January 27, 2016

Hansonstage.com: Your Source for Show Stats

I knew before I ever set foot into my first Hanson show that I was going to return home and document the setlist the first chance I got. One perk to being a relatively "newer" fan is the opportunity to learn from the mistakes of those that came before you. So by the time I saw Hanson live for the first time in 2007, I was already familiar with the complaints of plenty of more seasoned fans who had gone to so many shows that they "lost count" or had no clue what they had heard live. I didn't know how many shows I would go to or if I would ever care about those statistics, but I knew if I didn't start early, I'd never keep track. Nine years later, I have a 63-page semi-color-coded, somewhat chronological mess of a Word Document saved to my computer. And in the event that someone wants to know "Hey, what's the 50th Hanson song you ever heard live?" I could truthfully answer "Fire on the Mountain--nine times total. Six as a Zac solo and three with the full band." Right, because that's a question that comes up often.

So maybe nobody will ever quiz you on it or care how many times you've heard "MMMBop," but there is something a little fascinating about seeing all of those numbers lined up, and plenty of little surprises you'd never expect, like the fact that I've heard "Never Let Go" live more times than "For Your Love," or "Oh Darling!" more times than every song on Anthem except for "I've Got Soul."

The good news is you don't have to have a nine-year-old Word document to see your stats--there's a website for that! I have mentioned hansonstage.com in my blog on several occasions, but have never gone into any details about what all you can do with it and how it works. If you don't already use it yourself, it's time to learn!

If you're like me, you can use it to find the latest setlists and add them to you own ever-growing list in whatever format you like. But if you don't already have one of your own, hansonstage will create one and keep track of it for you. You can get started by creating an account HERE. Just check the boxes for all of the shows you have gone to, and hansonstage will generate the list. It gives you a breakdown of:

-How many shows you've been to
-Every song you've heard live and the number of times,
-How many songs you've heard from each album/category
-How many unique songs you've heard
-How many songs period with all repeats included (this number is where I start questioning my sanity a little, and one I had no idea of without the help of hansonstage).

As long as you create your list while logged in, it will stay saved to the website every time you come back.

As for the rest of hansonstage.com, you'll find it filled with news articles, lyrics, tour dates, blog posts, and plenty more. Katie has compiled an impressive database of setlists and ticket stubs, but she is always looking to add to it with the help of fans. If you see a show you attended that isn't listed or is missing a ticket stub or setlist, don't hesitate to contact her and help add to the archive.

Now go create and share your findings! There's even a link at the bottom of the list that allows you to share your stats with friends. What surprised you about your list?

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