These Walls: A Look Back At The 3CG Mural

If you’re a Hanson fan and you’ve been to Tulsa in the past decade, odds are high that you’ve taken a picture (or ten) at the mural on the side of the 3CG building. I've seen group shots, solo shots, blurry selfies, professional photo shoots, and even the occasional cameo featuring a Hanson brother. Maybe you’ve covered all of the above over the years, or maybe you never got the chance. It wasn’t always there, but over the past nine years, the wall has become a must-see stop for any fan visiting Tulsa, and for many, an annual backdrop synonymous with Hanson Day.

This week we learned of its unexpected removal, and I wanted to take a moment to join the fandom's flood of photos and share a little about my own history with the wall as well as a look back to the time before it existed for those who may not have visited Tulsa pre-3CG mural.

It Started at a Hop Jam In The Middle of Nowhere

The mural as we know it (er, knew it ☠) was completed during Hop Jam at the Hanson Day weekend in 2016 by a team of artists called Clean Hands Army. It was the third year of Hop Jam, and the festival was bigger, better, and busier than ever. The turnout was massive, and as a volunteer for the event, I had little free time to wander around or hear rumors of new street artwork. If you attended Hop Jam in 2016, maybe you have your own story of catching a glimpse of the wall in its infancy or even while it was being created. That wasn't my experience.

Part of volunteering at Hop Jam meant helping with teardown, and after all of our hard work was done, anyone left standing would always take a moment to relax and unwind and celebrate another successful year of the festival. It was during this calm after the storm in 2016 that I first learned about the wall. I remember Isaac excitedly telling a couple of us about this cool new mural that had just been completed on the side of 3CG and that we had to check it out before we left. By this time it was 2am or later, I had an early flight out, and I never actually laid eyes on it until the following Hanson Day in 2017. Sorry, Isaac.

After that? I treated it the way I treat all things Hanson: with zero moderation.

Pre-Wall Hanson Days

The alley that hosted the mural might be a sightseeing tradition for fans these days, but that wasn't always the case. Today, 3CG shares that alley with Cabin Boys Brewery, and before the mural existed, Cabin Boys didn't exist, either. It had a short-lived stint as Prairie Brewpub prior to becoming Cabin Boys, but until 2016, the building next door to 3CG was always just a vacant building, and the alley was just an alley. Fans leaned against the barred windows of the future brewery and sat on the vacant stoop for hours in line waiting for the Hanson store. Most of us stole furtive glances down the alley as the line inched closer to the doors of 3CG, but we didn't dare go down there.

Let me blow your mind a little bit if the wall pre-dates your first Hanson Day. I can only speak for myself and tell you that friends agreed--I've never seen this addressed publicly so for all I know it's an unpopular opinion--but the alley always felt like a taboo subject to me. With no restaurant and no mural, the only thing back there were dumpsters and the back door to 3CG that Hanson would sometimes use to avoid the crowds at the front. There was no legitimate excuse to be there, and anyone back there was obviously only there to wait out the band. Having never been welcomed into that space by the band at that point, I think it felt off-limits to most of us. Elephant graveyard vibes; the front half of this building is ours, but we don't go over there in the shadowy place where the light doesn't touch.

Maybe it was an over-the top opinion and Hanson didn't really care. Maybe the few fans brave enough to go back there came away with amazing stories that I've just never heard. I have no idea how Hanson really felt about it, but it felt like crossing a privacy line to me, so I didn't. So when Isaac Hanson was telling me years later to go check out the mural in the back of the alley, my first thought was "Wait, you want me to go back there?" What a crazy concept. 

The Other Wall

Technically, it's not the first mural fans flocked to for photos. Let me take you back to 2010 when the Thinking 'Bout Somethin' video was new, this mural still existed on Greenwood and E. Archer, and our knees were still young enough to go through a jumping phase.

Photo Credit Laura B. for half of these <3 

Before we took photos at the 3CG wall, we took photos at the TBS mural. Before the TBS mural, we laid in the center of the universe. I've watched the space next to 3CG be a vacant building, Hop Jam storage, Prairie Brewpub, and Cabin Boys. Chimera and Antoinette's weren't always there. Even the Fairfield wasn't always there. At this point I feel like I've watched half of North Main Street evolve into something else, almost always for the better. Maybe it feels like we've been going back to the same place year after year, but truthfully, not a single year has gone by without a change.

Paint fades, buildings change hands, and we trade limber jumping poses for wedding dresses and sensible shoes. It's okay to be sad about missing what feels like a piece of fan history, but I think we've done a solid job of making great memories out of whatever life (and downtown Tulsa development) has presented us so far. It's the price you pay for sticking by anything for that many years; may we all be fortunate enough to outlive a dozen different versions and still be around to watch what happens next.

And until then? You actually CAN frame this feeling of the wall on the wall to stare at 'til there is no time because we've got dozens of photos to choose from. ❤

Hanson Day 2019

Watching Hanson Day evolve into what it has become over the last decade feels a lot like growing up in a small town and watching it develop more every time you go back home. I’m not just talking about the growth in the arts district or how much Tulsa has expanded in the last several years, but the fact that Hanson Day itself has grown from a single 45-minute set to a jam-packed four day weekend event. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t trade my first trip to Tulsa for that 45-minute set for anything, but every time they add another event, the whole thing feels a little bit more worth my paycheck. And with four concerts in four days, Hanson Day 2019 is currently at the top of the list for Hanson Day trips worth the expense. If they keep it up, at some point they're going to have to start calling it Hanson Week.

