Back To The Island 2020

I try not to get my hopes up before each Back to the Island. Maybe that's a weirdly pessimistic thing to say. Maybe a truer statement is that I try to go into it with an open mind and without a checklist of things I want or need to happen. I'd rather be pleasantly surprised by the way things turned out than feel let down because I had this false vision in my head of how things should be. At the end of the day, I just want to be happy, and over the years Hanson has proven able to accomplish that for me in a lot of different ways. I want to trust them to do just that without putting too much pressure on the details of how. As always, they delivered on that unspoken promise and I'm coming home from BTTI 2020 satisfied with my experience.

The first day of the event was already a vast improvement over the last two years. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky, and I planted myself on a float in the level pool for most of the day just soaking in the sun (which felt far rarer than any song I've heard at BTTI since 2014). I got the most ridiculous sunburn I've had in decades and wound up somehow getting stung by a bee in the middle of my palm in the same day. A bartender expertly pulled out the stinger, doused and massaged my hand in rum, and sent me on my way with a "No problem!" I really wish I thought to get his name so I could give great feedback; he deserved it and turned what could have been a bigger issue had I tried to remove the stinger myself into a fun anecdote about how the best drink I had all trip was a shot to my hand after a literal shot to my hand.

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We all float down here. 🏝🏝#btti #btti2020

A post shared by Holly (@_hollywouldnt) on Jan 31, 2020 at 10:38am PST

Show #1
After I got back home, I saw a blog Zac shared on hanson.net where he mentioned playing almost all of the MOE tracklist on the first night, but I didn't notice it at the time. It was mostly setlist "staples" and singles, but it was all upbeat and fun, and part of why I go back to show after show is I do love those songs. "Give a Little" and "Thinking Bout Something" are always highlights for me, and it hit me that this year makes 10 years since I danced on stage for one and since I learned the choreography for the other. Consider that a disclaimer, I guess. If you ever watch me butcher the TBS dance, know that 10 years since I learned it also means 10 years since I practiced. The point is I'm not sorry enough to stop or do it better; I just like the way it makes me feel and I like that I can count on them to play it almost every year. God knows how much worse we'd be at that dance if they left it off of setlists for a while.

Zac Solo
I came home with exactly three songs stuck in my head this trip: Shania Twain's "Man I Feel Like a Woman," Lonestar's "Amazed," and the line "I don't wanna be a trash ma-a-a-a-an," which is apparently the silly origin of a much more serious new Zac ballad called "Better Man." I can't help but think of an older story about how "Misery" began with "This time, I'm gonna kill your cat" and wonder how many deeply moving Zac leads actually started out as a joke.

Zac's set was good, and my instant first thought was that "Lullabelle" and "Seymour" need to change their status to "in a relationship" because man, I really liked that pairing back to back and I love both songs so much. I have to say though I kind of regret standing in the back for this one because I wound up being blocked by a multitude of livestreaming above people's heads, and it took something away from the experience for me. I know moving is always an option, but then I wind up blocking the people behind me who, like me, chose their spots based on the crazy idea that the person in front of them isn't going to hold a phone two feet above their head the entire time or constantly switch spots.

It didn't seem worth preaching in the BTTI group and trying to be the phone police, but this is my blog so here's my whiny two cents: If you think you're being amazing for livestreaming or facetiming and allowing someone who couldn't be there the luxury of a fraction of the experience, please also try to remember to do it in a way that doesn't take away from the people that worked hard to get there in person, and that some of those people might only get to experience it live once and it shouldn't be through your phone. I'm sure your bff/vlog followers/30 strangers in a Facebook group are your biggest fans right now, but I really didn't come here to watch a pixelated image of your five-year-old niece who doesn't care about Hanson bobbing in front of Zac's face the entire time. This isn't the first year I've watched Zac's solo live through a screen, and I really don't think that's what the term "livestreaming"is supposed to mean, but here we are, politely streaming things for the people back home AND the people behind us. Please stop or at least keep it at your own face level or below.

Show #2
The second show was one of my favorites even though I'm always saying how much I live for the upbeat songs. I know everyone wants rares, but you can't tell me that opening a show with "Love Song" isn't in itself rare. The whole show was a slower pace than I'm used to, but I think it made me slow down and appreciate some songs that I tend to gloss over in favor of the fast ones in past setlists. They performed "More Than Anything" full band rather than the usual Isaac solo (though Zac and Taylor only added vocals, not instruments), and Isaac's piano playing was so beautiful that it left me wondering why he doesn't do it more often. He joked that the last time the other two were on stage during that song, Zac was a kid doing ballet moves, which elicited the quickest fake ballet pose from him at the end as if on cue.

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More Than Anything full band 👍💃#Hanson #btti2020 #btti

A post shared by Holly (@_hollywouldnt) on Feb 1, 2020 at 9:14pm PST

My favorite song of the night surprisingly ended up being "Carry You There." I wrote a fantasy setlist post a few weeks before BTTI this year, and "Carry You There" ended up on it. I know many fans want rares and deep cuts, but I feel like there are so many good album songs and songs that used to be setlist staples years ago and maybe only for one tour that are even more rare than songs like "Never Let Go" or "Breaktown." Just hearing it brought me back to 2009 and what it felt like doing walks on college campuses and trying to finish written midterms on sidewalks around the southeast, because why stay on campus and study when you can drag Shakespeare with you to the Use Your Sole Tour? "Use Me Up" had me feeling the same wave of nostalgia, and I've never seen a crowd rock out so hard to "Runaway Run" in my life. I had a great time.

Isaac Solo
I should probably feel bad ranking the solo sets when I love all members of Hanson and I don't do favorites, but inevitably I do walk away having a favorite solo performance each year. Each brother has held that spot at least once, but the years Isaac "wins," he really, really wins.

