NEW HANSON MUSIC MONTH 3: ONLY LOVE! + ATW STREAMING CONCERTS!!

July 2nd kicked off Hanson's 4-month Against the World (ATW) Streaming Concert Series! And on my dog's 17th birthday no less! I "attended" both nights performances and OH MAN WERE THEY WORTH IT!! It was a party and a half! I am not lying when I tell you I was jumping, dancing and singing along (out loud!) the ENTIRE TIME!! I finally got to watch on the big TV (instead of my laptop) and it was so much fun!!

Not only did Friday kick off the concert series but their 3rd single from ATW was released! I'll be honest, the first time I listened to the song, Only Love, my first impression was "...Huh. That was different." I really enjoyed the second half of the song where the chorus got really upbeat and was repeated over and over and then, are you kidding me with those harmonies at the end!? Wow! Gorgeous. I also remember thinking, after my first listen, "I think I'll like this song more when I hear it live." And I was right!! The studio version has grown on me for sure since that first listen but hearing it "live" took it to a whole 'nother level! Isaac is the lead vocalist and he KILLED IT! His voice is emotional, passionate and gravelly and fits the mood of the song perfectly. The sound has a really cool mix of rock n' roll, a ballad and gospel! And lyrically, this song has the strongest message. It definitely tells a story. It's all about love, forgiveness and redemption. Only Love is gonna save us. Preach Hanson! PREACH!!

Well, I met a lost soul on my way home from Indiana

Just another proud man still hiding from the vow on his hand

With three mouths to feed he hit the road, chasing blue-eyed horizons

And he left without a tear, without a word, no plans for coming back

And only love, is gonna save us now

I have weaknesses, she sings, as her heart beats to the rhythm of the saints

And she's running from the darkness and has dreams of getting out of this place

So with a bang and flash of light, she grabs a handful of bills from the drawer of the cash man

And she, headed south without a care, without a clue didn't give a damn

Oh and, only love is gonna save us now

Only love is gonna save us now

Only love, is gonna save us

Only love is gonna save us now

Only love

I know all to well my demons, and broken dreams

And running head-long into false plans

I get bogged down in self-doubt, dying inside, bleeding out yeah

So whether hipsters or holy rollers, we find ourselves holding court on our knees

But broken won't define you, cause love can always find you

Only love is gonna save us now

Only love, is gonna save us

Only love is gonna save us now

Only love is gonna save us

Only love

Only love is gonna save us now

Only love is gonna save us

Only love is gonna save us now

Only love is gonna save us

Ooh, when you're lost inside the pain and darkness

When it's something that you just can't live without

It is something that you just cannot leave behind

Love is something you can get

It is something you can find

Only love is gonna save us now

Only love is gonna save us now

ATW TOUR: Middle of Nowhere 🧡- July 02, 2021

Gimme Some Lovin' - AMAZING START TO THE SHOW!!! This is how they opened their Albertane tour back in '98 and they still rocked it today! Such a fun throwback! It was cute because there was a little lyric mishap right at the beginning that cracked Ike up (of course!) but Taylor wasn't fazed a bit and they handled it like the pros they are and just kept going! They are awesome!! 

Thinking Of You - A total classic! Those beginning notes make me smile! They killed it! I love hearing them sing their old songs. I loved the musical breakdown at the end! And hearing Zac belt "Flyyy with the wings of an EAGLE no matter how high!" He kills that part every time! So cute as a little 11 year old and so soulful and perfect in his mid-30's! Always gettin' better with age!

Speechless - AMAZING!! As Zac said "I think this song gets better with age." It's SO TRUE!! It blows my mind how after all these years, Hanson can still sing their old songs and make them sound so new, fresh and relevant! They have a true gift! 

Madeline - LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! They are killing it tonight!! Everyone is ON POINT! "Here we go, here we go round again!" Always 🧡

Look At You - JUST STOP. STOP IT HANSON!! Y'all are just too GOOD! Wow! I feel so spoiled to be a fan of this incredible band! They are always SPECTACULAR! I just LOVE them!

Weird - GORGEOUS!! GOOSEBUMPS! I LOVE THIS SONG! Wow, this was incredible! I could listen to this version alllll daaaaayyyy looooong!!