As usual, I chose to add on plenty of the optional events to my Hanson Day schedule. I attended Karaoke, the Listening Party, the Dance Party, Leaders Lunch, Group Pictures, the Gallery, the I ♥ Hanson Store, and Bowling in addition to the Storytellers show, String Theory, the free Members Only concert, and Hop Jam. Just listing everything together makes it feel like a miracle that I didn’t forget to show up to anything. Who knows, maybe I did and still don’t remember.

Every year gets a bit more challenging writing this review because it feels like I’m supposed to cover each and every event, and that becomes somewhat tedious the longer and more similar that list becomes compared to previous years. To cover some of the extras without giving you a dozen paragraphs to fit each one, here are a few condensed observations:

• I think it could be fun to see karaoke move to Cain's for a trial year to accommodate more fans, and maybe make it a three-brother-event to keep things fresh and justify a larger venue.
• Pro-tip: the non-Hanson karaoke song database totally includes a few Disney songs. Use this information wisely.
• Hanson Heads on sticks + fan song requests + fans dancing on stage = the most lively Dance Party yet.
• I loved how many of us showed up ironically wearing our new “I’d rather be at a Hanson concert” shirts to the dance party. I can’t think of a more accurate setting for mine.
• I tried my hand at Hanson Day bowling for the first time and somehow managed a strike on my first turn. Don’t worry, my ego dropped back down the moment I accidentally tossed the ball behind me a few turns later.

View this post on Instagram

I got a strike the first time I touched a bowling ball in over 10 years, but naturally the only picture we got was of the time I threw the ball behind me. 😂👊 #bowllikeyoudontcare #hansonday2019

A post shared by Holly (@_hollywouldnt) on May 18, 2019 at 9:21am PDT

The one event I feel like I have to elaborate on is the Listening Party. In case you didn’t go and have no idea what I’m talking about, this year Zac wrote an EP called “Edible Digital Pants.” It’s every bit as ridiculous as it sounds and is full of songs praising junk food, demonizing vegetables, and the ticket included a collectible metal lunch box full of candy, a stress donut, and a fortune cookie proclaiming “You will experience high quality nonsense today.” He wasn’t wrong. Here’s a little more high quality nonsense worth a momentary tangent for you.

A few years back, I tweeted a snarky comment along the lines of “what product will Hanson think up next, fortune cookies?” and wrote a fake example of one (Lucky numbers 1440, 1997, and “soon.” I’ve since accidentally deleted it, because of course I did.) I didn’t tweet it to Hanson, but a fan saw it, thought it was a great idea, and RTed it to the @hansonmusic account. Zac then saw it, must have thought it was funny, and started tweeting me back about making them. I joked that it was my idea first and that we’d have to go 50/50 if he actually went through with it. Here’s a screenshot I posted to Facebook afterwards showing our fake binding verbal agreement:



I forgot all about it until Zac posted a picture on Instagram a few weeks ago revealing that they had, in fact, created some kind of Hanson fortune cookie. I don’t for a minute think that my ancient tweets had anything to do with it or that he even remembered the brief exchange, but it was too great that somewhere on the internet I had “proof” that we had an agreement to go 50/50 on any future fortune cookie production. I thought about bringing it up to him in person, decided it would require too much explaining, and figured I’d just let it go as a great moment of irony. (Besides, it's not like they made a profit off of them for me to even joke that they owed me.) Then after Hop Jam, I was having a completely unrelated conversation with Taylor and several other fans, and out of nowhere I hear some friends calling my name from behind me. Suddenly Zac jumps into the middle of the circle I’d been standing in and dramatically holds out his empty hand to me. Cue total confusion on my part. I think I said something along the lines of “Um, what is that? What are you doing?”



His response? “It’s the 50% I owe you” with a big cheeky grin.



Someone else had obviously told him the fortune cookie story. I’m sure Taylor and the other people in the circle were even more lost than I was, and I didn’t even try to explain. I laughed, pretended to take my cut from his empty hand, and later wished I’d thought to say “I’ll be sure to spend all of that in the Hanson store.”


The weekend was so packed that there wasn’t much time to squeeze in anything outside of the scheduled events, but I did manage to escape to check out The Gathering Place for about an hour. It’s this giant free park with lots of swings, slides, and fun unusual climbing equipment meant for kids, but definitely also enjoyed by adults. It’s a lot bigger than I expected from the few pictures I’d seen, and I’d love to go back with more friends and a little more time to kill. I highly recommend checking it out if your inner kid is screaming for a recess break.

Storytellers
And now, for the real reason I get myself to Tulsa year after year: the music. I feel very spoiled after getting four shows in a row this year, and as much as I always enjoy the side events, I’d gladly give them all up if it meant we could keep up a tradition of more concerts for Hanson Day.

Once again, Storytellers was hands-down my favorite part of Hanson Day. And once again, Hanson dropped the ball on telling any stories. I think a more accurate description is that it was a Hanson history throwback show to the Underneath Acoustic tour, and let me tell you, as someone who missed that tour, I was very excited for this theme. I don't at all hate the idea of transforming the bonus show into a throwback show to a past tour. There are plenty to choose from, lots of memories and nostalgia if you were there, and many fans who missed out the first time. Official petition to change Storytellers to a throwback concert event, anyone? Either that or, you know, add stories.