There have been a few years where he showed up in a pretty laid back vibe asking for requests, which tbh is probably my polite euphemism for "unprepared." This year though, I think he found his happy medium by asking for requests before his show and giving himself time to practice. Earlier in the day while lounging in the pool, I noticed my friends turning their heads followed by a shouted "What do you guys want to hear later?" One was quick enough to shout back "Grace Unknown!" and he worked it into his set and mentioned taking requests from several others throughout the weekend. He seemed well-rehearsed and confident and everything was flawless.

"Ain't No Sunshine" was on my fantasy list so I was happy when it turned up in the set even if I never actually asked for it. He also played "I Don't Know" for the first time ever, along with another song none of us even knew existed called "Your Eyes." I keep seeing people say it's about his daughter, but I felt like it was more of a progression where it was first about his wife, then the next verse led to his daughter, and I'm struggling to remember, but I think the final verse led to his daughter as an adult and maybe even a future look at them as grandparents. It felt like more of a snapshot of a life well-lived together and a picture of that love through generations. I'm single and childless but I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel some tears forming at the emotion in that song. I'm also not normally one to use the term "romantic" to describe anything apart from19th century literature, but I can't think of a better word to describe that performance. Well done, Isaac.

Taylor Solo
Though I know Isaac's solo was my favorite at the time, rereading Taylor's song choices and remembering how I felt during the show already has me second guessing myself. He brought special guest performer Milck out for a duet of "Get Out of My Heart," and their voices were great together. I don't think I've ever seen any Hanson do a duet with a female artist, so it was neat to see and was actually really good; I'd be happy to see them work together again in the future. "Dreamgirl" was a fun surprise and one I'd never heard before, and I was a little shocked to see Taylor attempt and then back out of "Dying To Be Alive" after he couldn't get it quite right. As far as I can tell, he's consistently the most polished and rehearsed of the three when it comes to solo sets, so I hope he's not too hard on himself about not finishing the song. It's not the only time I've seen that happen--it's just the only time I've seen it happen to Taylor.

I thought I'd made it out of the woods with "With You In Your Dreams" but somehow wound up sobbing uncontrollably about 3/4 of the way through it. "These Walls" brought back the 2009 Use Your Sole Tour vibes that I was already feeling the night before, and I'm pretty sure my next step is to go dig out the Stand Up Stand Up EP and make sure it's downloaded onto my phone ASAP.

My favorite part, though, wasn't even a song. It was something he said between songs along the lines of how he didn't know how anyone could not believe in God when you stop and think about the gift of music, and I so very much agree. Just the fact that we all get to be part of the few living creatures on this planet that can not only appreciate but also create music makes me feel blessed. Being born in the same decade as this band that I love and getting to stand in the same room (or on the same island) while they perform their music live instead of listening to it 150 years into the future in some format that has yet to be invented makes me feel blessed. Standing on the beach during a sunset and having this realization surrounded by friends and prompted by the source of this music that I love so much makes me feel blessed, and yeah, I thank God for that privilege all the time.

Taylor took the seriousness back down a notch by joking that he didn't mean HIS music, he wasn't like "Hey Guys, I'm a gift from God, enjoy!" he just meant that music as a whole is a gift and maybe not a collection of sounds we came to on our own. I tend to agree, and I was happy for the reminder.

Show #3
I loved the energy of the third show which I think was meant to be the "rock all night" set if they had themes in mind when creating the setlists. There weren't really any gasp-worthy unexpected songs and it was somewhat similar to previous years sets, but everything just sounded so good. It may be an unpopular or borderline suck-up opinion, but I'd rather hear "Waiting for This" and "Rock 'n' Roll Razorblade" for the dozenth time in a year than watch Hanson struggle pulling out a set of songs they haven't touched in 20 years and clearly aren't comfortable playing. Now if they want to pull a few out of the vault and brush up enough to blow our minds with them next time? Even better.

My favorite of the night was probably "Tearing It Down," I always always love "I Don't Want To Go Home," and the final group performance of "Back To The Island" was one of the better performances of it that I've seen. The musical guests were a hit this year and I think everyone's enjoyment showed as they came together for one final song.

The Activities
I like the super chill atmosphere of video games with Zac, and I strangely really like that you have to line up if you want to play. It means that anyone who really cares about participating can make sure they get the chance, people that don't really care won't be taking up any spots, and people like me who will always have anxiety about being called up with no notice can relax a little and control when we do or don't join in. I'm glad Zac seems to enjoy it, too, but I do think I'm ready for a change after two years (though if we do bring it back for round 3, I vote for the Mario Kart battle mode course with the bombs in place of Super Smash Bros). I also appreciated the irony of being given literal button-style pins from Zac after we played in place of getting digital pins on hnet.

The promise of Team Trivia night with Isaac somehow turned into Family Feud season three, and it reminded me a lot of the year he accidentally played "Smile" instead of "Sometimes" and didn't notice. When the Family Feud screen came up, I couldn't help but joke "Does he even know we're not playing Trivia right now?" I actually really don't care for trivia so I wasn't sad about this last minute change. He seemed very intent on sticking to the rules this year, which is nice in theory, but I think adhering so closely really cut down on how many people got to participate. It would have made a lot more sense to me to only let each team stay up for one round regardless of who won. We were all there for a good time and I don't think anybody cared all that much about winning (as is evident by the fact that the actual winners were in bed when their names were called!).

Mac showed up about halfway through to help co-host and any thought that he was going to help speed things along went out the window as soon as he introduced himself as a German scientist with a thick accent and a fake name. The whole thing quickly spiraled into a mess of drunken innuendos and tangents, but it was more entertaining than watching real Family Feud and I found myself laughing out loud more than once. Since all four Hanson brothers were around right before the event, I feel like it was a real missed opportunity that there wasn't at least one round where they were their own team for a literal family feud. They probably have plenty of that without us.

I don't know if I should blame getting swept up in the prom theme, the excitement of randomly running into Zac right beforehand, or maybe a contact high from standing a little too close to certain fumes during the show, but for whatever out-of-character reason, I actually danced the entire time during Taylor's dance party and had a lot of fun. I tried not to take the prom theme too seriously, but I love a great dress and I couldn't help wanting to shop around for a fun outfit for this one. Ironically, I eventually decided on a semi-formal black dress that I last wore to a masquerade ball when I was 16 that was somehow still in my closet and in good enough condition to drag back out 16 years later. Maybe that was the confidence boost that had me dancing all night; I don't know.

