Last Monday was an average day for Isaac, Taylor and Zachary Hanson. In the morning they had school on the tour bus with their private tutor. There was a press conference in the afternoon, where they were surrounded by screaming admirers, and later that night, a concert in front of thousands of people. They've been on this schedule since June, and even now, as one of the most popular concert tours of the season goes into overtime, the Hansons are happy to be on the road performing. Isaac, 17, says that the band loves touring. It allows them to be in touch with their fans. And at Planet Hollywood, scene of the press conference, the fans were especially eager to be in touch with Hanson.

As the winner of a contest sponsored by an Orlando newspaper, Alyssa Clavelli, 10, was one of a few kids who had the chance to sit near Hanson during the press conference. "This is the most exciting day of my entire life," said Alyssa, her eyes bulging with anticipation. "I have always prayed that I would get a chance to meet them." Alyssa and the friends she brought with her know practically everything about the Hansons. Isaac, or "Ike", is the nice one and most polite. Taylor, 15, is the talkative one who answers most of the questions about the band. And then there is 12-year-old Zachary. Everyone loves Zac. He talks back to adults and is apparently the troublemaker of the group. "Zac is so wild, crazy and fun" said Patricia Pappas-Quillinan, 12, another contest winner. "Together they are the perfect combination. They each have a bit of themselves in each other. They are the coolest three people I have ever known." The groupies screamed wildly as the blond haired threesome from Tulsa, Oklahoma, entered the room. Their latest music video, Weird, played on a screen overhead. As they began answering questions, their popularity with the media became clear. Not only are the brothers Hanson sharp musicians, they are also three of the most polite and sensible youngsters you'll ever meet, with none of the pretentiousness people might expect of child rock stars. All three, including Zac, seemed friendly and sincere and even answered the more annoying questions with good humor.

Are the rumors of a Hanson-Backstreet Boys rivalry true? According to Isaac, "One thing for sure is that we are completely and totally different than the Backstreet Boys. We're just as popular as a lot of other bands out there. There is definitely not a rivalry." Do they have any girlfriends? Nope, not yet. A few cheers were heard from the Planet Hollywood's balconies. Even though critics have sometimes been harsh toward Hanson, mainly because the group is popular with kids, the music had managed to appeal to a wide audience. "I think that no matter what age you are, people have the same emotions," Taylor said. "Music is the same no matter what your age is. It's like they say: Music is the universal language. You don't have to be a certain age to enjoy a certain type of music." It was the simple pop song "MMMBop" from the album Middle of Nowhere that put the Hansons on the charts just more than year ago and made them famous worldwide. Recently, the CD 3 Car Garage: The Independent Recordings impressed critics by showing that Hanson's music had sophisitication for even "mature" listeners. In the next few months, Hanson plans to release a live album recorded on tour.

Later that evening, after the press conference, the giant Orlando Arena quickly filled with people. Fans, mostly girls ages 8 to 15, chanted "Hanson, Hanson, Hanson" and waved banners declaring undying love. Finally, a large curtain dropped and Hanson appeared amid waves of screams. Zachary sat in the back dwarfed by his huge drum set. Taylor stood on the right side of the stage, pounding his keyboards, and Isaac played lead guitar on the left side of the stage. They played for more than an hour. Fans never stopped screaming. Amid the lights, the sound and the crowd, the Hansons proved they were musically capable of living up to critics' expectations. The concert came to a close as the band got into its most popular song, "MMMBop". The arena echoed with thousands of people singing along. One young girl leaving the arean turned to her parents and said "That was the coolest thing I have ever seen. Hanson was so good!"

For the boys in the band, it was all in a day's work.