I was so happy to hear "Lullabelle" again and had only ever heard it once in Florida years ago. To his credit, Zac did try to explain a little bit about that one before he played it. He said it was a song about loss and that it describes his feelings about Cindy Crawford. I never thought much about the meaning when I picked Hollybelle as my hnet username 12 years ago because I was too busy being in love with the melody. Looking back, it's not exactly a very fitting subject to have named myself after, but I guess I could've done a lot worse.

I was just as excited to hear "Crazy Beautiful" as a solo for only the second time, but once again Isaac and Zac joined in at the end and turned it into a full band song. It was gorgeous and a fun way to bring the show back up from a mellow set of solos, but I'm beginning to think I'll never actually get to see the full solo version from the Underneath Acoustic Live DVD. Near the end of the show we were treated with the surprise opportunity to see Isaac play the cello on "Underneath," and then he went on to absolutely slay a cover of "Ain't No Sunshine." I left loving the whole experience and also thinking that the Storytellers show had oddly been a better Isaac show than some of his own solo shows at BTTI. He was just really on point the whole time.

String Theory

Getting to experience String Theory in Hanson's hometown in a room of mostly fan club members was a unique experience. It's hard to say if there was more excitement or crowd participation in a setting that doesn't call for much of it in the first place, but it felt like a special place to be at the end of almost a year of String Theory shows (even if that place was about three rows further back than any of us expected thanks to a surprise pit section. On a positive note, reserving the first three rows for their family is one sure-fire way to deter stage rushing!). There was one magical moment at the end when the crowd began waving their cell phone lights in unison during "Tonight," and I turned to look behind me and saw row after row of the sold out theatre swaying in unison all the way to the top of the balcony. I didn't even attempt to capture it to be able to share it here, but it was a sight worth seeing.

Members Only Concert

I say this with all the love and respect in my heart: thank you Hanson, God, and everybody involved that this year's show did not include "Never Let Go," "A Life Without You," or "With You In Your Dreams." This was the first Hanson Day in quite a few years that didn't make me cry, and I'm really very grateful for that. My favorite part was getting to hear the new EP songs as well as "Runaway Run" as a solo. I'd like to give major props to the girl in the crowd that had a kazoo on her and had the guts to get up on stage when they asked during "The Ballad of Seymour Better Times." I'm not sure why Hanson thought it made sense to bring up a guest to play along with a song none of us really knew yet, but she did fine and I couldn't hear it anyway.

The State of the Band portion answered a burning question that fans have been asking for years now: when will Hanson release a new album? They revealed that if everything goes according to plan, they will release a new album in 2020 called Against The World, followed by an extensive world tour and another new album in 2021. They said there would also be some sort of fall tour in the U.S. at the end of this year to start previewing some of the new music. I can't wait, though I'm hesitant to think of the announcement in terms of what we traditionally think of as an "album" and how it might be released until we hear more details. I'm pretty hopeful that it will be worth the wait regardless of the fine print.

Hop Jam
This year's Hop Jam was a weird mix of great and terrible for me thanks to the fact that by that point in the trip, I'd picked up a mystery cough, had almost no voice, and was generally feeling more rundown than usual. I made it through the first half of the day relatively fine (apart from one unrelated elbow/inflatable slide incident), but by the time Hanson came on stage, I was so dead on my feet that I sat and watched the whole show sitting on the ground in the parking lot. I forced myself up during "Thinking Bout Something" because it's a crime not to as far as I'm concerned, but I was so beat by the end of the song that I was literally laying on the ground for a moment. I'm going to need someone to come slip some vitamin C into all my drinks starting about a week before next year's event.

They closed out the show with an encore including all of the main stage bands + Darren Criss for a fun group cover of Kiss's "Rock And Roll All Nite." At one point Taylor took the microphone and told the crowd that since it was a free concert, we needed to "pay our way" by singing along until we lost our voices. Challenge accepted. I basically prepaid.

So to sum up this year's Hanson Day experience? A pessimist might tell you I waited five hours to buy two shirts, I contracted bronchitis, and I ruined my elbow helping a kid on a bouncy house slide. An optimist might remind you that this year's EP title is "In Real Life," and well, those things certainly are part of it. But the part of me the keeps booking flights back? She has total heart eyes for "Dancing in the Wind," "Lullabelle," "Crazy Beautiful," and the entirety of the Storytellers show. She stood for a standing ovation at a sold out String Theory Performance in Hanson's hometown and got to escape reality and be a kid for just long enough to climb a fortress and captain a ship in the middle of nowhere. She's currently stuffing herself with candy out of a weird lunchbox with pixelated underwear on the front, and she's totally looking forward to May 14-17, 2020.

Hanson Day 2018

I think my favorite part about Hanson Day 2018 was choosing not to stand in avoidable lines. It was uncomfortably hot most of the time, and after I got sick from waiting all day in the heat in St. Pete last September, I know better than to hang out on hot sidewalks all day now. Some lines like registration and the store are unavoidable if you plan to do them on the first day, but there is so much room to avoid lines if you want to, and I swear my quality of life over the weekend improved because of it. I walked into the gallery with no wait because I didn't bother trying to go until Saturday. I showed up to both concerts at doors and didn't have to bring an umbrella for shade or worry that someone might cut me in line because there were already 800 people ahead of me. Not caring makes vacation feel a little bit more like vacation, and it makes me super excited for the upcoming seated tour where I will also not have to wait in lines. I can't wait...to not wait?