Taylor was heavy-handed on the slow ballads and it had me wondering if he knows that proms actually do play a decent mix of fast music too, but we all treated it a bit like prom karaoke and enjoyed it anyway. My friend looked at me like I had seven heads when I started singing every word to "Amazed" by Lonestar, and I was shocked to find out she had never even heard the song. I kind of shocked myself knowing every word when it's been close to 20 years since I heard it, but I think we all know that a good song can stick with you and bring you back to a specific space and time like no time at all has passed. For me, it was all the middle school dances and all the crushes I danced with where I just knew it was "our" song. Sometimes I forget there's a southern girl in me with deeper country roots than I think. And then I remember there's another southern girl out there married to the DJ of this particular event, and I can't help but wonder if he ever found himself swaying to this sappy love song and feeling the same teen angsty feelings at a real prom, and I kind of hope he got to have that cheesy normal life moment at least once.

I don't have enough to say about the special guests to write about them in their own separate heading, but I will say they were among my favorites that Hanson has brought to the island with them. Milck is incredibly talented and has a killer voice, and I won't be surprised if we see her career blowing up soon. Joshua & The Holy Rollers are the exact opposite of the mellow solo guy with a guitar formula that Hanson normally follows, and I definitely prefer the upbeat change. This might have been my second-favorite special guest year overall. Chris Carrabba holds the first place title until further notice.

The Resort
I don't normally bother commenting much on the resort when I recap BTTI, but after three years at the Melia Braco Village and a growing number of complaints from fans, maybe I should. The grounds and rooms of the Melia are beautiful. The beach is gorgeous to look at and everything is pretty exquisite on paper and on Instagram. The problem is when you dig a little deeper and start to notice that the gorgeous beach is full of rocks that make it impossible to fully enjoy a swim, the food is mediocre at best, and at worst, there were rumors of multiple cases of salmonella this year once fans got home. I'm grateful that I managed to avoid whatever digestive issues everyone was suffering from, but as a pretty adventurous eater, I'm not sure I would be able to enjoy a meal there again without worrying if we ever go back. I kind of hope we don't.

Up until this year, I did always wonder if maybe the bad weather in 2018 and 2019 made us all a little unfairly biased against the Melia. It's hard to appreciate the beauty of a place while it's pouring down rain on your tropical vacation. We were very fortunate with perfect sunny days this year, but the day we left I dragged myself out of bed and to breakfast in a rain jacket while inches of water puddled around my ankles, and I left convinced that that side of the island is just a target area for rain.

In the positive column, every shower I took this year was a temperature that made sense, and random cold showers have always been my biggest complaint the past two years. Then again, we got bumped from our level room the first night, had to relocate the first day of the event, and spent three hours "homeless" because apparently overbooking and displacing guests isn't a good enough reason to make cleaning the overbooked rooms faster than the rest a priority. Truthfully, I spent those three hours happily roasting in a pool so I can only complain so much, but it's a whole lot of money to spend to have so many things go wrong. When we finally got to our stage view room, I was extremely disappointed to find that a giant palm tree blocked 2/3 of the stage and we would never be able to see anything but Taylor. The room was great, the proximity to the stage was convenient, but it never should have had a stage view price tag. I realize that's more Island Gigs' fault than the Melia.

Overall no resort we've been to has been perfect and I think we all suffer from a "grass is greener" syndrome. We can romanticize the Jewel all we want but the beach was small and it didn't have enough hot tubs, we walked what felt like miles to get to the stage in Negril, and let's not talk about the fenced-in corral of a concert area in Cancun. They could take us somewhere new next year and I'm half-afraid I'd start whining about missing the stage view rooms and the filet mignon at the Melia. I don't think a perfect place that would please everyone exists anywhere in the world, much like Hanson can't please us all no matter what setlists or activities they plan. Regardless, I think we're all ready for a change in 2021 and hopefully for the better.

20/20 Hindsight
We've reached the part where I bring up some of the highs and lows of the trip but inevitably tip the scales in such a way that I come out sounding like I loved the experience regardless of any downsides. It might be predictable of me, but it's still true and eight years in, I just can't imagine BTTI going on without me.

Hanson sounded amazing this year and I feel like they tried their best to come in prepared and blow us away, and it makes me sad to think of them feeling like they did a good job only to come home and see a ton of complaints and harsh comments about everything they should have done differently. It's totally okay to have disappointments, but I hope everyone will remember to give credit where credit is due for all the things they did well, too. There were countless song performances that left me giddy. "Annalie" solo. "Believe." Isaac's ridiculously romantic new song. Taylor soloing "Hey" and "Voice in The Chorus" and the entire rest of his setlist. ALL of it. I'm so glad I got to hear so many songs from "The Walk" and "Shout it Out" that I've missed so much since those tours.

I loved spending hours on a silly float in the sun and don't even regret my sunburn that currently looks like I developed some kind of skin disease. I enjoyed getting a quick moment to greet the band and tell them thank you, though instead of saying thank you, leave it to me to ask if a hug is a hug because I'm trying so hard not to repeat misinterpreted awkward moments of the past. I'm here to forge new ones instead. So for what it's worth and for every awkward M&G moment where I wind up rambling about my sunburn instead of saying anything meaningful, thanks, Hanson, for inviting us back. Thanks for putting so much into your performances and for continuing to put on this event no matter how busy you are with other projects. Thanks for inspiring me to travel to new places but also for giving me a few staples around the world to always go "back" to that feel like home. Whoever named this event so many years ago understood the magic you were creating and that I'd never want to leave, and that while leaving is always inevitable, so is coming back.

