May 20 – 26, 2025
I wasn’t going to publicly share my thoughts about “that” email. I really wasn’t. But then the “Sound of Light” concert portion of Hanson Day happened and a giant elephant walked into the ballroom. And then I was part of a viral conversation with Zac outside 3CG, and well, here we are. I’ll get to all of that eventually, but now that I’ve acknowledged the elephant, I’ll say that going into Hanson Day 2025, I was absolutely on the pessimistic end of the spectrum. I assumed that all of these one-off shows this year were shows they had already contracted and were now obligated to play, and that this would be the end of Hanson. If we were lucky, maybe they’d come back and do an official farewell/anniversary tour in 2027. And so, I went to Tulsa with the mentality that this was the last Hanson Day, and likely my last trip to a city that now feels like a second home.
As for Hanson Day 2025 itself, I had a great time, and it was honestly one of my favorite Hanson Day trips. I really didn’t miss the extracurricular events at all, and the shows were great. The past few Hanson Days I’ve ended up leaving karaoke early, and last year I told myself I’d skip it going forward. So when my friends and I found out there was going to be a Pop2000 show the same night, it was an easy choice for me to pick that instead. Unpopular Hanson Fan opinion: I’ve never been all that into boy bands. The only songs I really know at all are only because the music videos were on TRL the same time as Hanson videos, and I couldn’t tell you what members or which songs are Backstreet Boys or which are *NSYNC or so-on, but I figured it’d be a fun night regardless, and I was right. My friend took notes for me, and it turns out I knew zero Ryan Cabrera songs, 1.5 LFO songs, one O-Town song, and all but two *NSYNC songs.
The Pop2000 show ended just in time for us to run back over to the Vanguard and catch most of the Mother Road Sons show; I think we only missed the first two songs. I had been hoping for the chance to see them at some point, so I’m glad they put together a show during Hanson Day. It was fun to see Isaac as a front-man, and I hope they end up recording some of their songs. And hey, Nashville would be a great market for them, should they decide to go on tour anytime soon.
On Friday, we had another opportunity to visit Food On The Move and hear about the progress they’ve been making to provide fresh produce to Tulsans in food deserts. It’s great to see how much they’ve grown (produce-wise and building-wise) since last year. I thought this year’s event was much more organized and even more delicious than last year’s, and I hope there’s a chance to go back some day, with or without future Hanson Day events.
Friday afternoon, my friends and I popped over to the art gallery. While I missed seeing Zac’s artwork, I did enjoy seeing the many Taylor photos from over the years. There were so many memories and feelings framed on the wall, and the “Runaway Run” mirror was very fitting. But, if I’m being honest, all of that felt like another sign of the end; an ode to the past without any hint of a future.
And on that note, here we are at the “Sound of Light” concert. Maybe it’s just the nature of many Hanson songs, maybe they’re giant trolls, maybe I was projecting, or maybe it’s Maybelline*, but if I thought “this is the end of Hanson” before the show, imagine how I felt after hearing the following lyrics:
These memories that we’ve got/May not amount to much, but I’m so glad that we’ve got ’em/We cannot be what we’re not/But it’s too late to get out or shed a tear for the doubt/We’re just holding on, just bracing for the worst
Can’t stop, cant break, who’s driving?/Sometimes there’s no denying/Today, I feel I can’t lose/Well I’m letting go of which I knew
Because the world goes around/Because everything changes/Because we start again/In all our different ways/Some times were on top/Some times were not/Even the sun goes down/Because the world goes around
[enter all of “Young and Dumb” here]
Aside from unexpectedly crying over “Make It Out Alive” of all songs, I thought the show was great, and the setlist was exactly what I hope for at every members’ only event. I also had a moment of remembering how miserable I was the last time I was at Cain’s, and I found myself feeling so grateful that I’m in a much better place now, both physically and emotionally (although still not 100% physically).
Saturday night’s show was essentially what I expected it to be. I’m glad “Every Time We Touch” made the set list, “Down” is always the right choice, and I was pleasantly surprised to hear “Tearing It Down”. The dance party was a dance party, and it was fun to see everyone’s costumes this year. While I won’t be attending Bonnaroo (it’s in my neck of the woods, but you couldn’t pay me to go), I can’t wait to hear reviews of Taylor’s DJ set there… especially if he repeats that transition from “YMCA” to “Country Roads”.
As for the unofficial State of the Band? Saturday afternoon, my friends and I went to Empire for lunch. On our way back to the hotel, we saw a crowd of fans outside 3CG getting pictures with Zac. We decided to stick around in case we got the chance to talk to him, and hung back so we wouldn’t be in the way of anyone else. Eventually he made his way over to us, and we started the conversation that you’ve probably seen floating around the fan groups. After being asked if Hanson was “quiet quitting”, Zac responded “no, that’s really not what’s happening.” He went on to explain that the time has come for them to figure out new ways to work together. You can listen to his explanation yourself and come to your own conclusions, but my take away is that three things happened concurrently: the band needs time to figure out what they want to do and how they want to do it moving forward, the venue for BTTI changed and won’t work as well for what Hanson wants BTTI to look like, and Hanson.net is outdated and they need a new way of reaching the fan base.**
If I’m being honest, as much as I love BTTI and Hanson Day and look forward to the members’ only EP each year, they have all become sort of copy + paste, lather, rinse, repeat, year after year. I haven’t been shy about sharing my feelings that I wish they’d mix things up, though I haven’t had any of my own ideas to offer. If time away is what they need to come back with fresh ideas and inspiration, then I’m all for it. I told Zac I didn’t want them to do anything out of obligation to us, and I mean that sincerely. As much as I would love lots of concerts, events, and music, if their heart isn’t in it, then it won’t be the quality I know they’re capable of. And I certainly don’t want anything at the expense of their relationships with each other, their families, or their mental health. While I no longer believe this is the end of Hanson, I do think there will be some undetermined amount of time off (or at least a slower schedule), and that when they come back, it’ll be worth the wait.
“The truth is, nobody knows what the future holds for Hanson, or for the music business. We just had to do something, because the current system is broken.” – Zac Hanson, Strong Enough To Break Documentary
Disclaimers:
*The brand/slogan, not Taylor’s youngest child with a different spelling
**Please note this is only my opinion and interpretation based on what Zac said to one small group of fans on one particular day. It is entirely possible I misunderstood, or that other Hansons told other fans different things. It’s also entirely possible that what Zac said one day, is not what Isaac, Taylor, or Zac will say another day. I’m definitely sure that I’m not sure that Hanson’s sure, and things can and likely will change with time.
Scream And Be Frees 