You, too, can walk with Hanson:
Although the Hanson brothers haven’t had much mainstream success since “MMMBop” ruled the Top-40 airwaves, they have had a remarkably successful career as a touring act, performing for pockets of loyal fans around the globe. In fact, even in the wake of their acrimonious 2001 split with their former label, Island Def Jam, the group managed to sustain itself by touring.
Now on their own indie label, 3CG Records, the group has had a more modest kind of success, with a significant portion of their fan base now located in Japan, Europe and Australia. And those aren’t the only changes: To the devastation of my middle-school friends, the Hanson brothers are all married men, and Isaac and Taylor are fathers.
Hanson’s moderate international success has also sparked an interest in global humanitarian issues. Last year, the group released The Walk, an album that blends their tried-and-true pop sound with a humanitarian message inspired from their travels through Africa. The group even holds one-mile barefoot walks before their shows to raise awareness of AIDS and poverty—and they encourage their fans to join them.
who: Hanson, with Stephen Kellogg & The Sixers and Kate Voegele
what: Pure pop, with a pinch of message
where: Orange Peel
when: Monday, May 5. 8 p.m. ($28. The band’s one-mile barefoot walk takes place at 3 p.m. outside The Orange Peel, and is free and open to the public. http://www.theorangepeel.net or 225-5851)