Back to the Island 2018

Back to the Island 2018 wins gold for the strangest event yet. The timing couldn't have been worse for a lot of U.S. fans with a snow storm traveling up the east coast, and despite living in a mild climate most of the time, I became one of many with a canceled flight. You never expect to get snowed in in South Carolina, but the day before I left, six inches of snow fell in Charleston and shut down everything due to impassible roads. I found myself scrambling to rebook a flight for the second year in a row. (Last year a thunderstorm grounded my flight from Myrtle Beach, so I had to drive to Charleston instead. This year I just went ahead and booked out of Charleston to begin with, so naturally that backfired, too. Next year I'm hiring a mail boat). Thankfully I was able to work with American to find the only airport in the area with a seat left that would get me to Jamaica the same day, and I made it. And for the second year in a row, my last minute flight change put me on a plane with Hanson. I don't know what kind of weird backwards luck that is, but I'd honestly prefer to forego sharing a plane with Hanson if it means getting to Jamaica on the first try. Maybe next year.

As I finally descended into Jamaica, the usual beautiful blue aerial view of the island was obscured by fog. I spent the first two days swimming in a hot tub in the rain and substituting my usual cover-up with a rain jacket. I was already sick when I arrived this year, so throw in some major coughing to round out the not-so-perfect paradise image. I'm lucky my friends didn't quarantine me for the whole trip.

The rain and the dozens of flight cancelations led to the first concert being postponed an extra day. By day two, it was still too windy for the beach stage, so we wound up experiencing Zac's solo, Chris Carrabba, and the Rock All Night set in what was essentially a giant greenhouse wrapped in plastic that looked like the inside of a tanning bed. The shows were good, but obviously they would have been better on the beach. Still, I appreciate all of the hard work Island Gigs and Hanson put into making sure they happened anyway. The show must go on, and they probably moved mountains to make it happen.

Solo Shows
Zac went first and kicked off the event with "On the Rocks," which ended up being an entirely appropriate theme because the beach near the stage was dangerously rocky. He struggled with one song but I don't even remember which one, so apparently I'm not too phased. Other highlights include his first time ever soloing "Misery" and a brand new song called "The Ballad of Seymour Better Times." It was a cute and funny song that I doubt we'll ever see on an album, but I do hope we get a recording of it on a future member kit or perhaps Digital Pants. It had a great punchline at the end and I really liked it.

Isaac's set was last and probably the most mellow of the three, and I have to give him props for not making me cry this year. One of my favorite parts was seeing him play around with the loop pedal during "Leave the Light On" and adding in a fun and unexpected guitar solo. He told us he was going to play a song he wrote just a few weeks ago, but at the same time seemed to be improvising a new song on the spot while tuning. It was so put-together and sounded so good that I assumed he must be singing the new song after all. When he flubbed the ending I realized that he really had just been making it all up on the spot. It was super impressive for an off-the-cuff song and I hope we'll see the recording on hanson.net later. Isaac should definitely be proud of himself for that one; I know I was.

Taylor's solo set probably would have been my favorite this year even without the surprise side excursion. About two songs in, he started talking about how some things can only be done on a beach in Jamaica. He said Zac and Isaac would probably tell him it was a bad idea, but they weren't there to stop him. During all of this, I realize he's pulling off his socks and I'm standing there confused and excited waiting for him to drop whatever bomb he's about to set off. He stripped off his over shirt, invited anyone up for it to go for a swim in the ocean with him, and ran off the side of the stage and into the water without further notice.

For all my talk about owning too many swimsuits, this moment is exactly why I'm always wearing them under everything at BTTI. It paid off this year, because when the moment came, I was standing in the back wearing a bikini and a coverup, and it took me all of three seconds to be heading towards the beach. The whole thing was kind of stampede-ish and was probably cringeworthy if you let yourself think about it for more than a second, but it felt more like a Do Go Be moment to me than something to be embarrassed about. After all, it came with an invitation and it seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime moment. So about a quarter of the crowd followed Taylor to the edge of the water, a smaller number was brave enough (or dressed) to go all in, and just about everyone tripped all over the rocks along the way. I went in towards the back away from Taylor and got caught up on rocks immediately along with two other girls I didn't know. Instead of trying to get near him, we spent a hilarious minute flailing around each other, fully submerged in about a foot of water just trying to stand back up again while the waves kept raking us over the rocks. If you ladies are reading this--thanks for the laughs! My friend Yelena captured a picture of the moment below.

Taylor went on to play two of my favorite solos--"Crazy Beautiful," and "Believe," which I'd only ever heard once in a sad carpeted room in Cancun, so this time was a significant upgrade. I love "Sunny Day" even when it's been raining out, and "Be My Own" was beautiful as always. It was a solid set and definitely my favorite solo show this time.

Special Guests
I hadn't seen Stephen Kellogg since he toured with Hanson back in 2008, so it was fun seeing him again. We actually watched his set from the balcony of our room while eating room service dinner in rocking chairs. It's the best way, really. Chris Carrabba as a special guest really made the trip for me though, because I loved his music back before I rediscovered Hanson, and I got to tell him so. While most of you reading this were defending your honor to Hanson haters back in high school, I was off blasting Dashboard Confessional and Something Corporate without a second thought for those MMMBop guys. Now here I am, 15 years later standing on a tropical island with both of them. Life can be weird and great.

Really enjoyed getting to hear @chris_carrabba at #BTTI2018! Hands down, this was the best BTTI special guest set I can ever remember.

A post shared by Holly (@_hollywouldnt) on Jan 8, 2018 at 4:12pm PST

Events
I enjoyed Cards Against Humanity again even though I didn't get the opportunity to play, and I thought the added Hanson-themed cards were a fun twist to mix things up a little from last year's event. The "Old MacDonald had a _____" round that someone insisted he sing all of the answers to was the best.

