How many of you love music out there? How many of you have some sort of soul connection with music or your favorite band? Can you relate to a band or song resonating with you so deep that it gets you through the tough times? Does it relax you and bring you to your happy place? How many of you have grown up with your favorite band? If you answered yes to even one of these questions than you might appreciate this post!
I became a Hanson fan in 1997. Yep…THAT Hanson. And yes they are still around.
I don’t think I had the Middle of Nowhere Cassette until middle of that summer. I remember it vividly. I was up in Port Elgin Ontario (my favorite place to this very day) where my parents have a trailer in a family campground. We took a trip to Radio Shack for my brother to pick up some cassettes he was interested in. I picked up two cassettes (not really knowing much about them) No Doubt and a band called HANSON – Middle of Nowhere. We ventured back to the campground and in the lazy hazy afternoon sun, I grabbed my handy dandy Walkman, stuck in the Hanson cassette and laid out on the picnic table. Thinking of you started to blast into my ears, and that was it. My life would be forever changed.
It was a good Summer…the summer of no cares. The summer of lemon juice in my hair and baby oil on my legs. Getting lost in the Middle of Nowhere. However…I went through some tough times after that summer and Hanson and their music REALLY got me through. I resonated so much with those lyrics and they are forever stuck in my brain. Of course, my family thought it was a fad but here we are over 20 years later…
For your listening pleasure….
I can’t really say what drew me into Hanson. I remember my grandmother pointing them out to me on TV and I found them cute and the music catchy and light hearted. Hellooo….I was just a young girl! I was 10 years old when I first bought that cassette.
MMMBOP – OK so they have grown up 😉 Like a fine wine they continue to get better with age.
I might not know much in the grand scheme of things but I do know that the music helped me get through some of the hardest times of my life. I immersed myself into the community which is a culture all on it’s own. Like a tight knit family where everyone knows your name.
I guess on a larger scale though, looking back on it now with a spiritual perception, perhaps someone KNEW that I would need Hanson and their music to get me through those difficult times. The friendships and experiences I gained from being a Hanson fan kept me coming back for more. When you become attached and interested in someone or something that young – you feel like you truly know them. It’s kind of hard to break a bond like that. Very few understand that and that’s ok! I had somewhat of a difficult childhood and would often get lost in the online Hanson world – the Hanson forums and Hanson chat. Sometimes I think that the Hanson world saved me. They have built an amazing culture of fans and friends over their online website and forums over at Hanson.net
I have a hard time choosing favorite Hanson songs. Every song takes me on a journey. I will say that I have favorite albums overall one being Middle of Nowhere for sentimental reasons. The bands first legit album released by a major record label. I could listen to that album over and over again and be transported back to 1997.
Being a Hanson fan has taken me on some special journeys. From about age 10 to 17 I stuck to mainly Canadian concerts around Ontario. When I was 18 I took my first trip to see Hanson for “Hanson day” and Mayfest in their hometown of Tulsa Oklahoma. Despite reservations from my parents, I boarded a greyhound bus with a childhood Hanson fan friend Rita and it took us two days to get there! That’s what I would call dedication. The first picture below is Rita and I meeting for the first time. I think I was 12 here. The second picture is us before we boarded a Greyhound for Tulsa! FREEDOM! We still keep in touch today – which is pretty cool 🙂
I have many memories stored away when it comes to Hanson however a TOP memory would be travelling to the UK for tour in 2013. I won a meet and greet through Hanson.net and was able to get front row to the Glasgow show which was amazing! Standing in front row listening to the most amazing band perform is always a dream come true.
It meant a lot to me as Scotland is my ancestral home and visiting the country as a whole was surreal for me! I will always enjoy the music and Hanson as a band first and foremost however, what I enjoyed perhaps on the same level as the actual shows was getting together with friends from my online Hanson world after so many years of just talking to them and their hospitality of taking me in for the tour! Getting front row, talking to the band, getting pictures with the band – I am not so desperate for. That stuff is just the cherry on top. The friendships that have been created THANKS to this band is what means the most.
As sappy as this may sound, Hanson and their music have taught me and inspired me to realize the importance of community and friendship above all else, a friendship created over one common bond. If I had to choose three words to describe Hanson and their music I would have to choose, transcending, memories and harmony. Together they have been able to blend all three and reach 21 years together as a successful band. Not to mention they have all grown 3 beautiful families and managed to stay out of the usual “rock star in the limelight drama and troubles”. They come from a great family and all have a good head on their shoulders. They have crossed over into many different avenues including world and local charity work, they have partnered with Toms shoes, created an annual beer festival in their hometown of Tulsa Oklahoma which gains huge crowds and attracts top brewers from all over the world, released their own craft beer, not to mention created their own independent record label and released their albums through that after 2001. They write and produce all of their own music and also enjoy collaborating with other artists.
Just sayin…they are not your typical “drop in the ocean boy band” that lasted for 10 seconds. Although, many folks might think that. No..they definitely stand the test of time.
This past Christmas Hanson released their second full Christmas album and I was super excited because they went on tour to support that album! I was in my happy place being able to take Brent to see them (third row!!) in Toronto and have him experience such an awesome part of my life! He was such a good sport 😉 plus there was beer! He clapped along with the music, laughed at the guys nerdy jokes and was actually particularly blown away by the song and performance of Joy To The Mountain. Please check it out!
If you care to spare some moments – check out a full live Hanson concert here and enjoy! I would love to know your thoughts on the music!
If I could say anything to Hanson right now it would be as simple as this – thank you Hanson, for taking away some of the loneliness of my childhood and for giving me some of the most amazing friends when I needed them the most. Thank you for writing lyrics that resonated with me and spoke to me in the happiest times and the sad times too.
Do you have a favorite band or singer that you have followed for a long time? Do you catch many shows?? It’s such a great stress reliever!
Until Next Time
Keep calm and MMMBOP on!!!
XO Jocelyn
Intuitively Healing 