Lucy - Their harmonies are truly out of this world!! How they can make this cheesy song sound so gorgeous is a true testament to their skill and talent!!

Annalie - The beginning of this song gets me every time!! I love it! Gives me all the summertime feels! Such a cool vibe. 

MMMBop - Awwww!! The song that started it all! 🧡 I love it when they sing this song acoustically! That acapella, in perfect harmony ending was EVERYTHING!! 😍

With You In Your Dreams - This song is hitting a little too close to home right now...😭😭 But it's GOREOUS! Especially acoustically. Their harmonies, ahhhh!!! They are incredible! Chillzzz

Yearbook - This. Song. It's iconic! So haunting and sad. The beginning gives me goosebumps every time. The instrumentation is so beautiful. Taylor is killing it! "I keep turning to that p-AAAGE! Where did he go I wanna KNOW!"

I Will Come to You - It's the slooooow set 😊 Love it! Their harmonies shine during the ballads and I'm here for it!! 🙌 These lyrics are getting me in the my feels tonight 😥 Feeling relevant with some stuff I'm going through...

Only Love - Hanson's *NEWEST* release!! Just as I expected it's AMAZING live! Isaac's voice was made for rock n' roll! The sound of this song is so cool! It's a mix of of rock n' roll, a little gospel, a little ballad. "I know all too well my demons and broken dreams...I get bogged down in self doubt, dying inside, bleeding out. But this broken won't define you, love can always find you." 💓😭 OHMYGOSH THE ENDING HARMOINES ARE EVERYTHINNNNNG!! WOWWWWW!! 😍

Don't Ever Change - TAYLORRRRR!! 😍 LOVE THIS SONG!! So glad it sounds just as good live. as the recording. I want to hear it live (as in be there live in person) SO BAD!! So much fun! Also, Zac has glow in the dark drumsticks right now. Yes. The guitar solo!! So EPIC!! 🎸

Dressed in Brown Eyes - Such a fun song to hear live! So fun and upbeat.

A Minute Without You - YESSSS!! Isaac was ON!! This song is a blast!

Cry - I DON'T KNOW THIS SONG BUT APPARENTLY THEY WROTE IT CLEAR BACK IN 1997!! 😱 It's catchy and I love them for pulling something so rare from out of the vault! I gotta go find the original now!  

Where's The Love - Taylor leading the audience in the hand circles 😂 ("it makes the world go round and around and") Again, I'm shocked they can make a song they sang as kids sound so good now as adults! And the message of this song is CRAZY relevant for today's world.

Man From Milwaukee - They even make this crazy, goofy song catchy and fun! I guess you can do that when you have real talent! The guitar part in this song is actually super cool! I also think it's awesome they still sing a song that could be considered "childish" - considering Zac was only 11 when he wrote it! They honor ALL of their songs! They take pride in their work. That is so respectable and cool to me.

ENCORE

Been There Before: Taylor sounds amazing! This song is such a feel good 😊 Such a groove!

Money (That's What I Want): Pretty sure this was also played on their Albertane tour! Wow! Tay's soul is accentuated perfectly with this song! That boy can SAAAANG!

River: YAAAAAAYYY!!! This song is awesome!! And I was hoping they would play it! AHHHH!! A little bonus cover of I Only Wanna Be With You!! SO GOOD! I need the whole thing!! Ike's voice is perfect on this song!

ATW TOUR: This Time Around 🤎- July 03, 2021

You Never Know: Amazing song! Amazing, perfect performance! Great start to the show!! On an unrelated note, how does Taylor still look the same!? He literally has the same facial expressions, smile, etc. Man, he is aging beautifully! They all are.

Can't Stop: THEY ARE SLAYING!! AHHH!! This make me SO HAPPY! Also, I wanna give Zac props for his beautiful backing vocals during the "I want to know, how is it so" part. It was flawless! And the "tick tock, tick tock goes the clock" part was so cool acapella! The whole song was so cool and performed perfectly! Isaac's guitar solo, Tay and Zac's vocals! Wow!! I'm loving this!!

Runaway Run: Always a favorite!! Singing along and jamming out! Having a blast!

Thinkin' 'Bout Somethin': OK TAYLOR!! WOW! The way he started that song was BAAAAD!! He's in the groove tonight! This song is always a good time! Makes me wanna dance!

