TLS and her road partner from the Albertane Tour, Regina, JUST returned from the Indianapolis concert, and let me tell ya....out of the eight wonderful, awesome times she has seen them live, this was the best yet!

"I'll be satisfied when I feel like I know I've affected somebody, changed somebody, and they walk out going, 'Damn, that was good!'"~TAYLOR

Well, let me tell ya, that is exactly what I left saying last night in Indy.

Let me just say a few things before I get into the actual show....I am really getting into the theater venues on this tour. The more intimate settings create such an exciting atmosphere and these places have a lot more character and history than the big impersonal venues from '98. The Murat in Indianapolis was a *beautiful* theater-my favorite one so far.

AND....the Indy fans were so cool. They were so NICE to each other, and as far as *I* could see, there wasn't any pushing, seat jumping, seat stealing, standing in seats, holding signs in front of other people, or any other obnoxious behavior like we all usually see and hear about. LOL. Best of all....for the most part, everyone LISTENED to the songs, and it was actually possible to HEAR the beautiful harmonies on "Lucy" and the other acoustic songs without having your eardrums pierced by shrill shrieks at inappropriate times. Most folks waited to cut loose AFTER the songs, and that made it all even more enjoyable for everyone. So, next time Hanson ever plays Indianapolis, I'll be there again. Indy fans...ya'll ROCK! :)

We were so excited to find that Hanson.net came through yet again...we had fourth row seats, DIRECTLY in front of Mr. Luscious himself---AGAIN. (God must know that TLS NEEDS that stuff to live, so he graciously arranged those tickets especially for her. LOL)

So.....as soon as Hanson walked out on the stage, we could tell it was going to be AWESOME. Don't get me wrong, it is ALWAYS beyod awesome. But when all three guys are REALLY into it at the same time, then you know you are in for a real ride. And one look at their faces, and we KNEW. They were in rare form, ready to blow us away. Zac was all smiles, really into the drumming, Isaac was the Guitar God, all over the stage, making those cool faces he makes when he is doing some really cool riff..and Taylor. Oh my, oh MY................we all know Taylor ALWAYS puts his entire heart, body, and soul into every performance, but man...when he came out on that stage, he had it...that SMILE. That wonderful, brilliant, thousand-watt smile. The one that tells you he is so happy to be there and wants to do this more than anything in the whole world. He was SO gorgeous last night. I mean, we all know that TLS thinks there is nothing prettier and sexier in the universe than Taylor Hanson. BUT....he surpassed even his usual self in Indy. He looked so good that TLS had to look away a few times because she just couldn't TAKE it. LOL. SERIOUSLY. All night, I was turning to Regina, going: Isn't he so EDIBLY DELICIOUS????????? Ahhhh..................and I had JUST been saying I like his hair just a bit longer, but I don't know you guys....it looked mighty good last night!

Just a few highlights:

Taylor's BEAUTIFUL smile.

Zac announcing that they would be doing a song that had never been performed live before, and what did we get? BRIDGES OF STONE! WooHOO! Dang, that is one good song!

Taylor's GORGEOUS smile.

"Piece of My Heart". TLS loves it when Hanson sings that song SOOO much that she nearly loses consciousness from excitement when it starts. "Oh, come on, come on, come on, come on and take it, take another little piece of my heart now, baby!" Oh YEAH!!!!! Hanson rocks so much!

Taylor's TERRIFIC smile.

Isaac and Taylor SHARING THE MIC on "In the City". OMG! That one thing has to be THE highlight of every single concert. TLS just stood there with her mouth gapped open and forGOT to take a picture of this moment. Oh man, oh, man...OH MAN.

Taylor's DAZZLING smile.

Taylor's JEANS! Yeah, baby! Nothing beats a sexy guy in faded jeans. AND TLS and Taylor had on practically the same shoes, and he also had the seam of his jeans cut at the bottom just the way some of TLS's are cut. Gotta wear those all the time now! LOL.

Taylor's BRILLIANT smile.

When Taylor bows to the band when they introduce Scott, Jason, and Matt. Isn't that the COOLEST thing? AND we can check out...those jeans a little bit better too. LOL.

Taylor's RADIANT smile.

Isaac's coolio guitar solos and glittery pants!

Taylor's LOVELY smile.

