Rocking in the Garden State

Friday night I caught the last show of Hanson's Underneath tour at Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ, hometown of Jon Bon Jovi. They've been on the road pretty much constantly for the last two years, and now they're headed for the studio to record the next album. Do you have something snotty to say about Hanson? Go right ahead. I have heard it all. I used to make snotty jokes too, then I became a fan against my will, which then turned into a crusade, but that is a whole other story. The show was fantastic, one of the best Hanson shows I have ever seen. Since it was the last show I guess they just poured themselves into it, and it showed.

A fellow fan whose username is mmmtwin17el took fantastic pictures. Click on this image to see the rest. God bless those devious fans for sneaking in the cameras!



It's something of a miracle we got there at all. The drive to Sayreville, NJ, was horrendous. We ran into heavy traffic EVERYWHERE. Additionally, I now have a personal vendetta against Yahoo maps for repeatedly giving me bum directions. I mean, I can follow instructions, but when the directions don't match the actual signs, I get testy. And when bum directions lead me to take the wrong exit in heavy traffic, and I have a show to get to, I get way beyond testy. Do not say the words "Garden State Parkway" to me, or things will get ugly. Like I said, it is a miracle we made it to the venue in time ... well, a miracle, plus the fact that the doors opened an hour late. We got into a line of at least 2,000 people, which went around the building and the parking lot twice. I still do not know how all of those people fit into the building. I still think they hid bodies in the basement. There were so many people ahead of us I started thinking the venue oversold and we wouldn't get in, even with tickets. But no such thing happened. Then, somehow, in spite of being at the end of the line, we found a spot by the bar at the right of the stage that had a great view. It was about 30 feet from the stage and was mostly unobstructed. And best of all, we were nowhere near the mosh pit. For those who have never been to a Hanson show (I assume that's you), the girls on the floor push to get to the stage. I don't mean delicate nudging. It's a full on crush against the barrier that might kill someone one day. At this show I saw security pull out four girls in front who passed out. I won't go anywhere near that madness, so I hang out on the sides or the back with the rest of the old people. It is at the point where I usually know half a dozen old people at the back of the venue at every show. We old fans are tight. I love how this band attracts such a wide variety of fans.

The show was excellent, one of the best I have ever seen. The band was tight tight tight, the vocals were great, and Taylor had the crowd completely eating out of his hand. The energy in the audience was fantastic. Some people think I'm weird to say this, but I love how the audience goes completely crazy. The sheer volume and intensity of the screaming is hard to believe, and it is like that every single show without exception. It is great to see fans get so excited about a show. The opening act was a local NJ band called Gibbler. The Hansons are on a crusade to promote independent bands, and for this show they held a contest in which fans could vote for a local band to open the show. The Gibbler guys seemed stunned by the size and intensity of the audience, but took it in stride. I saw them several times after their set, and they looked totally dazed. Very nice guys, and they did a great job opening the show. I especially liked their new single Hannah, and they also did a kick ass cover of Hard Day's Night. Check out Gibbler's website to find out about them.

The setlist was very similar to the Australia shows last week.

Optimistic (Radiohead cover)
Dancin' in the Wind
A Minute Without You
Strong Enough to Break
Rock 'n Roll Razorblade
Look At You
Broken Angel (Zac solo)
Being Me (Ike solo)
Underneath
Every Word I Say
Hand in Hand
Crazy Beautiful
Penny and Me
Deeper
In A Little While (U2 cover)
You Never Know
MMMBop
Where's the Love
Gimme Some Lovin'
Lost Without Each Other

Encore: Hey