Hanson Toad’s Place
On Saturday, Hanson brought their Musical Ride tour to New Haven, CT to Toad’s Place. Each date was posted up on the band’s official website, hanson.net, along with a poll. Each poll included 3 albums and the winner of the vote would be played in its entirety at the show. For New Haven, the band’s debut album, Middle of Nowhere won (by a narrow margin). This show ended up being my 250th concert (overall) and 62nd Hanson show.
Before the show, we went to get something to eat and as we walked by we heard Zac soundchecking “Lucy” which is his lead vocal song from Middle of Nowhere and I completely freaked out. Turned 12 years old again freakout, I don’t know what came over me!
Each night, the band also has 25 limited edition posters available. I had been looking through images of some of the past shows and the only one I didn’t particularly like was the one with a Buffalo on it from Phoenix. Wouldn’t you know that New Haven’s was a Buffalo? But I had to get it since this was my “hometown show”
Doors were relatively early, at 6pm, because after the show Toad’s would be having a dance party! Hanson would need to be off stage by about 9:45. We got inside and went straight to merch for the buffalo poster. Then we snagged a spot near the soundboard for the evening and waited some more.
Charlie Mars was on first, at 7pm. I really had a hard time getting in to him. He played everything acoustic and I think that was why. It really didn’t get my pumped and he even commented that Hanson shows might have been better if he brought his whole band to back him.
Hanson took the stage at 8pm and started with the tour namesake song, Musical Ride. 6 songs in they started with Middle of Nowhere and the songs were mixed in, they didn’t do the album in order or anything like that. (But in between songs I kept counting out what songs they did and what were still to come because 14 years later I still have that tracklisting memorized!)
During the acoustic set, Taylor forgot the second verse to Kiss me When You Come Home and Isaac and Zac were teasing him and asked us to sing it but then Taylor said “I just remembered it!” But we helped him out a bit. It always amazes me when a band forgets the words to their own song… but I guess they do have a lot of songs to remember!
They ended the night with an encore of With You In Your Dreams which was bit of a downer, but what are you gonna do.
After the show, I wanted to find a seat but as we walked by one of the doors, Zac walked out! A few minutes later Taylor and Isaac walked out with a gang of security.
We hung around hoping one of the guys would come out to sign, but one of the venue guys walked by and said the guys wouldn’t be coming out. This is when I announced “They said that before I got my first picture with Zac. He came out!” Turns out, history repeated itself and Zac was out by the buses. There was no barricade and I don’t do well in pushing crowds so I sent my friends up with my poster. They met him but weren’t able to get it signed. So we waited a bit and Maribeth and I ventured into the now crowd which had thinned out a bit. I was able to get my Buffalo signed and we each got a photo with Zac. By the time I got back to my car I couldn’t feel my feet, but it was worth it!