California Here We Come: Reno, Wheatland, Rohnert Park, & Highland

This trip sparked a wild realization for me: I can't remember the last time I did more than two shows in a row out of a car. That feels like such a crazy concept considering I spent my late teens and early 20s carpooling and splitting gas with as many people as possible. I don't think I set foot on more than three or four planes for my first hundred shows. But somewhere along the way to full time jobs and adulthood, the question shifted from "what's the cheapest way to do the most shows?" to "what's the fastest way to do the most shows?", and with that came the end of my extreme road trip era. I'm glad I can afford more flights these days, but sometimes I miss the insanity of a car full of girls and overnight drives fueled by truck stop junk food and post-show adrenaline.

I did get on a plane for this trip, but once I flew out to California to meet up with a friend, we hopped in her car and hit the road for Reno, Wheatland, Rohnert Park, and Highland for four shows in four days on the road. Here's a loose map of what that looked like for us: 


It felt like the closest thing to "old school tour" that I've had in years, though still abbreviated with just two of us in the car for less than a week. It didn’t feel like enough, but I’m also not sure my body (or bank account) could have handled the month-long stretches of tours past no matter how much I might romanticize those days.

The 8.5 hr drive up to Reno from southern California was a beautiful stretch of mountains and not much else. As far as roadtrips go, I'd give it a solid 4 out of 5 stars for scenic value and sparse traffic, minus one star for lack of gas stations and bathrooms. High five for hybrid cars and the fact that I live my life in a constant state of dehydration anyway; it definitely could’ve gone worse.



The drives to Wheatland and Rohnert Park were a shorter blur of mountains and trees, and Rohnert Park back down to Highland added vineyards and cows. Between this trip and the Anthem Tour, I feel like I’ve seen most of California through the window of a car. As someone that lives in a flat place, I’m still in awe of the landscape every time.


We didn't end up with any crazy road trip stories this time, but as I established on my last trip, you don't even have to leave the airport parking lot to come home with a flat tire story. The most exciting thing that happened this time was discovering a new fruit punch flavor of gummy worms at a Pilot, and the least exciting thing was the number of BTS songs I heard on repeat. No hard feelings there because I subscribe to the Supernatural philosophy of roadtrip playlists: driver picks the music; shotgun shuts his cakehole. 

(Edit: On second thought, accidentally visiting Costco on a Saturday was the actual low point of the trip. Want to experience all the worst parts of a GA show without even getting a concert? Go to Costco at 3pm on a Saturday.)

The Shows

I’m not going to try to turn these shows into four separate posts since the setlists were similar, three of them were seated, and everything went pretty seamlessly. I had a lot of fun, but it was textbook Hanson show fun and won't make for a riveting read. What I will say is that I missed these guys a lot, and that first moment of seeing them come on stage after not seeing them for a while is still the happiest feeling I know. 

I love a good rare surprise, but the key to keeping me happy and engaged at a show is to simply play something upbeat and fun. Hanson knows that recipe well.



Most unexpected song: You Never Know

Most unexpected new staple: Man From Milwaukee (remember when it was rare?)

Most unexpected song placement: Waiting for This in the 2nd half of the set @ Highland. (I wasn’t waiting for it; I thought the moment for it to show up had passed)

Songs that only got played once: Don’t Let Me Down, River, Crazy Beautiful, I’ve Got Soul (insert praise hands here—sorry Hanson), In The City, Weird, & You Never Know

Personal Highlights: Fired Up and In The City showing up unexpectedly after hearing neither at the first show. Also Crazy Beautiful. Always Crazy Beautiful.


These shows did feel a lot more "normal" to me with more on-stage banter and happier vibes than the last show I saw at Busch Gardens, but maybe that's my own skewed perception because Hanson felt miles away on that giant stage in Virginia.

As for a favorite show? It’s a toss up between Reno for the simple fact that it was first so I was at my most excited/well rested, and Rohnert Park for the insane gap between the front row and the stage that instead of becoming a stampede zone miraculously ended up being the most space I’ve ever had to dance up front. I would thank everyone for not rushing, but I think Graton Casino security is the real MVP here.

To continue the "this meeting could've been an email" vibes of this post, here are a few memorable details that I don’t want to forget but also don’t warrant a dozen paragraphs each:

• The Reno show ended up being in a casino we randomly stayed at after seeing Hanson at Lake Tahoe back in 2019. Weird coincidence.
  
  
• Rohnert Park had giant screens on either side of the stage and a camera man stationed up front all night. I came for a good time and left feeling like I'd accidentally starred in a music video. Not entirely sure there needs to be XXL footage of me acting my silliest.
  
  
• Highland had a digital backdrop that kept changing. We got fireworks during "MMMBop", a million city lights and a convertible cruising with the windows down during "Penny and Me," and plenty of waves and dancing flowers to keep things interesting. My favorite was the cherry blossom tree that looked straight out of the latest Zelda games.
  
  
• Dimitrius wasn't in Rohnert Park or Highland, and the guitar part in the middle of "If Only" just felt wrong without him doing those synchronized steps with Isaac.
  
  
• We're not gamblers and never spent more than $20, but Rachel won $200 at Circus Circus in Reno, and I won $53.50 at Hard Rock Sacramento. Sadly, this will not fund our next trip.
  
  
• Definitely do not eat at Yogurt Beach in Circus Circus. You don’t need the details; you just need to trust me.

  
  

photo of us dancing and not caring courtesy of @hardrocklivesac

If the first moment of seeing Hanson walk out on stage after not seeing them for a while is the happiest moment I know, then the last moment of seeing them walk off the stage and not knowing when I'll see them again is one of the saddest. I've spent decades always knowing when my next show would be thanks to annual events like BTTI and HDay, so it feels strange not to have the next one lined up and no idea if next year will be truly quiet or if it will be "quiet" the way this year has been. I'm beginning to think their definition of that word is similar to their definition of "soon," and for once I'm grateful for the discrepancy. 

Hoping to see these guys and an open road again "soon," quiet year or not <3