Only at Back to the Island. #BTTI2018 #Hanson #cardsagainsthumanity

A post shared by Holly (@_hollywouldnt) on Jan 14, 2018 at 10:51am PST

During the last round, a girl two seats over from me stripped off her dress and proceeded to walk up to the stage in her bra and underwear when her number was called. Everyone was super confused, Zac ignored that it happened from what I could tell, and the game ended after that. I spent a minute trying to figure out if she was wearing a swimsuit (nope) and then trying to reason that her bra covered more than plenty of the bikinis I had seen so what did I really care? I ultimately walked away thinking that even if she had been wearing a swimsuit, that's still a super weird and inappropriate thing to do when a Hanson calls you up to play a game. It hit me during Taylor's solo show that we had all just collectively shamed a girl for pulling off her dress in front of Zac, but then I went and removed my own dress in front of Taylor (more like in the very back in his distant presence) and ran into the ocean with him. It's ironic, but there's one major difference: an invitation.

Family Feud went a lot more smoothly this year, but it felt like there wasn't much crowd excitement. By the end, anyone that wanted to go had the opportunity to participate even if their number wasn't called. My favorite part of the night was when my roommate Rachel answered "Name something you wouldn't want to happen while riding in a taxi" with "Get lost," and Isaac got super shocked and offended for a moment thinking she was telling him to get lost before realizing that was her actual answer. We all had a good laugh including Isaac once he realized he wasn't being insulted.

Tie dye on the other hand was a bit of a letdown for me this year. None of the guys ever made it to the table I was at, and I somehow managed to make my worst shirt yet. It looked completely saturated with dye, but when I opened it up back home it's almost all white. This is where I shrug and hope next year is better and am thankful that it wasn't my first or only shot for a good tie dye experience.

Full Band Shows
The "Rock All Night" set had the potential to be my favorite if not for the change of venue and the somewhat short setlist. I have to say I was pleasantly shocked at how much I loved "Oh La La La" as an opening song because I never really cared for it on the EP. The show was heavy with songs from "The Walk" (Blue Sky, Tearing it Down, Something Going Round) which is always fine by me, and I know so many people were thrilled to finally hear "World's On Fire." Getting to see Chris Carrabba perform "Back to the Island" with Hanson was a great moment and I hope just the beginning of a collaboration I'd love to see again. "You Shook Me All Night Long" was the perfect ending for a rock themed set, and I'm not even a little bit disappointed that they repeated it on the final night.

My favorite part of the Members' Only night was "Coming Back for More" with Stephen Kellogg. It's one of those obscure songs that I forget exists most of the time, which means I always forget exactly how much I love it until I'm hearing it again. It's hard to believe the first time I ever heard it live was also with Stephen Kellogg--ten years ago! "No Rest for the Weary" was another standout, and while I love "I Don't Want To Go Home," I completely tuned out the second half of it because baby sea turtles started hatching next to us by the soundboard. I didn't even realize the show was over at first because I was busy trying not to step on turtles. How's that for an epic finale?

I've never waited long for a BTTI show, but something possessed me to plant myself in the front row for the final show this year. Despite my initial disappointment at the announcement of a singles set, I really enjoyed myself and felt like the crowd energy was strong. I lost about half of "Weird" to silent giggles when I looked over and a random tractor was driving by on the beach, completely out of place during a somber moment. We were all just looking at each other and pointing at it whispering "Isn't it strange?" and dying about it while Hanson seemed unaware.

We found out more turtles were hatching right at the beginning of "I Was Born," and Taylor got excited right along with us and kept making references to them in his speech and telling them to DO, GO, and BE. He changed up the lyrics to "Don't want a ticket to the same marine" and "Don't underestimate the sting of the little turtle" which sounds so silly, but the crowd ate it up. Zac reminded me how great "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" is live, complete with belting the final high note right in my face. No camera or video could capture the wide-eyed crazy look that accompanied those high notes, but I don't think I'll ever forget it anyway.

Dance Party
This year's after party was probably my favorite. I thought the space it was set up in lining the street was perfect. There was plenty of room to dance, a bar within arm's reach, and plenty of places to sit and hang out and take it all in from more of a distance if dancing isn't really your thing. I enjoyed getting to hang out with my friends a bit further back without feeling like I was missing anything but also without feeling like I was being judged for not dancing more. I'm glad I stuck around because I got to see the moment when Taylor decided to bring up the entertainment staff during "Pony," and now I can feel like I basically got to see male strippers at a Hanson event, though thankfully their clothes stayed on. It was hysterical and I'm not sure Taylor knew what he was getting himself into by bringing them on stage, but it certainly made for a unique and hilarious moment for me as a spectator.

The End...for now
So it wasn't the best and it wasn't the worst, but it sure beat being snowed in back home. "Isn't it strange" felt like the theme of the trip, and I can't help but embrace the weirdness and be thankful for another unforgettable experience. Sure we got rain and dark walkways and limited hot water, but we also got turtles and a tractor and synchronized swim dancers and a surprise field trip into the ocean with Taylor. I spent it all with friends who would apparently rather get sick with me than stay well without me, and that's the best kind I could hope for. I live for those random unexpected moments, and BTTI 2018 provided plenty of them.

Whether there's rain, shine, or rocky beaches--Back to the Island is my patch of green.

Back to the Island 2016

Intro(spection)
With each new Back to the Island event, there is some instinct in me that can't help but compare things to past BTTI events. Throughout the trip, I find myself thinking things like "They made X way better this year" or "X seemed more prepared the first time" (have fun filling in those blanks). If you've been more than once, it's inevitable that you're going to judge things based on your own past experiences, for better or for worse. You can see it in my other Back to the Island reviews, and it's probably strongest in my 2015 BTTI post.

It's a habit I'd like to break because ranking things will always identify a "best." And in that way of thinking, everything else begins to feel like it pales in comparison, even when it doesn't. The fourth Back to the Island is the one that made me realize that each event has had its own unique and unrepeatable vibe, and that none of those will ever be recreated exactly the way we experienced them no matter how hard we try. Each one has been special and amazing in its own right. We can return, but we can never really go "back."

