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I've Never Been To Heaven, But I've Been To Oklahoma: Hanson @ The Hotel Cafe - June 29, 2007
Under the moniker, Sacred Fools, Hanson played a secret show at the Hotel Café on Friday to promote their upcoming record, The Walk (July 24 / 3CG). More than a handsome-band gimmick and no longer the teeny mmmboppers of the late 90's, the brothers H have grown into confident and relaxed professionals, blessedly talented musicians, and gifted vocalists with three-part harmonies that borderline on supernatural.
Zac, in dark tight Levis, Taylor with a flowing, draped scarf, and Isaac with a sharp, short hair-do, stayed true to their grass-roots, goodypop sound on the new material, but the rock is in there. They played a few covers, most notably, Never Been To Spain, Feelin' Alright, Ain't No Sunshine, and Long Train Runnin'.
Now for the clairvoyance. They brought up on stage a few collaborators for a couple of songs, and though the sound got bigger, something was not the same. As a three-o they are unstoppable, but if you’re not a genetic match, the sound doesn’t quite jive. Some variety of DNA-ESP must go into effect when they perform, because when these other musicians were thrown into the mix, the intangible, paranormal quality of the triple wunderkind got a little lost. I’m not sure it’s for us to understand.
Regardless, Mini Hanson, Middle Hanson and Giant Hanson are every bit the smiling Oklahoma boys you remember, but with more to say, and the musical vocabulary to express it. Is Hanson the New American Gospel? Quite possibly.
[Listen] NEVER BEEN TO SPAIN - Hanson on Howard Stern
[Watch] CHANGE IN MY LIFE - Hanson at the Hotel Café
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