The ADORABLY wonderful stray strand of hair hanging out of Zac's ponytail through at least the first part of the show. {{ZAC}}

AND, of course, the thing TLS loved the most: That Taylusciously marvelous smile, so close I could see those sexy little spaces between! Yeah, BABY! (Have I said that before???)

Anyway, it was a wonderful concert, as all Hanson shows are, but the one at The Murat moved up to the number 1 slot on TLS's list.

************************************************************* FLORIDA SHOWS

Wow! Where do I begin?! I had almost a full week of Hanson-mania and it was the best time of my life, or at least it ranks up there really, really high with my all time favorite lifetime experiences. I'll just start at the beginning...

It all started with TC meeting TLS at the airport at 12:30 a.m Saturday morning.....an omen that there would be little sleep over the next few days. But when we're talking about Hanson, sleep becomes secondary. :) After a few hours of rest, we got up Saturday morning, got ready and hit the road in TC's cool convertible, headed for Fort Lauderdale! When we arrived at the Sunrise Musical Theater, we were more than pleased to find that we had really good seats, according to the seating chart posted on the wall. Hanson.net preferred seating seemed to be working quite well so far!

Two big blue buses were parked in the parking lot all the while, but we didn't stick around too long because we were sure that Hanson was really nowhere on the premises, so TC and TLS went in search of a hotel so we could get ready for the big night. Finally a suitable place was found after much deliberation, and after debating on just which outfit would be absolutely perfect to wear to the show, we were on our way back to the Sunrise.

We hung out near the building, watching as fans streamed in to line up and as girls tried to win some sort of radio contest. Finally, we noticed that some people were getting inside, just in time before it began raining, so we hurried to do the same. On our way to our places, each ticket taker and checker felt the need to comment on what GREAT seats we had, so we were getting more excited as we neared the stage. Finally we reached our destination....second row, right in front of Taylor himself. It could not have gotten more perfect!

TC and TLS were ecstatic to find that the seats directly in front of them were occupied by some folks who didn't intend to stand up and block their perfect view of The Edible One. :) After a pretty good performance by Neve, finally it was TIME! Of course, TLS, being so near Taylor, was for the most part in a trance the entire evening, staring and trying not to drool. We were so close to the stage that we could count each individual bead of sweat on that lovely perfect neck! WOOHOO! The show rocked, of course, and the highlights of the show for TLS BESIDES the sweat beads were when the guys sang Stories (her favorite Hanson song of all time), Piece of My Heart, and of course, In the City, because the ultimate Hansony moment is when Tay and Isaac share the mike: SEX-Y!!! It was also VERY cool when Zac took his hair down and head banged, and when they start If Only. WHY that is, I am not sure, because IO is not TLS's most favorite of all Hanson songs, but somehow, when that song begins, there is nothing more exciting....must be all that energy from Tay jumping around! :) Oh, and he was wearing one of those lovely black wife beaters AND his pants from the Fillmore! TLS has watched that concert on Direct TV enough times to know them anywhere!

Of course, we have all heard by now about the unpleasantness that took place near the end of the show at this venue, with the girls jumping onto the stage. How dumb is that, anyhow? AS IF Taylor would be interested in anyone who would cut into his performance like that...sheesh! But anyway, what happened was, during In The City, there was a huge surging forward of the crowd toward the stage because everyone knows that Taylor is going to get down near the front and shake hands with the audience, and there were just too few security guys to handle the sheer volume of people.

I think it was three girls who got up on the stage and grabbed onto Tay, and he kept right on singing and trying to perform despite this, love his heart! By this time, TLS was wondering and worrying where the hell WAS someone to get these piranhas OFF of her baby, when somehow they finally WERE gotten off, but she was really too dazed to realize exactly how it all happened. But, Isaac was ready for the chaos to end, so they stopped the song, and said goodbye quickly and left the stage....without their bow or anything, of course. Who can blame them? TOO bad those few people had to ruin the end for everyone else. BUT despite that, the show ROCKED...but what else can you expect from Hanson?

So, after a day of traveling and visiting, Monday morning arrived, and we decided to check out the rumors we had heard that Hanson would be signing autographs at the Melbourne Square Mall that afternoon. TLS made the phone call, and we were shocked to learn that YES, it was actually TRUE! So, we again made the agonizing decision about what to wear and high tailed it across the Sunshine State to Melbourne (FLORIDA, that is, NOT Australia!). Apparently, we went in by way of a back entrance, because we saw no sign of any excitement...only a single flyer outside of a music store mentioning the Hanson appearance. BUT, as we kept walking toward the center of the mall, screams could start to be heard, and sure enough, we found that already there was quite a small crowd gathered, despite it being hours before The Arrival Of Hanson.