Back to the Island 2016 is going to leave me in a special state of nostalgia all its own. I'm not talking specifically about the band or the shows or the events, as amazing as any of those were. I'm talking about the overall atmosphere of calm and bittersweet contentment that felt so strong to me while I was there. Maybe it was just exactly what I needed after the hardest year of my life, but I felt like I was surrounded by great people the entire time. Everyone I encountered was wonderful, and I'm so happy to have spent time growing some friendships and meeting plenty of potential new friends along the way. If you were there, thank you for being awesome. I'm going to stop myself short of quoting the Golden Girls theme song.

Show One
The first night was special to me on principle because it marked my 100th Hanson show. I got to hear my (current) favorite Hanson song live for the second (?) time ever and got to do it from the front row. It all felt right. The set finished out with a stream of some of my favorite upbeat songs all in a row--"Tearing It Down," "If Only," "Lost Without Each Other," "Sound of Light," and a "White Collar Crimes" encore. My knees were begging me to quit jumping on the sand by the end of the night, and the only thing missing was an exhausting round of "In the City." It was a great show to kickoff the week.

Show Two
You all saw my last post before I left, so let's not pretend the announcement of a covers show sent me into excited hysterics. After the show, I heard someone refer to it as the "Cliff's Notes version of the RNR tour" and it felt like time to start a slow clap. Despite the predictable nature of that show, it easily had more energy than the four covers sets I saw during the RNR tour. And if we're going to label it as a Cliff's Notes version, I might as well continue the analogy and admit that it would definitely get you an A on the test and might have been better than the actual book. Bottom line, yeah, it was predictable, but it was full of undeniably good performances. "Kate" was a standout, and Zac was as obnoxiously on point for "Chain of Fools" as he was all tour. I can't even comprehend his level of talent. I'm happy that so many foreign fans that couldn't make the tour were able to have this experience, too, I just wish they had done something to tailor it a little more to this special event. And I'm still holding out for that "Holiday From Real" cover one day.

This show actually got canceled due to a lot of rain and lightning, and I was super thankful that they chose to change the date rather than move it somewhere indoors.

Show Three
The final show put me in kind of a weird place. I was already a bit of an emotional wreck thanks to Isaac's solo set (can we call it a slow-lo set? no?), so "Watch Over Me," "Call Out My Name," "Never Let Go," and "A Song to Sing" all in a row were exactly the wrong combination to lift my spirits on the six-month anniversary of losing my dad. I pretty much wanted to throw rocks at the acoustic set and demand "Scream and Be Free" in its place (which thankfully did come later). They played a lot of singles but I really didn't mind because most of them are upbeat and happy and were very welcome at the time. Tragic Symphony was a great opener, and I can't wait for "Fired Up" and "In the City" to hit a rough patch in their year-long relationship and call it quits. I love them both individually and miss their full potential on their own.

Zac's Solo Show
In my opinion, Zac gave his best solo performance yet this year. His voice sounded amazing, and he chose a good combination of songs. It was neat getting to hear "Lucy" as a solo because Zac usually plays the drums on this song, and "Up all Night" was a fun and appropriate ending. He had us all laughing when he forgot a line from "Give Me Your Best Shot" and wouldn't move on until he got it right. At first, he stopped playing to restart the verse since he forgot the lyrics. He played a few more notes, then went "Nope, still don't know it" and stopped again. Next, he went for the ask the audience lifeline and asked the crowd "Does anyone know it?" He shot down a few shouted answers as incorrect before finally whipping out his phone and going "I'm Googling this." So yeah, that happened. Zac Googled his own song lyrics in the middle of a song, found the right line, and kept going like that was a normal thing to do. It was a about half a step away from Isaac playing Smile without knowing it last year.

Taylor's Solo Show
Taylor's solo show was actually my favorite this year, and I had a moment to tell him as much. The conversation went exactly as I anticipated, meaning it began with me complimenting his set, led to him questioning what I liked about it, and ended with me completely failing to convey exactly what made it my favorite. (I didn't fist bump or hug him though, so win?) What I managed to tell him is that he won me over with "Crazy Beautiful" because I love that song as a solo. It's true enough, but the full truth is that his set was my favorite simply because I loved his voice and he consistently gave a great performance of every song he chose. I haven't played the piano in years, but I still have an ear for it and am always drawn to good piano music. I've heard "Weird" as a solo a few times now and it is definitely one of my favorites. "Dying to Be Alive" was a great choice, too. And yes, I do love "Crazy Beautiful," and one day I hope to hear the Underneath Acoustic Live version in person.

Isaac's Solo Show
Isaac's show turned into Isaac request hour, meaning he showed up about 45 minutes late with no real game plan or setlist as far as I could tell. He had to switch guitars and tune between almost every song, and everything was so off-the-cuff that I feel sure his set has the most polarized opinions with people either loving it or being done with it about halfway through. It was unique, I'll give him that, and it was certainly endearing at times. I didn't personally love the request format though because I was too far away to make a request, and I'd rather be a little letdown by a Hanson-chosen set than feel annoyed hearing the same people shouting the same song six times because he hasn't played it yet.

The best part about Isaac's show was getting to hear a really old unreleased song that none of us knew existed called "A Life Without You." It made me cry and it was all a little downhill from there in the emotion department, but he definitely wins points for surprising us all with such an obscure song, and on the piano at that. You can actually hear some of the piano part in TT&MON. I've wondered for years what song that came from, and now we know.

The Events
 I don't have a lot to say about the events, but I enjoyed them. I was happy to see Taylor tackle something a bit more interactive with tie dye this year and I hope he'll continue to do his own event outside of the after party going forward. Unpopular opinion, but I kind of hope everyone got selfie mode out of their system for Taylor's next event. That, or let's just go ahead and skip the formalities and call it "Selfies with Taylor" instead. Zac's bracelet making was enjoyable and I actually like the bracelet I made and how everyone was seated and calm during his event. It's the first time I didn't see people following him from group to group. Isaac's trivia was all focused on lyrics, so it was right up my alley and I'm pretty sure I got all but one of the questions right. It was fun to watch a friend get to go up on stage with Isaac and answer a question, too. I feel like 2017 is Isaac's year to try his hand at tie dying and Zac's year to oversee a team-based sandcastle competition. It could happen.

