Hanson

Meredith Schneider and Samantha Laroy / The USD Vista

Who hears the word “MMMBop” and makes anything more of it than jibberish? As of recent, the Indie music scene has been singing along to Hanson songs. Has this treasured anthem of the summer of 1997 come back to haunt us? Perhaps it has, but not in the way that one might expect. No, Hanson is not dead. In fact, the pop trio never left the music scene, they only changed theirs.

Isaac, 28, Taylor, 25, and Zac, 23, have developed from teeny bop sensations to talented young entrepreneurs and philanthropists, in addition to artists. These men have been operating under their surname for over a decade and, although their more recent music has not reached such infamy as their first No. 1 hit single, they are still multi-talented. Writing, singing and playing their own instruments, these boys have added “husband” and “father” to their lists of occupations.

Taylor and wife, Natalie, have three children, Isaac and wife, Nikkie, have a son and the youngest of the trio, Zac, now has a son with wife, Kate.

What else has this trio been up to lately that you might not have known? Following 1997’s “Middle of Nowhere” and 1999’s hit album “This Time Around,” the three boys found themselves in an identity battle with their record label. After a long struggle, Hanson shelled out their hard-earned cash to create their own record label, titled “3CG” after their first album, “3 Car Garage.” The struggle proved to be fruitful, causing them to shift their sound as well as write emotion-infused lyrics for their next mainstream album.

Underneath” was released in the spring of 2004. A song you may recognize from this release is “Penny & Me.”
A documentary of their struggle, “Strong Enough to Break,” was released in 2005 and was showed at the 2006 Hollywood Film festival. Hanson also did a U.S. college tour allowing students to view the documentary and it can now be downloaded from iTunes.

Hanson recorded their newest album, “The Walk,” released spring 2007, in Africa. They spent time there educating themselves about AIDS. Their interest in helping find a cure fanned into their everyday lives, and they now walk a mile before every show they play to inspire change in their fans. Aslo, part of the proceeds from their merchandise sales will fund AIDS prevention.

Hanson played their last show of “The Walk Around the World Tour” at the San Diego House of Blues on Nov. 16. At 3 p.m., they joined their fans in a two-mile barefoot walk around downtown San Diego to raise money to buy shoes for children in Africa.

Everybody Else and Matt Wertz opened for Hanson. Because it was the last show on the tour, mischief ensued while Hanson played pranks on their openers during their sets. One such prank was tying Wertz and his friend Nate’s shoes together while they were playing their acoustic set.

Somehow, Hanson has kept the magic alive throughout the years. They had everyone on their feet, jumping and singing along to each song. Their set list included songs from their new EP as well as songs from previous albums. “MMMBop” was played for old times’ sake, as it is at every one of their shows. The mixture of acoustic and electric songs kept the mood fluctuating throughout the performance. The end of the night included a cake fight with the audience to celebrate Isaac’s 28th birthday.