Valentine’s Day with Hanson

Tuesday night, Valentine’s Day, Hanson had a show at Northern Lights in Clifton Park, NY. Being the show was in the middle of the week, for a while I wasn’t sure if I’d end up going – but then I figured I had to. I’ve never had plans for Valentine’s Day and spending it with my favorite band would be a pretty awesome thing, even if it did mean driving 2.5 hours there and 2.5 hours back for a 1.5 hour set from them!

For some reason I had convinced myself doors were at 6, but they were really at 7. The show kicked off at 8 with 3/4 of “Wild Arctic” (I think that’s what they said their name was) performing. I sat down and didn’t pay much attention to their set at all. Then I spotted a few of my friends so we caught up a bit.

At 9pm it was time for Hanson! I was hoping for some rarer love songs since it was Valentine’s Day and all, but really, no such luck. (I’m never going to hear Love Somebody To Know live!) Running a Hanson fansite (hansonstage.com), I am pretty up to date on what their setlists have been on the Canadian tour they just finished – and this show was not much different. However! They did go off their “rehearsed” stage banter and talked a bit about it being Valentine’s day and thanked us for spending it with them (and Zac and Isaac asked if we would be their valentines. Isaac said something about that being a LOT of valentines and Zac replied that he was a whole lot of man or something to that effect lol!) Then at one point Taylor said there were a lot of guys there (there were! and they all at some point or another seemed to play “air piano”) and then said something about “all 27 of you”.

This show was actually a make up for one in October that got canceled due to the band being sick. They apologized and dedicated “Wish That I Was There” to those of us who had tickets to the show that got canceled.

For their solos – they went a little different than usual (but nothing I’d never heard before) Zac said that he had several requests but none of the songs were romantic so he sang “Need You Now”, a song about his wife (ew.) Isaac came out for his solo and said he opted to sing something that WASN’T romantic and sang Being Me (probably my least fave Isaac song… oh… EVER! Although it struck something in me that night.) and then Taylor did one of my FAVORITE solos of his, Love Me, an Elvis cover. It was this string of songs (and With You In Your Dreams that followed) where I was tearing up. Why? I don’t know.

They finished out their set with a bunch of my old favorites – Hey and Lost Without Each Other to name a few. Then for the encore I was hoping there’d be something new… but nope! Ah well, it was still a great show even if it has been a while since I’ve heard a song that I’ve never heard live before. I guess that is what you get when you’ve seen them 65 times. (The last time I heard something new live was actually October – so, really, ignore my complaining but I used to get 1-2 new songs every show for a while so they have spoiled me!)

A couple of observations – during the show security was trying to get 2 girls to leave. I’m assuming they were drunk.  One was really fighting him taking them towards the door – so much so he PICKED HER UP and carried her outside.  Her friend followed and seemed like she was fighting him as well.   When the show was over, I walked to my car and the girls behind me got in to the car next to me.  The driver screamed out something like “omg!” and picked up a HUGE box of chocolates from her windsheild.  Her boyfriend (I assume) came by during the show, found her car and left them for her!

The ride home got a little crazy when it started to SNOW! But it turned to rain by the time I got home, at 2am. Then I couldn’t fall asleep until 4am… AND I still made it to work on time.  And now I get to do it all again tonight – but in New Jersey!

Waiting for this
Thinking bout somethin
Where’s the love
This time around
Crazy beautiful
Strong enough to break
Deeper
Penny and me
Wish that I was there
Sunny Day / Cecelia
Zac solo-need you now
Isaac solo-being me
Taylor solo-love me
With you in your dreams
Oh darlin
Been there before
Minute without you
Give a little
Hey
Mmmbop
Lost without each other
If only

Voice in the chorus
Somethin goin round