The after party was something else. The stage was super low and had stairs on either side. About 30 minutes in, I was literally standing there being impressed and thinking how respectful everyone up front was being by not taking advantage of such easy access, when I turned and saw a girl on stage with Taylor. And then another. And then a third (I think). Not all at once, but in pretty quick succession. The Free Willy wrap-up song came pretty quickly after that, and then it was over and there was nothing left to do but avoid going to bed because then it's really the end.

The Outtakes 
My airport experiences were nothing short of interesting this trip. When I made it to the customs counter in Jamaica and handed over my passport, I got all the typical questions. "How long will you be staying?" "Why are you visiting?" "Is this your first time in Jamaica?" It was this last question that yielded a weird response. I told the customs officer that it was actually my third time visiting Jamaica, and as I said this, he flipped through my passport to find the previous stamps. When he found the page, he stopped and stared at it for a little too long, in my opinion. "Have you visited Jamaica two days in a row?" he asked. I told him I had been once in 2013, once in 2014, and then again now. He nodded and called over another employee. They huddled over my passport together, whispered some things I couldn't hear, and then laughed. One pulled out a cell phone and took pictures of it. The two guys actually started craning their necks as though they were looking to bring over more of their coworkers to gawk at what looked like a normal passport page to me, but they couldn't get anyone else's attention and they eventually parted ways and handed my passport back over. I asked if everything was okay and received a quick "Oh no, it's not your fault" and was sent on my way with no further explanation. When I finally got away from the counter, I looked and saw that whoever stamped my passport in 2014 stamped it with a 2013 stamp, so I had two stamps side by side that said Jan. 10, 2013 and Jan. 11, 2013. Customs fail.

On the trip home I managed to be the idiot with a 20 oz. bottle of water in my carry on bag that I forgot I put in there for the bus ride. Security removed it and started opening packing cubes while they were at it. She pulled out my black drawstring bag that had all of my electronics in it, pointed at a light shining through the bottom, and gave me the most unamused look (portable phone charger w/built in flashlight ftw). Next came the little unlabeled baggie of rock candy that Jewel Paradise Cove left on our pillows the night before, and I guess I can see how that might look suspicious. I made it through with everything but the water, but had to do a little repacking and felt like the new kid to the airport after that. 2/3 of Hanson ended up being on my flight home, so I treated myself to the weird inception that is listening to your favorite band on your iPod while riding on a plane with them. It was a short-lived experience because I passed out about five minutes in.

We did discover a new way to delay post-concert depression this time:

Climb a waterfall when it's over. (Shoutout to the man climbing with a selfie stick in a speedo in the background. I didn't have the heart to crop him out.)

(Back to) Back to the Island 2014

I no longer believe in the concept of a "once in a lifetime experience." That phrase is an excuse to let yourself do something when you're feeling a little reluctant or if you want to convince yourself that something is better than it really is. I called Tulsa a "once in a lifetime experience" once; seven trips later, I've given up. And now, back from my second time in Jamaica with my favorite band, I've simply resigned myself to a new mantra: "There's a first time for everything" (and often a second, third, fourth, and so on).


This year held many improvements over last year's event, and the biggest and most important improvement was the music. I went home last year thinking about all the best parts of the event and then realized that the music didn't even rank in my list. I was stoked about the tie-dye, the snorkeling, and Isaac's drink mixing session; the shows were almost an afterthought for me. This year the music was the best part by a landslide, as it should have been all along. I read somewhere that Hanson played a total of 89 unique songs over the course of the four day event. EIGHTY NINE. I'm not doing the math on how many unique songs we got last year, but it felt like maybe 15 (okay, that's an exaggeration). This year only three songs were repeated: "Best of Times" (they seemed to be filming some sort of video for it), "Thinking 'Bout Somethin'," and "Every Word I Say." Repeats are welcome when it's two versions of EWIS, and I'm always down to do the TBS dance.

If you want to check out the full details of the setlists, you can head over to hansonstage.com and click Database > setlists by date. I met the owner, Katie, in Jamaica. She's fantastic and I've used her site to keep track of my own setlists for years. It has some pretty neat features so if you haven't yet, check it out!


The Activities

For me, the activities started with Hancyclopedia Trivia with Isaac. I do have to say it may be impossible to top last year's drink mixing with Isaac that had him taking shots straight from the bottle and attempting the soulja boy dance. The trivia felt pretty short, and the next day Matt Wertz showed up for Isaac's event. Turns out he was supposed to be at ours too but forgot.

Zac's tie dye event was much less chaotic than last year's big cluster of people. He told us in advance that he would be coming around to each group, so there was no giant mob circling him the entire time (with the exception of a few fans that did seem to follow him from group to group). Zac also did his tie dye homework this year and came prepared to teach us not only the basic "cinnamon roll" twist pattern, but also a new heart pattern, and told us to soak the shirt in vinegar to help keep the dye. I brought an extra shirt to dye so I could do a test run before ruining the one provided in our merchandise package, so I decided to try a heart on the plain one. I had Zac draw the heart and tie that portion for me, then did the dye myself.

So if you'll excuse the totally necessary pun: Zac held my heart in his hand and I dyed.

        

Taylor's after party was also better than his cooking class last year. Zac, Andrew, Dimitrius, Paul McDonald, and Matt Wertz all made appearances on the stage to show off some dance moves as Taylor chose the music. Isaac hung in the back and from what I hear did a few shots with fans. When I found him I got a cheers with my water, you know, the partier that I am and all. 

The Solo Shows

One of the big appeals of this trip was the announcement of Hanson's first ever solo shows. Each night, one brother took to the stage alone for a 45 minute set. It was a really unique experience getting to hear so many songs solo that have always been full-band songs to me. Every Word I Say, Get Up and Go, RAIN? I mean where did that come from?! I do have to laugh because Isaac introduced the song by saying they had never played it before, but I definitely heard Rain live in Tulsa once. I will absolutely not complain hearing it again as an Isaac solo in Jamaica, though.  Taylor's set seemed pretty quick with just seven songs, but he was the first to do a solo show.  It opened with a weird coincidence where it started raining during "Make it Out Alive," so I sang "We may not make it out all dry" quietly to my friend Rachel, and the very next verse Taylor sang the same thing. The standout performance here was definitely "Every Word I Say," which I can imagine may be the only time we ever hear that as a solo. 