The Store
Hanson tried a new thing this year that fans have suggested in in the past and put up a page on their website listing all of the new store items and prices. It was really helpful to walk into the store and mostly know what I wanted without having to wait my turn to get a good look at everything, and the line seemed faster all weekend because of it. I was also spared the awkward moment of blurting out "What do you mean $80 for an umbrella?!" at an employee in shock because I was able to get that moment of disappointment out of my system on the sidewalk before I ever set foot inside. I'd say it went pretty well. I only bought one shirt, a pop-socket, and a pair of sunglasses (that are too big for my head), so I did okay in the spending department, too. If it's anywhere near as hot next time though, I fully expect to see affordable "Hanson fans" for sale.

Karaoke
I'm not normally one to pay a bit of attention to Hanson's family, but somehow their brother Mac wound up co-hosting karaoke with Isaac this year, and he did a killer job keeping the crowd pumped. There was a really fun mix of Hanson and non-Hanson songs that people chose, and both Isaac and Mac took turns getting up and singing with fans and with each other. The first fan to sing was a guy that picked "Bohemian Rhapsody" that quickly turned into a giant happy crowd sing-a-long, and it was all uphill from there. There was a great "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" duo, some Wilson Philips, someone that sounded just like Alanis Morissette to me, and a strange but great tribute to Tenacious D near the end that Mac seemed thrilled to join in on. Congrats to everyone that got up there and sang! You guys were awesome and made it fun for everyone.

Storytellers
The storytellers "lecture" was easily my favorite event last year. I'm not sure this one lived up to the bar set by 2017 (it was about 7 songs shorter and there was no disco ball surprise this year), but I still enjoyed it. They chose a lot of throwback songs including a cover of "Money" that I'd only heard once on actual Hanson Day ten years ago in my hometown. "Wish That I Was There" was the unexpected standout for me. I don't care much for it on the CD, but the harmonies are just so good in a live acoustic setting.

I joked later that they're a bunch of storytellers for calling this event "storytellers," but I'm happy for any excuse to go to an extra show with or without the added narrative. We did learn that "Madeline" was named after a real girl that was the daughter of one of their producers(?), and also that someone may have stolen Zac's basketball...though I couldn't tell you what song that particular "story" went with.

Game Night
I'm on the fence about game night. I didn't participate in Hansonopoly last year, but this year seemed better because there were no elimination rounds and everyone got to play for the entire event. I'll give them points for that. But when we showed up the sound system was a megaphone...and then a microphone that was as useless as the megaphone...and then just Zac's shouting, which sadly worked better than all of the above. I think they did eventually get a microphone working but I can't remember. In the end it cost Zac his voice for the rest of the weekend, which is a shame since this was before the concert happened. I'm happy for his sake that he didn't also have to make it through a Hop Jam performance.

It was a little bit like tie dye 2.0 with Zac not making it to every table and people getting up to go to him for pictures instead. We played a few different games and the "Freak Out" game that came with our ticket purchase is basically a Hanson version of Yahtzee, or so I'm told since I've never played Yahtzee. It wasn't my favorite because I could never remember what the combination of numbers meant well enough to figure out how to tally my own score.

Our favorite was the silly poker-type game where we had to place cards on our heads and bet who was wearing the highest card without looking at your own. Sometimes simple is better.

Listening Party
I haven't had time to listen to "Turn Off The Machine" and analyze anything independently from the listening party, but I liked it. Zac recorded a voiceover bit for the beginning and explained that it's a musical story of a guy building a robot, teaching it how to do things, and watching it ultimately come to life and spiral out of control, leaving him with the decision of potentially having to destroy this "monster" that he created. Think Dr. Frankenstein--the original Mary Shelley story and not all of the Halloween green-skinned bolt-in-the-neck adaptations.

It reminded me of watching Fantasia as a kid and felt like it belonged with some kind of animation to illustrate all of the different parts. I enjoyed trying to pinpoint where the mood changed and imagining what might be happening during different sounds. I wrote exactly one note during the actual listening session of my initial reaction and tweeted it after we got out and I had a chance to google the video I wanted to reference:

"The Machine" is like Zelda theme music meets Swedish Chef making popcorn meets Dance Like You Don't Care inside a piano.  https://t.co/zpB45oo19r #hday2018 #zacondrugs

— Holly (@_hollywouldnt) May 19, 2018

I have no idea if Zac has ever seen that video or if it's pure coincidence, but I stand firmly behind the Swedish Chef comparison for at least a portion of the song.

Painting
I have no artistic skills whatsoever and I don't like wine, so I've never had any desire to do the whole wine and paint night thing despite seeing pictures of friends and their various landscapes, beach scenes, and half-empty glasses on Facebook. A Hanson Day version seemed like the perfect time to go a little bit outside of my comfort zone though and try something new with friends. I don't think I'm going to be commissioning any pieces any time soon, but I had a lot of fun and my pansy didn't turn out nearly as bad as I expected.

I saw a few complaints online about Zac not showing up, but it was clear to me when the event was announced that Zac being there wasn't part of the deal. However, the photographer did show up and film part of my painting class...right as we had finished painting one step and were waiting patiently to learn what to do next. Instead of showing us the next step, they started playing "Lost Without Each Other" and filmed us awkwardly singing and not painting for the entire duration of the song because none of us knew what we were doing. I'm sorry in advance if you ever have to see footage of me singing and awkwardly holding a paintbrush.

