Hanson Manila “Shout It Out” Tour at the Smart Araneta Coliseum

 

 

When In Manila and the Philippines, despite Hanson‘s insistence that they’re independent artists who want to push forward their music rather than their popularity, the largely female crowd that swarmed to the Hanson Manila concert last March 30, 2012 cemented Hanson‘s status as a boy band in these shores.

 

 

I’m not a fan of boy bands. Wait, rinse and repeat: I’m NOT A FAN of boy bands. And I’m pretty sure Hanson wouldn’t appreciate this bit about them being a boy band. Damn their good looks.  Damn the cameraman (or woman) for always shooting a close-up on Zac. Damn the chorale of screams every time Zac brushes his hair back. Damn every woman beside me for whispering, “Ang gwapo…” (“He’s so handsome!”) and letting out a sigh before resuming their judicious shrieking. Truth be told, if we throw out all these “distractions” and listen to the music, Hanson Manila was honest-to-goodness an enjoyable experience for an audiophile as myself.

 

 

 

The girls were shouting, screaming, shrieking every time Zac, Zac, and Zac was on the screen.

 

Hanson Manila was a 20-song concert that sampled the brothers’ range of musical influence. Their set list alternated between the Rock N’ Roll inspired tunes and the Bluesy rhythms that comprise most of their music. Kicking things off with “Waiting For This”, “Where’s the Love”, and “Thinking of You”; mellowing down in the second set with acoustic versions of “Strong Enough To Break”, “Deeper”, and “Wish That I Was There”; and closing out with “Penny and Me”, “MMMBop”, and “If Only”; Hanson Manila played the best of their music as the crowd cheered and sang with them the tunes they grew up with as children and adolescents.

 

 

 The sea of fans tirelessly raised their arms to capture and record Hanson Manila’s performances.

 

The brothers made sure that Hanson Manila was a personal and interactive experience for everyone.  Taylor unceasingly prompted the crowd to get involved in the songs they played. Whether you knew the song or not, you had a part in Hanson Manila.

 

 Taylor stood numerous times as he played the keyboards and jumped up and down while he played his harmonica. Boy, this guy doesn’t tire!

 

Personally, my favorite for the night was “Penny and Me”. I was singing it days after the concert. “If Only” was a great selection for their supposed last song. Taylor was jumping up and down with everyone – playing his harmonica at the same time! Feel-good, trippy, makes you want to sway and dance, Hanson Manila was a pleasantly unique concert experience for someone who would list the Deftones as his best concert experience to date.

 

When In Manila, the Hanson brothers showed that they still have the cult following akin to a boy band. But such a status isn’t necessarily evil. Hanson Manila witnessed a “boy band” that has incredible musical talent to back their boyish good looks up. Three cheers for independent artists, I say!

 

 

Hanson Manila “Shouts It Out” to an Intimate Crowd at the Coliseum: An Ode to Hanson’s Cult Status as a Boy Band