Hanson w/ The Grand Southern• September 7, 2022• The Depot
Reviewed and Photographed by Jenica Schulz
The Depot hosted a jam-packed show on September 7th with openers The Grand Southern and headliner Hanson on their Red Green Blue 2002 Tour.
THE GRAND SOUTHERN
This duo of Jesse Tyre Karp (vocals, guitar) and Dash Hutton (vocals, drums) join us from Southern California with a cheerful indie-folk vibe on their first nationwide tour. After three years’ worth of songwriting and studio time, they debut their first full-length album “Don’t Say Anything.” The difficult task of openers set the mood for the rest of the evening. But these guys had the crowd swaying back and forth and clapping through their entire set. This definitely won’t be the last we hear of this talented duo!
HANSON
It’s been nearly 30 years since Pop Rock band Hanson first formed with “MMMbop” leading the helm, and if that’s still the only song you know from their repertoire, you are probably missing out.
Hanson marched onto the stage for a crowd of die-hard fans that have been patiently waiting years for their return, likely singing along to their songs since their first mass-released 1997 album “Middle of Nowhere.” The chords of a familiar tune “A Minute Without You” start to play and hordes of millennials scream as they start to sing along.
The band, Isaac, Taylor, and Zac became heavy hitters in the mid 1990s while signed to Mercury Records. After three major record releases, the band decided to leave the label to form 3CG Records under their own management. Since then, they have successfully released seven other studio albums (plus several other EPs and acoustic albums) and performed over 1,000 shows. It’s safe to say they’re doing well.
The two-hour setlist consisted of 24 songs ranging from an array of their 10 studio albums and a beautiful rendition of The Beatles “With a Little Help from My Friends” that gave newcomers something to hum along to.
If you haven’t attended a Hanson show before, you’ll be impressed to find the brothers playing musical chairs with their instruments as well as taking turns as lead singers. Zac took center stage and played an acoustic version of their new single “Annalie.” Taylor swapped places on the drum kit mid-set, and Isaac (guitarist) was a born frontman as he took charge in amping the crowd up and cracking jokes between breaks.
“How many of you in the crowd have been to our show before?” he asks. Hundreds of hands are raised.
“It’s great to see so many of you back! But if this is your first time, chances are this next song will sound familiar.” MMMbop starts to play hundreds of phones are lifted up to record the sounds of 90’s childhood. There’s no doubting the talent of these three with beautiful harmonies and impressive guitar riffs. The boys credit a lot of their inspiration from legends like Tom Petty, The Beatles, Sammy Davis Jr., and The Temptations.
The show ends with an encore of “Get the Girl Back” and “Lost Without Each Other.” The band then grabs hands and takes a bow, waving to the cheering audience. The Hanson fans are loyal and here to stay. There’s no doubt when they return, they will be graciously welcomed by thousands eager to watch them perform.