The Concert
I'll go more into the new EP with a separate EP review eventually (maybe), but I will say that "Working" is great live. It has this really fun 50's rock 'n' roll vibe and I'm absolutely in love with the piano in it. If you don't love the recording on the EP, withhold your judgment until you see it in person. "Young and Dumb" is easily the standout track on this EP, though I was a little nervous about the techno sound at the beginning of the recording until I heard it at the show. I have no idea how Zac sang his two new leads, particularly Goldminer, with his strained voice, but he did a decent job and gave it all he had left.

The only thing I'd change about the show was the downer solos in the middle. "A Life Without You" and "Never Let Go" might be considered rare, but I swear I've heard that combination entirely too many times at the last few Hanson Days and BTTIs, and I'm a little bit tired of needing tissues. Between that and WYIYD at Storytellers again, I could really do with a year of no sad songs. I'll give them a pass on "A Life Without You" because I know they were streaming everything and I'm sure it meant a lot to those that have never been to Hanson Day or BTTI to get to hear that one. But the fact that it's out there now means they can skip it next year, right?

"Tearing it Down" was the best, and the entire crowd was so, so into it. By the time the encore came and Zac was singing "I Don't Want To Go Home," I had completely forgotten anything was wrong with his voice and it sounded great to me. It's entirely possible I was caught up in a moment and just loving it all instead of looking for imperfections. If we all have animal instincts, there's one of mine--being the eternal optimist. I had a great time this weekend being not quite as young and dumb as I used to be, but every bit as childish and silly as always. ♥

Hanson Day 2015

I always do my best to provide a good mix of recap and personal anecdotes in my blog. With any trip, my goal is to create a written memory for myself as well as an image of what it was like to be there for those that couldn't make it. This year, I can't give you the full breakdown I would normally afford a Hanson Day post because it was a very different trip for me. This post is more personal than usual because this trip felt more personal than usual, and representing it as just a bulleted list of events feels false and inadequate. Instead of a traditional recap, here's a glimpse what Hanson Day 2015 was to me.

Lectures

If you had asked me months ago after the initial Hanson Day announcement what I was most excited about, I would have said Taylor’s Song Story lecture. I’m a word nerd forever, and I love any glimpse I can get into the meaning of songs. Maybe you read my Seven Things I’d Like to See at a Future Hanson Day Event post last year and remember me jokingly brushing off the idea of Taylor doing a lecture about song meanings. Sometimes being wrong is awesome.

I was ecstatic about the Song Story announcement and took forever to decide what story of my own would be worthy of sharing before finally sending in my 300 word submission. Fast forward to about a month before the trip, my family found out some really bad news about my dad’s health. Work stress piled on top, and I began to question if this was the first Hanson Day I would sit out. I ultimately decided that I needed the distraction and welcomed the chaotic buzz that has become part of the packaged deal that is Hanson Day. I didn't choose "With You In Your Dreams" or anything particularly emotional, and the story I decided to tell had nothing to do with sickness or my dad. It did, however, have the potential to turn into an emotional conversation, and about a week before the trip, I decided that I really wasn't up for having that conversation on stage. I emailed and withdrew my submission from whatever small chance it had of being chosen because I didn’t want to risk falling apart in front of a crowd.

I knew I made the right decision the minute Taylor called up a fan who had chosen "With You In Your Dreams" because it helped her get through losing her dad. She handled the conversation so well, and I sat amazed at her strength and ability to talk about it openly without breaking down. I am a pretty stoic person most of the time. I've stood dry-eyed through numerous performances of "With You in Your Dreams” and "Lay Me Down," and I’m fairly certain that my bff of 12 years has still never seen me cry to this day. But this year, as Taylor played an impromptu rendition of "With You In Your Dreams,” I broke a ~90 show tear-free streak. My friends quietly patted me on the back and produced a wad of napkins from God knows where to comfort me there in the 2nd row while Taylor sang straight into my little broken heart. That song in that moment meant so much to me, and I both loved and hated him for playing it so unexpectedly. One of the first things I told my friend after finding out the severity of my dad’s illness was I'm never going to be able to handle hearing "With You in Your Dreams" again, and I dreaded the next time I would have to sit through it. But because life is full of ironic symbolism sometimes, it was the very first song I heard Hanson perform live after finding out the news about my dad. It was a bittersweet moment that I won't ever forget.

State of the Band

The State of the Band talk is pretty much the business meeting of the event. We got tour news, nerdy website talk (pins, the new hnet logo that I can’t not read as “hat,” etc.), and the announcement of the MOEY winners.

A strange thing happened here that I certainly didn’t see coming and that I'm not going to bother overanalyzing, rationalizing, or apologizing for. I'll give it to you in math terms:

MOEY categories = 6
Number of categories I entered = 1
Number of categories I won = 2

Now I've never been good with math, but that probability never entered my mind when I submitted my entry. I mean how could it? Your reaction will probably fall somewhere on the scale of standing ovation to eye-roll, but it happened. I went home with two little monkeys for Concept Album and Hnet MVP. I'm amazed, flattered, and thoroughly floored. Thank you to everyone that voted for me and thought I was worthy of another couple of awkward moments on stage ❤.  At least you didn't have to watch me dance this time.

Show

[insert the usual adjectives here: "really fun," "awesome," "amazing," "excellent," etc.]