Dying to be Alive: SHUT UP!! I LOVE THIS SONG SO SO MUCH!! 😭🙌 My second time getting to hear it live this year and they SLAYED!! Zac totally carried this song on drums. It still somehow sounded full even without the choir which is a difficult feat I'm sure.

Save Me: A classic. And it's beautiful!

This Time Around: ALWAYS A JAM!! I love when they sing the first chorus acapella! And then the full band comes in on "And we woooon't gooo dooooowwwn!" Hanson truly ROCKS!!!

I Wish That I Was There: Yeah. I'm feeling this song right now in a BIG WAY. ZAC'S VOICE SOUNDS SO WONDERFUL!! AND THEIR HARMONIES ARE ON POINT!! Zac: "You may be wondering what that song is called." Ike: "It's called 'When You're Not Here' right?" Zac: "Right! Aka "Wish That I Was There." 😂

A Song to Sing: Perfection. There's no other words. They sing this song perfectly every time. Ugh. Gorgeous!! The piano sounds especially good to me right now.

Love Song: Wow! This is the best I have ever heard them sing this song! Especially Ike! He hit every note and sang with so much heart and passion!! So beautiful and emotional!! Love, love, loved it! And Zac with those backing vocals again! His "Oooo's" were perfection!

Sure About It: LOVE THIS SONG!! And I loved hearing this full band version! They usually play this one acoustically but with the drums it brought it to a different level!

Hand in Hand: Ike always KILLS this song! SO.MUCH.PASSION!!! I really love the lyrics "I can't seem to bridge the gap from my mind to reality." Just thought I'd mention that.

Annalie: Such a fun summer song!! Makes me happy!

Only Love: Ike messed up right at the end of the first verse and said "I'm gonna do that verse again because I'm not going to allow myself to get away with that." I loved that his brothers had his back! Zac and Tay started singing the words when Ike forgot. Even after he re-started (and they went right along with it) he messed up AGAIN (same spot) and they filled in for him again!! It was so sweet! Love them! The chorus is so funky and cool! And the ending slaps! They're such show offs! 😉

Don't Ever Change: "You give me courage not to compromise." "But you never give me than I can handle." Love these lyrics! 🤎 "Your my first days thought and my last nights prayer!" This song has such a classic rock n' roll, 80's vibe! A freaking blast!!

Smile: SO FUN! Though I would have lost my dang mind if they had played Wake Up! Still waiting for when that day comes..."I just want to make a music video to this song with people taking off their masks...like maybe a creepy dentist commercial." - Zac 😂

MMMBop: WHAT A FREAKING BLAST!! They played the full band version and they sang is as perfectly as if they've been singing it for 24 years 😉 But really, they didn't miss a beat!

If Only: TAYLOR JUMPING WHILE PLAYING THE OPENING ON THE HARMONICA WILL NEVER GET OLD!!! I still need to hear this song live and in person so I can jump along with him! 🤞 Before he gets too old and tired to do it anymore! That will be a sad day! Where does he find the energy to do that multiple times throughout the song is what I'd like to know! Especially when he doesn't even sound out of breath when he starts singing! He's a beast! And Zac killing it on those back up vocals again!

Magic Carpet Ride (cover): They sang this in Live From the Fillmore! So fun to hear them sing it again now! Isaac was on lead vocals and wow! He is fantastic! THIS WHOLE SHOW HAS BEEN ABSOLTUELY PERFECT IN EVERY WAY!! Not a single weak moment! Even when Ike messed up on the lyrics, he still sounded fabulous!

In the City: THAT TRANSITION INTO IN THE CITY THOUGH!!! 😲🙌 AND TAYLOR IS JUMPING AROUND LIKE AN ANIMAL AGAIN AND YET STILL ABLE TO SING WITH TOTAL CONTROL AND PERFECT PITCH!! I CAN'T GET OVER HOW TALENTED THIS BAND IS!!  🤎

ENCORE

Lost Without Each Other: Always a fun, high energy song! Zac going crazy on the drums at the end...😂

Crazy Beautiful: They always play this song well but I really wanna hear Tay play is as a solo again, just him and the piano. That version is my favorite; breathtaking!