whole journey for me. The music is wonderful and the guys are always kind and funny and entertaining but I wouldn’t keep getting on a plane and sitting in lines if it was just them. It’s the friends I’ve made, and the time we get to spend together before and after the music happens, that gets me excited about the events and shows.
I can’t wait to see what happens next.
Many thanks to Lisa for sharing her story and pictures.
Please do not use these pictures without permission and credit to Lisa.