"Dance Like You Don't Care" was a definite highlight for me and a great way to open the show. "Lost Without You" as a solo was gorgeous, "On and On" will always be a favorite of mine, and "White Collar Crimes" was just plain necessary. I noticed they taped down the lyrics for the song "Don't Hide Your Tears" from the 2015 membership kit, but they never made a move to play it. I guess there's always next year, and I'll be ready when they do finally decide to gift us with those killer harmonies.

The afterparty took place during some crazy monsoon and tornado scare, and I was half-afraid that we would have to stay in Cain's until the warning was lifted. Thankfully, the rain had stopped by the time we walked out. What hadn't stopped was some random "Yeah" track that kept repeating over and over. I left a few minutes early due to an early morning and ended up missing the encore(s) of "Another One Bites the Dust."

Hop Jam

I can't speak in solstice terms, but for me personally, Hop Jam day is the longest day of the year. It starts early and ends late (or early depending on how you look at it), but everything in between is worth the hassle. I admire how hard everyone on staff works for this band and how much teamwork goes into creating a successful event. And to my fellow volunteers, I can't say it enough: YOU ROCK. (And lift, and stack, and sweat, and repeat.)

I'm not sure why, but I enjoyed Hanson's Hop Jam set far more this year than last year. Maybe I just needed it more, or maybe it was due to the great group of friends jumping around me, but I had an absolute blast. We put the "hop" in "Hop Jam" every chance we got, and we had plenty of room for a terrible group execution of the "Thinking 'Bout Somethin'" dance. I wouldn't have it any other way and look forward to recreating our tired mess of flailing next year. Everyone is welcome to join.


Final Thoughts

I wasn't kidding in my MOEYs post or in my brief mess of an acceptance speech about how important this community is to me. I've been an active fan club member for eight years now, and the Hop Jam show was my 90th Hanson event. I've loved every single show that came before and have always had the desire to travel and see Hanson, but this is the first time I felt like I actually needed it. I didn't need it in that joking "MUST. GO. TO. DISNEY." kind of way. I needed it because when my life was getting a little bit too hard and too much to handle, I had this amazing group of friends to support me along with some really talented musicians who had no idea how much I needed them, and yet they were still there for me, too.

In retrospect, I guess I don't really have a "song story" of one song that speaks to me that I can call "my song." Instead, I have a whole band and a community and a place in a crowd that gets me, whether that's front row center or in a parking lot a block from the stage. This is my band and my fan community. This is my happy place and my escape. This is my vacation and my home and foreign and familiar all at once, and I am so grateful to have found a place in it all.

Hanson Day 2014

Hanson Day/Hop Jam 2014 was by far the busiest experience I’ve ever had in Tulsa. Over the course of the weekend, we were treated to:

I took approximately negative four pictures this trip. Here's one of
the Hop Jam area filling up hours before the show.

-Individual lectures by Isaac, Zac, and Taylor
-Group photos
-“State of the Band” talk by all three brothers
-Full-length fan club exclusive show
-Afterparty DJed by Taylor
-Free public show at the Hop Jam festival
-Beer tasting & food trucks
-I ♥ Hanson pop-up store
-Are You Listening art gallery
-Underneath Acoustic Live movie screening
-Fan Club & Street Team dinners
-Bowling (I passed on this one because I’m cheap and I can’t bowl)
-Blue Dome Arts festival
-Mayfest (I passed on this one because there are neither two of me, nor more than 24 hours in a day)

The lectures provided a rare glimpse behind the normal Hanson curtain. Isaac showed us alternative arrangements to several songs from Underneath punctuated by a really goofy sense of humor and lots of chicken jokes (yes, chicken humor). Zac had the guts to use pre-selected audience suggestions to record a brand-new song right in front of us that he wrote in like an hour. (You try telling a room of 1,000+ girls to “Shhh!” while you’re recording!) And Taylor’s photography lesson wasn’t really a behind the scenes look at their music process, but it was neat to watch this really talented musician do something else he loves for once.

I found this great typewriter key necklace at the
Blue Dome Arts Festival. I also found that if your
name begins with an "H" and you're a Hanson fan,
people will assume you got it for the band.

As expected, the fan club show was my favorite part of the weekend. It’s always a little weird to stand front row and rock out to a song you’ve never heard before when you’re so used to knowing every little inflection of every word in every verse. My initial reaction to the new EP songs was that “White Collar Crime” should be played as often as possible, and maybe back to back with “You Can’t Stop Us” some time if Zac’s lungs and arms can handle it. My door is always open for “Down,” “Stories,” and “Sunny Day.” And perhaps the biggest surprise of the night for me was just how much I got into “Waiting for This,” which I’ve heard about a million times in a million places, but it just felt so familiar and fun and right in that moment. It belonged on that setlist. The afterparty felt a lot like a bad prom in a good way—complete with the awkward wallflowers and a crowd sitting idly in the bleachers, but with the added bonus (for some) of alcohol actually being allowed. It was an event about us and not the band.

I don't think anyone knew what to expect for Hanson's first attempt at hosting a beer and music festival, but based on the thousands of people that showed up and the fact that ALL of the craft beer from all vendors sold out, I'd say the first annual Hop Jam was a major success. The 21+ area was packed full the entire time it was open, just wall to wall people filling the street wearing cheesy beer glass lanyards (I'm looking at you, Isaac) and hoping to discover a great new taste. I'm sure many of them found it in MMMhops.