We took our place in the back of the line, and filled out endless forms to try to win backstage passes to the next evening's concerts. We struck up a conversation with a very cool guy fan who turned out later to be our good luck charm. (Hey, ROBERT!!! :) ) At last, half an hour late (you know that famous Hanson time frame!!) Taylor, Isaac and Zac arrived!! Screams erupted, and the flimsy police tape barricade that was supposed to form the line was knocked down, and the Great Crush of 2000 began. LUCKY for us, we happened to be on the side that people were going to be going up onstage on, and we got crushed/pushed/pulled along toward the steps. As the crowd became tighter, TLS decided to hold onto our new pal's shirt since he managed to get in front of us, and TC hung onto TLS's belt loop so we could stay together.

After an eternity, with some tense moments when we wondered if we would be able to breathe again, we neared the front of the line, where the security guy was letting people onto the stage area in small groups. Trying not to fall on her butt on the slick floor where some genius had spilled a drink, knowing she would be trampled to death if she DID fall, TLS managed to finally dig her TTA single out to have it signed. Taylor was the first one in the line at the table, and of COURSE TLS had to do something stupid and stuck out the WRONG hand to shake. LOL! AND of course, she doesn't remember WHAT the heck she SAID to the rock god, but she CAN remember that he was divine, divine, divine!! Luscious! Edible! Breathtakingly beautiful! And very sweet. :) AND his hands were warm and soft and felt JUST like she THOUGHT they would feel!!

Then she moved on down to Isaac, who said hi and smiled that gorgeous smile of his, and then to ZAC...man, alive! What a handsome dude HE is, and what a killer smile...and a killer handshake too! :) All too quickly, I found myself back on the floor of the mall, managed to meet back up with TC and our new guy friend, and we talked about our experiences. Then it was finally time for 3 quick songs, Sure About It, If Only, and This Time Around. Once those were over, our new buddy told us that he had found THE BUS, and led us through the catacombs of the mall and out an exit, where we beheld...THE BUS!!! So we waited a minute or two, and then Isaac and Zac came out, followed in a minute by Taylor, then Walker, along with security and Hanson staff. Our new friend and I held the door open for them as if we were part of mall security, as cool as a cucumber, and TLS stood there supposedly like the assistant door holder, but probably only managed to look just like an idiot, while TC managed to go on down the sidewalk and snap a few pictures and tell Taylor they rocked Ft. Lauderdale, and he said "Thank you." Taylor seemed very sweet, apologizing to the small crowd that had managed to find THE BUS that he couldn't stop and have pictures taken or do any more autographs, and they got on the bus, stood in the front and waved, and they were off!

TLS and TC were more than thrilled by this turn of events! We said our goodbyes to our new guy friend, then took our leisurely time walking to our car on the other side of the mall, which may as well have been Siberia. We even stopped at Mickey D's for cokes, then decided what the heck, we would head on up to Daytona to catch the guys at their appearance at Adventure Landing later in the evening.

While driving along, we were ecstatic to hear a radio interview the guys were doing live from their bus about the autograph signing they had just done and the upcoming concert the next night. TLS mentioned to TC that wouldn't it be the COOLEST thing if we caught up with their bus. A few miles later....TLS's heart STOPPED when she saw, just up the interstate ahead of them....could it be??? ...yes, it WAS!!!!....THE BUS!! WOOHOO! Clapping and cheering and shouting ensued! TC was concerned about APPEARING to follow the bus, so she managed to follow it without being conspicuous! Man, the driver was VERY slow, but then he speeded up, and it was one of the best trips on the interstate we have EVER had, getting to travel behind Hanson!! And to think, the other drivers on the road that day had NO idea they were in the presence of Almighty Taylor and his Wonderful Brothers!

ANYway, as we got into Daytona, the bus REALLY started to creep along, no doubt to call ahead and make arrangements with the venue about getting in, etc. TC decided that there was NO WAY we could continue to stay behind the bus without being obvious, so we decided to go around them and get on to Adventure Landing and secure a place to watch them. TC told TLS not to wave or anything goofy, but after sitting at the stoplight beside them for a few minutes, as the car began to pull ahead, TLS's hand went up as if she had no power over it and she waved out the window like a nut! LOL!

