Friday afternoon I made the trek down to Stroudsburg, PA to see Hanson at the Sherman Theater. This would be an extra special show because not only was it seated, my friends had managed to score us front row center tickets!
My GPS said it would take two and a half hours to get there, which was a pleasant surprise because all this time I had been thinking it would be 3 hours. Unfortunately, I ran into 2 accidents in NJ, one of which looked really, really nasty and all the traffic from the crews cleaning them up and rubber necking, etc. added another hour.
When I got there, I had the wrong address in the GPS, so I ended up nowhere near a theater. But I found a McDonalds, grabbed a bite to eat and then reprogrammed the GPS. As I drove by the Sherman Theater, Taylor was standing on a table with a megaphone – I had just missed the walk. (I wasn’t intending on going on it anyway though, so it was fine!)
At this point it was about 4pm, so I hung out in my car (in a handicapped spot I had found on the street – so lucky!) until about 6:30 because doors were at 7 and I wasn’t sure how long it would take me to walk down to the theater. (Turns out, only like 2 minutes lol)
Once 7pm rolled around, everyone loaded in the doors, but it didn’t look like anything was going on. Then more and more people kept coming in. I happened to turn around and saw Maribeth’s sister and her friend so I went outside to wait with them, but then they left to get Maribeth so I ended up going inside on my own.
Once I got inside, I couldn’t find my seat. I had ORCH A, seat 11, but the seats up front were ORCH 1 and ORCH 2, with seats starting with 101. I asked an usher for help and she said “Oh you’re front row!” and brought me to the regular row A, which was numbered 1,3,5,7. Then she looked and saw ORCH 1 and 2 and had to go ask where our seats were. By this point my friends had showed up and were like “what is going on!?” but it all ended up working out and ORCH A was labeled ORCH 1.
The first opening act was Kicking Daisies. They were actually really good and at the end of their set, one of the guys breaking down the stage threw their setlists down to us so I grabbed one. A few of the songs are blacked out (and the page STILL smells like marker) but the ones that aren’t blacked out (and therefore the ones I assumed they played) are: Masquerade, Breathing, Shut Up, Keeping Secrets, Alive. After their “last song” we could see someone come on the side of the stage and hold up one finger and they realized they had time for one more song so they did Video Killed the Radio Star. There is also notes in red stating “Talk Carly” and “Talk Duran” signaling when the band members should talk to the crowd. I wasn’t sure what to expect from them going into it, but I was very into their set, they are very energetic and very talented and maybe I’ll see them around town at some point 😉 I think that they went over really well with the crowd as well based on tweets I was seeing.
Next up was Jarrod Gorbel. I have to say that I enjoyed this set a lot better than his one in Northampton, maybe because he only pointed out one person in the crowd this time. But I still don’t think he was that great of a fit to get everyone hyped up for Hanson (especially sandwiched in between Kicking Daisies and Hanson). He lost his concentration a time or two and had to start a song completely over.. yelling out “FUCK!” and “OH SHIT!” which just made it seem like he was trying too hard. I think seeing him in a completely different setting – maybe in a coffee house or something like that – I would enjoy him. I think he is either incredibly awkward or incredibly nervous (or a combination of both) and that came out with his making fun of people and the like.
Finally it was time for the main event! We were bracing ourselves for people jumping over chairs to be behind us in the front row, but the Sherman had some HUGE (and scary!) security guys who did a great job at keeping everyone in their seats! Kudos to the security team.
The beginning of their set was very much the same as the other shows I had gone to, starting with the Waiting For this Medley – except this time I actually jumped during In the City. They then went in to Make it Out Alive, but surprised me by throwing in Thinking Of You. This one isn’t played all that often, plus since the setlist voting on Hanson.net had Middle of Nowhere in the lead for the encore, I was surprised that they would be throwing random tracks from it into the set. Another surprise was Runaway Run!
Then it was time to break it down for the acoustic set, when Zac was like, directly in front of me. They played Penny and Me and This Time Around which are a bit too over done for my taste (but were singles so I can see why they include them so often) and also threw in a Kiss Me When You Come Home.
Then it was back to electric, where there weren’t too many surprises, but Isaac came flying at me during Hand In Hand and I wasn’t paying attention (I was trying to take a picture) and then I noticed everyone on either side of me had jumped back and thought he was going to go flying over us. (Or fall on my head) During If Only, I jumped during the first part, but not the second. Since it was an old theater, the floor was shaking like CRAZY especially since everyone was jumping on the same beat. I must’ve looked something like this: =-O and then looked up at Zac and he mouthed “JUMP!” to me. I shook my head no, but ended up jumping the next couple of times anyway because it was too scary not to.
For the encore, we knew it would be Middle of Nowhere songs, but the guys had tweeted about possibly throwing in a surprise. They came out and did With You In Your Dreams and then we counted to track 21 and they played Man From Milwaukee. (on the CD, With You In Your Dreams is track #12, then everything is blank until 21) Then they really threw a curve ball by getting us ready for the holiday season by playing Merry Christmas Baby! It was a very pleasant surprise and also a song that I had never heard live before so I was doubly excited 🙂
The show ended shortly after midnight and I was completely exhausted. (Putting all the dance/jump songs of Give A Little / If Only / Lost Without Each Other back to back to back did me in) I bought myself a bottle of water and Iced Tea and went back to the car and hydrated. Then I made the two and a half hour trip back home. No traffic at all, and I got home just before 3am.
Definitely one of my favorite Hanson shows EVER (and it was my 55th so that is saying a lot) My camera LOVED Isaac and I got a few good ones of Zac too, but for some reason the lighting on Taylor wasn’t all that great. Will be making a picture post soon. (Actually, it’ll probably be more like 4 picture posts.. but that is ok!)
Setlist under the cut!
Waiting For This Medley
Make It Out Alive
Thinking of You
And I Waited
Speechless
Runaway Run
Carry You There
Penny and Me
Kiss Me When You Come Home
This Time Around
Where’s The Love
Voice In The Chorus
Can’t Stop
Minute Without You
Hand In Hand
Hey
Thinking Bout Something
Oh Darling
MMMBop
Give A Little
If Only
Lost Without Each Other
With You In Your Dreams
Man From Milwaukee
Merry Christmas Baby