My weekend was packed with Hanson, friends I didn't get to see enough of, and some really good macaroni & cheese (Joe Momma's FTW!). I will never, ever (EVER) complain of having too little to do in Tulsa again. All jokes and fake whining aside, it was a great time and I’d do it all again. Let’s be honest—I will do it all again.

You can check out some other perspectives about the weekend by Miranda from The Good Groupie here and here, and one from Melanie Kristy here.

At the risk of sounding sappy, I’m incredibly proud to call myself a fan of a band that works so hard at what they do. I don’t mean to be a suck-up, Hanson-can-do-no-wrong kind of fan because let’s face it, something will always go wrong (and sometimes “Hanson Time” feels like it has its own daylight savings time to push even “soon” yet another hour behind). Despite any potential negativity, it comes down to this: my favorite band rocks. I love their willingness to try new things, and their risk to branch out from what’s safe, known, and expected to put together something bigger and better every time. They throw themselves into everything they try full-force with undeniable enthusiasm and passion, and it's a formula that hasn't failed them yet. They’re some of the most hard-working people I know, and I haven’t even touched the topic of music yet. Say what you will about them or about me for that matter, but I couldn’t have picked a better group of guys to support.

A Hanson Fan's Guide to Tulsa

If you're a big Hanson fan, chances are you're going to wind up in Tulsa, Oklahoma at least once in your life. For many of us, "Hanson Day" has become this strange annual fan pilgrimage, an event where you can reunite with friends who are usually separated by states and countries and entire oceans. Tulsa has since grown to become more than the home of our favorite band; it's a place for our eccentric family reunion (and it comes complete with that weird cousin you always avoid. You know it's true).

Really, this is not new information. Hanson has given us several guides to Tulsa in the last few years, and if you're a repeat offender, you've probably been to most of these places already. But just in case you've missed the guides and are looking forward to a future trip to Tulsa, here are a few places you might want to check out. Places with * are within walking distance of 3CG/most downtown hotels:

Restaurants

Chicken & Waffles at Caz's

• Mexicali's*:Yummy Mexican cuisine, conveniently located about half a block from 3CG. 
• El Guapo's*: More Yummy Mexican cuisine, and you can eat on the roof for a good view of downtown! I recommend the trio of Tacos El Guapo.  
• Caz's Chowhouse*: Southern fried goodness. I linked this one directly to the menu because that's all you need to convince you to check it out. Also about half a block from 3CG.
• Joe Momma's*: The perfect late-night pizza stop. One of the few places open late in downtown Tulsa.
• Blue Rose Cafe: I haven't actually eaten at this one to attest for the food, but it has a prime location right on the Arkansas River. Maybe I'll finally try it this year. (I hear there's an autographed drum head from Hanson hanging on the wall somewhere, too.)
• Fast Food: I always forget how exciting it can be to come across a chain restaurant you don't have at home while traveling. Here are a few fast food stops you might not have back home that you can drive to once you've figured out downtown Tulsa has no food at midnight: Taco Bueno, Whataburger, Sonic, Chick-fil-A, Panda Express, Steak 'n Shake.

Shopping

• Dwelling Spaces*: Before there were annual MOEs & thought-out PDF guides to Tulsa from Hanson, there was Dwelling Spaces. We all knew it, and we all owned their I Heart Tulsa shirts. Inside you'll also find Joebot's Coffee Bar. If you're nice, they might even make you a coffee with a Hanson symbol on top. 
• Ida Red: Like Dwelling Spaces, a clearly Tulsan boutique. You can find more cute souvenirs and t-shirts here along with a ton of unique soda flavors and foreign candies.
• Utica Square: If you want to do real shopping and not just hunt for souvenirs, hit up Utica Square. It's sort of an upscale outdoor mall.
• Glacier Confections*: You know those fun flavored chocolates you see on Hanson.net every Valentine's Day? Those are coming from Glacier Confections. If you care about chocolate at all, do it, and try something exciting. 
• I Heart Hanson Pop-up Store*: Okay, so you don't need me to tell you to go to this. What you do need me to tell you if it's your first time is to 1) expect to wait in line, and 2) expect to spend money. If you show up at the store at 5 and have dinner planned for 6, you may wind up having to choose between tacos and t-shirts. 

Inside the first I Heart Hanson Pop-up Store.

Spoils from Dwelling Spaces, Ida Red, & Hanson. I wasn't kidding about expecting to spend money!

Sight Seeing

• The Center of the Universe*: It's located at the top of a pedestrian overpass downtown. Go stand in the middle and figure it out. For all its "unique" appeal, I will say there is a place just like this in Charleston, SC with no plaque or official name to draw any visitors. My friends and I found it by climbing on stuff; go figure. 
• TBS Video location: You can visit the shooting location for the "Thinking 'Bout Somethin'" video at the intersection of N. Greenwood and E. Archer St. If you walk about a block past the intersection and under the overpass, you'll see the mural used in another scene in the video. 
• Cyrus Avery Centennial Plaza: You can see a little bit of Route 66 History at the old 11th Street
  
  Bridge. Who knew one of the founders of Route 66 was from Tulsa? "Championed by Tulsa, Oklahoma businessman Cyrus Avery when the first talks about a national highway system began, U.S. 66 was first signed into law in 1927 as one of the original U.S. Highways" (wikipedia). And that's the most history you'll EVER hear out of me.
• The Golden Driller: Because who doesn't want to stop and take a picture with a 76-foot school-bus-yellow oil drilling man? 
• Guthrie Green*: This one is pretty new to Tulsa. It's a public park that holds all kinds of events from farmer's markets to food trucks to one mile barefoot walks, if you attended Hanson Day in 2013. 
• The Philbrook Museum: The gardens here are gorgeous. If you're into art and photography and can catch this place on a sunny day, go take some pictures. Tip: It's free on the 2nd Saturday of every month! There's a list of other discounts and free admission guidelines on the website.