We left the guys behind (**sob**) and made our way to Adventure Landing. Most of the people were gathered in a certain area to watch them come in and do a meet and greet with contest winners, but we decided to get a great position along the railing beside the go karts, where the guys would be doing a race sponsored by a radio station. After a while, the crowd made it's way to the rail, and before long, there they were! Isaac, Taylor, and Zac got in their go karts and did a relay race. Poor Tay didn't even have a chance! But then they did another one, and he and Zac kept crashing into each other, and finally Taylor won. (I think he did, or maybe it was Zac...OH WELL!) Anyway, to our delight, after the race, the guys each came over to the rail, where we got to touch them AGAIN! Taylor looked even MORE beautiful than he had earlier that afternoon! Man, being up THAT CLOSE can't be good for a person...your heart races, your breath just CEASES....brain function dissipates...all one can REALLY manage to do is stare and TRY not to actually drool. :)

Anyway, all too soon, Hanson left, and we were on our merry way back home again, managing to get back for another few hours sleep, which had been the pattern the entire time so far.

Tuesday morning dawned...the day of the Orlando show! TLS and TC decided to just take their concert cothes with them and change somewhere later on. (After another debate on which outfit was best, of course.) They arrived in Orlando at Universal Studios, and parked in the City Walk parking garage, ALL the way down in the E.T. rows!! After a TREK into Universal, where we spotted the Hard Rock Live marquee flashing : HANSON, we did lunch at the HR Cafe.

After being informed by the grumpy gentleman at the box office that we would have to pick up our preferred tickets after 6:00, we shopped around a while. TLS's heart just about STOPPED in her chest when she at one point turned around and saw a guy who looked JUST like Zac walking around. :) Finally it was time to make the trek BACK to the E.T. section of the parking garage and get our concert clothes. SINCE it was such a long marathon back to the restroom area, TC came up with a brilliant plan: We would change in the stairwell of the parking garage. :) This went along just great. TLS went first, and AFTER she was all dressed, TC noticed the security camera that was right above! LMAO!! So, TC decided to change in the car instead.

At last, we were on our way to pick up our tickets. After chatting with some friends, we watched the crowd go in, thanking our lucky stars for Hanson.net so that we could sit in the balcony and NOT be crushed on the floor of the Hard Rock, since it was standing room only there. Being crushed is something you only want to experience once every 10 years or so, trust us!

When we got our tickets, we found that we had THE most excellent seats in the whole house! FRONT AND CENTER! Yes, it was up on the balcony, so we couldn't count the beads of sweat this time around, but it was a GREAT view, and we could sit without anyone touching us! LOL! Finally, after another fine performance by Neve, Hanson was back out on the stage at last, and because TLS wasn't near enough to be hypnotized by the sight of Up Close Taylor, she rocked out on every song. She was sure that she would feel like she had been beat up and in a car wreck the next day from getting into the music so much. It ROCKED, rocked, ROCKED, and even though we weren't practically on top of Tay this time, we could see that he was wearing...THE LACE UP PANTS we have been dreaming of!! During In The City, he had to hold them up so they wouldn't fall down. Mmmm, the THOUGHT!!!

Anyway, this time there was a barricade up, so there were no geniuses trying to jump onstage, and Isaac, Taylor, and Zac all got down in front of the barricade to shake hands at the end. They are such wonderful guys, aren't they? Their music is the BEST, they are gorgeous, AND sweet! What else could you possibly want?

All too soon, it was over, and we went back home to sleep for a couple of hours before the trip to the airport in the wee hours of the morning. The only thing that kept TLS from crying that it was over is the fact that she will be seeing them again three times in October! :)

*************************************************************** DJX Birthday Bash-Louisville, KY: June 16, 2000

The fun began when TLS met TC at the airport; their first face-to-face meeting, which was an awesome experience in and of itself. :) We spotted each other immediately and hit if off from the start.

Back at the hotel, which was conveniently located across the street from the convention center, we primped and prepared ourselves to see Hanson. It was similar to psyching ourselves up for the "big game". :)

Upon entering the convention center, we discovered quickly that being a *bit* older than the majority of the crowd was to our advantage. No one argued when we slipped into the entry line from a back entrance, nor when TLS asked a police officer if it was necessary for someone our age to wait in the massive line to show identification for a liquor wristband; which he gladly provided, averting any long lines and which garnered many evil glares from the swarm. Sorry guys! :)

We entered the main hall of the convention center and scoped out where we wanted to be which was, of course, right up front. TLS spotted an open area to the left of the stage, behind a gentleman in a wheelchair. Since this gentleman was sitting, we knew we would have a clear shot of Taylor from that vantage point, and staked our claim behind him.

The first act was Soul Decision. They weren't horrible or anything and should be given credit for at least playing their own instruments, but it was clear that the majority of the crowd was there for Hanson. We later met the guys from Soul Decision back at the hotel and the only one of the four who truly impressed us was the sweet, young drummer. A real doll. ;) If you would like to hear the full story and receive a picture of SD, you can e-mail TC and ask for more details.

The second "act" was a "Swedish" fellow named Bosson. Hmmm...what can we say about Bosson, except that he screams WAY too much and his accent strangely came and went intermittently. LOL About halfway through the scream fest, the gentleman in the wheelchair decided to leave. His mother and sister turned to TLS & TC and asked if we would care to occupy their spots, which were right up against the barricade in front of the stage. Of course, we inwardly squealed with delight while smiling sweetly and thanking them graciously for the offer. :)

So, now we are strategically positioned at the left side of the stage, near where Isaac will stand and where we have a clear view of Taylor. BUT, it gets better...

TLS was worried sick about seeing beyond a VERY tall, rather large fellow who could potentially block her view of the Babe and was plotting ways in which to "take him out", when the girls he was with and who were standing directly against the barricade in full view of where Isaac and Zac would be, decided to go off on a trek to find the members of Westlife. Although TLS and TC could not imagine why anyone would rather see Westlife over Hanson, we will forever be eternally grateful to these two gals for vacating their spot and allowing our dream to come true. We are also grateful to the VERY tall, rather large fellow, who remained behind to also see Hanson, who blocked us from being crushed against the barricade when Hanson did come out.

At this point, there was much speculation about who would perform next. When Taylor's bongos were rolled out on stage, there was no question in our minds who would be next. And when one of the roadies began to say "test Tay" into the microphone over the keyboards, the crowd began to grow louder, pushier and chants of "Hanson, Hanson, Hanson" could be heard. The DJ confirmed the next performance by stating that "these guys" had endured difficulty getting to Louisville from Chicago and had been re-routed through Indiana; information TLS & TC had already obtained from a security officer at the airport earlier that afternoon.

Ahhhh....it was sheer perfection to see Hanson again at last after two long years. As always, the moment Taylor came into my line of vision, I became entranced. I saw nothing, heard nothing, except him. Each time I saw him on the Albertane tour, it was as if no one else existed in the entire place except him and me, and this time was no exception. He is absolutely amazing to witness as he performs like no other person I have ever seen. I did manage a couple of times to force myself to look away to see the sweet and handsome Isaac and wonderful Zac, but otherwise my attention was riveted to the Most Gorgeous and Sexy Man in the Universe. :) Highlights include that satisfying moment when Taylor took off the overshirt he was wearing so we could see more of that lovely bod; the SWEAT **gleaming** on that lovely neck and face, soaking that sexy clingy t-shirt (just WAIT till you see all the sweaty pictures TC and I have......DROOL!); realizing how TALL Taylor is now; and the times my heart absolutely STOPPED when he was right in front of me, right THERE, singing his heart out. Yes, folks, it was a VERY good experience, VERY VERY good indeed. I only regret it didn't last longer. After all was said and done, I was left with these two certainties: Number one, I WILL one day, SOMEHOW, become some sort of personal groomer for the Babe. You know, that person who gets to brush his hair, lick the sweat from his body, and lace up those PANTS he wears . (Sadly, he was NOT wearing those particular ones in Louisville, much to TLS's disappointment.) And number two, nobody, but NOBODY can touch Hanson-they ROCK, there is no doubt!!!!!

The rest of the performers are a blur. We can hardly recall Westlife even taking the stage, much less Eiffel 65. We left before Blacque came out to return to the hotel, where we positioned ourselves on a bench outside the main entrance. We watched as Soul Decision and Westlife returned to the hotel by limousine. They were not "mobbed" in the least, in fact, they appeared to be hanging around and *waiting* for people to approach them, though very few did. We watched them rove the hotel lobby until the amusement waned and we called it a night.

TLS & TC had an amazing, whirlwind weekend together; something we will always cherish. We only hope we can do it again REAL soon!