Zac's set had 9 songs that opened with "This is the Jam," which had never been played before. I always envisioned it being this sort of big crowd anthem in my head, but there wasn't really any crowd participation like I had hoped. The set ended with a KILLER rendition of "Devil's Nachos." That song had been played live one time before, I was there for both, and let me tell you his performance in Jamaica blew the one in D.C. waaaay out of the water. 

He kept joking that the crowd needed to be louder or that he would just put down the guitar and walk off, and how he had only ever seen that happen at metal shows but that maybe we would see something similar later. At the end he did just that, laid the guitar down on an amp that left us suffering a horrible sound until someone came and moved it, and by the time we realized what was happening, he was gone. A few people seemed confused and thought he was mad but I thought it was a genius way to exit before anyone could mob him, and he gave us the rockstar exit he had already alluded to earlier in his set.

Isaac joked that they saved the best for last, and his show was a pretty great way to end their first ever solo sets. We got a full 10 songs out of him and probably the rarest songs with "Rain," "Too Young to Kill," and "Someone." The crowd energy felt huge for his set, and you could tell every person there was having a great time just watching him do what he does best. I can't wait to see the product of all the recording during "Best of Times."

The trip felt so incredibly fast I can hardly believe it's over. If you challenged me to pick a favorite part, I don't think I could. The music really blew me away this year, and a few of my favorite highlights include:

• "In a Way" opening the 2nd show. The DRUMS. 
• Getting to hear "Every Word I Say" not only full band again, but as a Taylor solo for the first time. 
• Isaac's solo set. Period. 
• "Devil's Nachos." 
• Finally got a photo with Taylor where I don't look like I need 12 more hours of sleep and a hairbrush. I then made a fool out of myself during the M&G photo op, so I guess the world is balanced once again.    

You can check out more photos on my facebook page HERE, and if you're curious about last year's BTTI event, there's a review of that HERE too.

How to Tell Your Loved One That You're Going to Jamaica...Again.

There! That was easy.

Back to the Island 2013

There's nothing quite like running into the ocean during "Thinking of You" or twirling in a dress in the sand during "Penny and Me" as you actually gaze at starry skies. The whole trip was just a completely different experience from the usual Hanson show, and I'm glad I went. The fans all seemed more calm and laid back than at a tour show, myself included. Everyone I talked to was super nice, and there's something oddly relaxing about not having access to a cell phone and having to meet at a set time and place instead.

The first show was my favorite, probably because I was just so excited to finally be there dancing on the beach, and there were a lot of high-energy songs in that set. The acoustic show felt like the exact opposite of the first day; it was mostly made up of slower songs and ballads. There's this stereotype that Isaac rambles a lot if you let him talk. Give him alcohol and a stage to himself and it's no longer something people just joke about. I'm pretty sure his introduction to "More Than Anything" was longer than the actual song, and when he finally started playing, he stopped about 10 seconds in and said something to the effect of "Guys, I just love the sound of the waves behind me as I play!" like a child with ADD pointing at a flashing road sign. It was kind of adorable.

After "Wish That I Was There" they played "Wish That I was There," or at least Isaac did. I never realized how similar it sounds to the intro of Deeper until Isaac began singing the WTIWT chorus again instead of the first verse of Deeper. We all had a good laugh and Taylor stepped in to remind him of the lyrics...or maybe to threaten him. Who knows.

I absolutely LOVED "You Can't Stop Us Now" on the final night. From the beginning, it had a bit of a Queen feel to it, with a beat similar to "We Will Rock You" (nevermind the title similarity to "Don't Stop Me Now"). It's pure rock and Zac sings lead. I can't wait to hear it again when the new album comes out.  Overall the shows were good, but I have to say my biggest complaint of the trip is that they repeated some songs on multiple nights. It's part of following a tour; you go to different cities and see shows with different audiences, and you're going to hear a lot of the same songs multiple times. It's expected and still fun. But when you know the audience is going to be identical three nights in a row, I didn't expect (or want) any repeats.

I was in the group with Green Passes so I saw Zac's first Tie Dye session, aka the guinea pig trial that failed and had to be changed the next day. There was a small stage in the grassy area where we were all sitting, and we all assumed he would be on the stage. Instead, he walked up, stopped about two feet in front of where I was sitting, announced "I'm Tie Dying right here!" and sat cross-legged in the grass. Before I knew it, there was a swarm around us on all sides. I'm sure Zac intended to mingle and go around to different groups of people, but we were all locked into that space as soon as he sat down and people mobbed. It was uncomfortably close for everyone and I'm sure people further back couldn't hear or see. I hear the following day things were more relaxed and he did speak from the stage and walk around to different groups instead. The instructor grabbed my shirt out of my lap for the demonstration, so I just sat back and watched.

The next day was Taylor's cooking and Isaac's drink mixing. The escovitch fish Taylor cooked was delicious.

I'm not even sure how to describe the drink mixing session. It started with us doing the YMCA and we got to see Isaac attempt the cha cha slide, soulja boy, and something the staff called "smooth & deadly." At one point he took a shot of vodka straight from the bottle and he named his own personal concoction at the end the "Let's Get it On...or at least try."

The trip home deserves a post to itself, but suffice it to say our bus broke down like five times and they had to send an extra bus to come pick us up about a mile from the Montego Bay airport. Never a dull moment.

I think Andrew McMahon can provide a better ending to this than I can, so I'll let him:

But if you left it up to me,
Every day would be a holiday from real.
We'd waste our weeks beneath the sun;
We'd fry our brains and say it's so much fun out here!
But when it's all over,
I'll come back for another year.