The Philbrook

And I don't care what the 10 day, 5 day, or 24 hour forecast says...pack a jacket!

Got any questions or suggestions of your own? Leave a comment.

Hanson Day 2013

I'm going to skip the usual sentimental opening I give to these Hanson Day blogs--you can read that in any other entry about Hanson Day in the archive here. My first show will always be the Tulsa MOE in 2007, so by default I'm always going to be a sentimental sap about going back every year right around that anniversary. I'll spare you the mushiness surrounding what was anniversary #6, Tulsa trip #7, and birthday #??

The Dinner

I know you're not reading this for food commentary, but you're going to get it anyway. The dinner at Caz's Chowhouse was great. Though I've been aware that chicken and waffles is an actual thing for over a year now, I had never tried it before. It's a somewhat regional thing (though I've definitely seen it offered in both Tennessee and Oklahoma, so it can't be THAT regional), and we don't have it here. I finally opted to try it at Caz's and was pleasantly surprised, mostly because it was the best waffle I've ever tasted. Good food aside, it was fun getting to meet and catch up with everyone. Also, Isaac wagged his finger at my cheesecake. IDK. It wasn't doing anything wrong.

The Documentary

Next was the screening for the new documentary, Re: Made in America. I'm not a fan of spoilers, so I'll refrain from going into too much detail on this as well as the new music. If I had to choose one word to describe it, I would use "genuine." This documentary addresses some of the issues that have been rumored among fans regarding tensions in the band. I will say it's not quite as universal as Strong Enough to Break in that I don't think just any music fan could pick it up and fully appreciate the struggle/journey, but that may be a special treat for more hardcore fans that are already familiar with the band's dynamic. It was an interesting inside look at the recording process for a band that has toughed it out for 20 years and included a few good laughs along the way. If you don't purchase a package, I would encourage you to still sit down and watch it with a friend some time.

The Walk

I was a little nervous for the walk since it was the first hosted by Hanson in about three years. It was freezing and had just finished raining, so for the first time after twenty or so walks, I kept my shoes on. Maybe I'll use it as an opportunity to appreciate being a spoiled middle-class American with the option to wear shoes and socks when and wherever I want, and to recognize how awful it must be to not have that option. Despite the weather, the turnout was good, and many still walked with bare feet.

The Listening Party

Good stuff. Buy the album June 18th. You won't regret it. I'll post a full review of the album on the release date :-)

Sidenote: Hanson is not even kidding around about leaking new music and filesharing. There were multiple signs saying anyone caught recording in the listening party or the show would be immediately banned for life from any future Hanson shows. Just say no, guys.

The Show (session two)

I have to admit I was wary about the setlist. I feared that they would play the new album in its entirety and be done. And as amazing as that would be and as spoiled as it sounds, I really didn't want to travel 1,100+ miles one way just to hear something I could hear nine times on tour much closer to my house. They didn't disappoint, and I have to say this might have been my favorite member event to date. They began by playing a few new songs from Anthem, but then surprised us all by announcing that we were going to help them record the new fan club EP. We stomped and clapped and provided "oohs" on cue, and for the second time in my life, I enjoyed stomping in heels at the top of a set of bleachers in Cain's. (I also didn't fall and break my neck, which is an added bonus.) I don't get too many super flustered OMG IS THIS REALLY HAPPENING type moments, but seeing Zac and Taylor drum in unison, mirrored on a set of left and right-handed drum kits was a good enough catalyst for that reaction in us all. I'm almost as excited for the new EP as I am for the new album.

I was surprised and not surprised when the Q & A session opened up with the question I had submitted. When those things start, you always envision a Hanson reading off your name, right? Like you're willing it to happen and mentally preparing yourself for if it does. And then they do or they don't, but this time the scenario that played out on stage was the same one that preceded it in my head. And for what it's worth, it was also edited a bit from my original version.

What Zac read: "Do you plan to continue the walks on the next tour?"

What I wrote: "Do you plan to continue the walks at every tour stop on the next tour?"

I've heard them say a few times now that they plan to continue the walks, but the explanation has always been a little vague. I was curious if they plan to continue them at every show in the same fashion as The Walk Tour, or if they're going to be changed or updated in some way, like how they're donating $1 from ticket sales this time. I should have elaborated when I wrote my question, but I'm happy with a "yes" either way!

The Rest 

Pun intended, of course, because there was no rest during the rest of the trip. "The rest" can be summed up in two parts: riding in the car, and photobombing. My trip to Tulsa was a 20 hour drive, split 8 hours one day and 12 the next. The trip home was a straight 23.5 hour drive, with at least one of those extra hours courtesy of a dead car battery at midnight in nowhere, SC. I sincerely hope to never see two sunrises on the same car trip again without sleep in between. That being said, it won't stop me from doing it again next year.

The rest, in picture form: