Sarah's Review:

Here's my *detailed* review of the Charlotte Albertane concert on August 9th

~The Trip Down~

My mom, me (Sarah, 14) and Amy (my best friend, 12) leave our house at around 8am. We live in Raleigh, NC which is about 4hrs away from Charlotte. On our car, actually my dads Explorer, we had written in white shoe polish: Hanson Rulz on one window, Albertane will rock Charlotte one another window, and HONK if you love Hanson on the back window. It was probably around 10:30 when we got out first honk, which was by some guys making fun of us. The whole drive down there took forever but we listened to 'Snowed In' and 'Boomerang'! Yes, we were blasting 'Snowed In' with our windows down in the middle of summer! The most fun was watching everyone's expression as they read our windows, everyone would just laugh or shake their head. Amy and I were practicing our handshakes too. =-) By the time we FINALLY arrived in Charlotte, we had gotten numerous honks, some waves, and a few people flicked us off. We went to a gas station b/c we couldn't find the Blockbuster Pavilion, and the owner guy was mean! He told us where it was but then started blabbin on about how we were gonna be the only people there! I told him that'd be awesome (cuz it'd be like a private concert)!!! But we knew there'd be a ton of people! So we get to the pavilion at about 12. There were a few people waiting at the gate. Me and Amy actually kissed the ground b/c, well, I don't know why we did, probably cuz Hanson might have been there....plus all the excitement=) We go and buy better tickets (our first seats SUCKED! section 6 row z which were four rows from the back center) but our new tickets were section 7 row J, which is center...24th row! While my mom was in line, me and Amy were looking through the gate, and we saw this man drive up in a golf cart in front of us inside the gate and he had a backstage pass around his neck (but it wasn't Ashley) we begged him for it! We told him that we'd love him forever, pay anything....we were determined to get backstage passes! When we were walking back to out car, me and Amy were SO hyper! We screamed really loud and would sniff the air and say "Ah, Hanson is in Charlotte, breathing the same air" Some women parked next to us were laughing at us After that my mom has to go meet her friend who lives in Charlotte. But first we go to a hotel and change and "freshen up" When we were brushing our teeth, a woman who works there walked in! She just laughed and asked if we were going to the Hanson concert. We said "Heck ya!" LOL-when we were first walking into the hotel, a guy in the parking lot says, "Hey, Hanson aren't staying here." We said we knew =-) I'm insulted! The guy thought we were some Hotel Lobby Stalkers. The shame, the horror! But he was cool! We met some girls in the lobby from Alabama who spent $500 something dollars for 2nd row tickets!! Any ways, we go, meet the woman. While we're waiting for her, me and Amy are standing on the side of the highway singing and waving to all the people who had Hanson stuff written on their car.

~The Wait~

OK-so about 1pm my mom drops us off at the pavilion. My mom promises to be back when the doors open. She had her ticket which was in section 5 row t. Amy and I wait around asking people if they want to buy our old tickets...no luck. We met some really cool people! There was this hysterical dad and he was telling all the girls around him to scream or yell "omiGod there's Zac" so we would and of course....everyone believes us and goes crazy! LOL! Then everyone hears some music and starts screaming cuz they think itz Hanson. It was Admiral Twin doing their sound check! I can't believe those people thought it was Hanson! They sound so different! Anyway we weren't in line, there was no reason to, it was only one o'clock. While sitting under the merchandise tent, me and Amy start wondering if we're gonna get backstage passes or not and weighing our possibilities. Amy said she's pretty positive we would, but I was a little doubtful. Around 2pm the buses start to come and everyone starts to run after them. I didn't, I didn't think it was them. Then they open the merchandise table. I was the first person to buy something woo-hoo! But while we were still waiting for it to open guess who starts their sound check? HANSON!!! I guess those were their buses! So, everyone keeps on screaming. Taylor would say "hey" to us and some other stuff. We bought our stuff (2 shirts, calendar, BIG poster, stickers) and we go wait in line. Then they play "Sometimes" and me and Amy just go crazy!! We were the only ones singing!! Everyone looked like we were stupid (maybe b/c we were standing on the flower wall singing like idiots...oh well!) Then we see my mom pull up itz only about 3 so we run to the car and put our stuff in. While I'm talking with my mom, they play "Thinking of You" and in the middle of our conversation, Zac sings his solo part and I just start screaming! Saying "Itz Zac!! Mom, mom, itz Zac Hanson!! There here! Oh my GOD!!!" it was funny!! So she then leaves (she only came to see if we were all right aaawww ain't she sweet!?) For the whole sound check they played "TOY", "Money","MMMBop" "Sometimes", and Ike played the opening cords to "River" And while we were in line we see Mackie, Diana holing Zoe and Avery walking around in the gates. Oh yeah, before my mom drove off, I took my tourbook (that I already had) just in case I some how *happen* to meet Hanson, they'd have something to sign. At the merchandise table Amy took a MOE membership piece of paper, just for the heck of it. LoL! While in line, we met Elizabeth, Stefanie, Kristen, Natalie, and some other girl I didn't get her name. Kristen and Stefanie has front row tix! So all of us try and get the crowd hyped by singing every Hanson song, doing Hanson cheers...anything we could think of! Nothing worked!! It was SOO hot out! Amy left to get us some water, it was about 4pm. She didn't come back with the water till 5:15!! She said that while she was waiting, some girl was listening to the radio and WTL came on, and another girl started screaming thinking it was Hanson singing it...for the sound check!!! Some people!!! LOL! So the doors open, my mom is nowhere in sight! We get to our seats --which were right by the mixing place where Walker and Diana always are =)-- and immediately sit down and whip out our MOE cards. And just as Ashley said on AFH, we held the up in the air. A group of girls near us start chanting "Hanson, Hanson" but me and Amy start to chat "Walker, Walker" (we're Walker fans hehe). Then a girl asks me why I'm holding up my MOE card so I explain. I look around and see lots of girls doing the same in hopes of getting a backstage pass. Then me and Amy continue our little chanting with "We want Walker, we want Walker" Next thing we know, we see a Two guys with backstage passes around their necks walking up our isle straight towards us!! One guy with dark brown almost black short hair hands us these sticker like things and says something. I didn't here a thing he said b/c I couldn't believe this was an actual bsp!! So I just say "what??" and he simply says "Stick this on and go to gate 8" Amy asks if he was Ashley and he WAS! The other guy had blonde long hair, named Josh. We all talked a bit, but Ash said he had to go b/c he was gonna get mobbed with girls wanting bsp!! Just so you know...me and Amy were the FIRST ones he picked!! And from what I've heard we were basically the only ones he actually gave them to... all the other people liked mobbed him or flagged him down to get one.

~The Gate 8 Experience~

We ran all over the pavilion, which was pretty empty, but the lawn was full. Any ways we would ruin up to complete strangers and say 'Look, look, we got backstage passes! We're gonna meet Hanson!!" We had NO clue where Gate 8 was so we ask this guy who worked there. He told us and I was SOOO happy I asked for a hug and he gave me one (he was pretty cute hehe) when we get to the infamous Gate 8 there's lots of girls hoping to get back there even w/o a pass. Then it started raining! I didn't care though! I was gonna meet HANSON! Allot of us were peaking through the fence trying to see anyone...we see Scott, the bass player, so me and Amy yell "Scott...Scott!" I don't think he heard. Oh well. Then I feel a tap on my shoulder...it was Christie!! The girl who I told about the MOE card!! She got a bsp too!! woo-hoo Go Christie!! So itz raining, everyone's wet, my tour book is soaked. We meet this sweet little girl in a wheelchair named Dana, she had Cancer :( But she was gonna get to meet Hanson too :) Everyone was so nice over by Gate 8, two girls were wearing a chicken and gorilla suit. It was funny! All of us were like "Is that Taylor or Zac? Nah, not the same hands, or eyes, or shoes." And I saw my friend Rachel! She talked a man out of his bsp that he won off the radio. go Rachel!! Finally after all the people who won bsp's off the radio went back, it was finally the MOE peoples turn!! We all walk in a straight line. I was last and Amy was second to last. I was completely calm. We saw their buses...everyone I saw I would tell them I loved them *hehe*. The trucks that carried the equipment were open, heck, if I wasn't about to meet Hanson, I would have jumped in one so I'd travel with them! But instead I just jumped inside one then jumped out LoL!

~BACKSTAGE~

We all are lead into a building and we have to wait in a small lobby for a couple of seconds. They were showing MTV's "The Real World" on a TV and me and Christie chat about that show. Then we're lead down a hall, and once more...we wait. While just standing against the wall, Christie asks "Is that Walker" talking about the man I was standing next to. Sure enough I say "Walker?" and he looks at me and smiles and says "Hey!" Me, Amy and Christie (all Walker fans) talk to him for a bit. He was so nice! He was really sweet and told us that we weren't back there for him but back there to see his sons (little did he know hehe). We're soon lead into a room, but before I walk in (Amy is now behind me) I tell Mr. Hanson I thought he was "really cool" and I said it like he did on TT&MON!! (know what I'm talking about?)

~THE MEETING!~

I then walk into THE room and see Ike, Zac and Taylor! I was flooded with all sorts of emotions and thoughts! I couldn't believe I was so close to them! I shook Ike's hand first then Zac's then Taylor's. When Ike shook Amy's hand she said very polite to wait b/c her hands were sweaty and she wiped her hands on her jeans but then said "Oh wait they're not sweaty, itz just raining out" And Ike says "Oh, is it raining outside?" Please..like he couldn't tell by the way we were all soaking wet!! hehe. I introduced myself while shaking each of their very warm, soft, strong hands. Then it was quiet. So I broke the silence by telling Isaac I liked his shoes. He was so cute he said thanks and that he "gets a lot of compliments on the actually" Then me and Amy walk over to Zac. She asked him for a hug and he was so funny! He made these weird noises and hid behind a chair! We were laughing so hard. Then it was "picture time" so he jumped out from behind the chair. Oh--your probably wondering what they were wearing! IKE-Black pants, dark shirt, penny loafer shoes...but they didn't have a coin they had a white design they were very cool! His hair was pulled back TAY-red/ maroon pants, I forgot what shirt but he had on a black tee shirt on under it, and brown *I think* shoes. His hair was also in a ponytail ZAC-black kinda tight tee shirt, maroon pants and maroon Docs. Zac's hair was in braids...whoa!! About the picture, I was walking over to stand next to Ike and then he saw that no one was over on the other side of the room so he walked over there. I was like "OK, I'll go stand next to Tay." so I walk over to him and then some girl pushes me out of her way and stands next to him. I was mad! I ended up standing in-between a girl next to Zac and the girl next the Taylor. Amy was next to Zac. As Zac was putting his arms around the girls next to him he was saying "I love you people, although I don't know you, but now I do, I still love you guys!" So I reached beyond the girl next to me and gently patted his cheek and said "We love you too Zac!" As I said that I felt Taylor's hand on my back. He had reached beyond the girls next to me and put his hand on my back. woo-hoo! And during the picture Ike was saying something like "Smile for the camera, and remember, if you can't see the camera, it can't see you." Any ways after the picture I went and got Taylor's autograph. But while I was getting Tay's autograph, Zac was playing a little staring game with Amy--it was cute =) OK, OK, When Taylor signed my tour book, the first page, he first looked at it and then thought out loud "Hmm, I guess I'll sign me" it was cute hehe. So he signed it but I said "Now you can't see it b/c you wrote black on black" and he was so sweet, he just apologized and said he should have written on the white part. aaaawww. oh,oh,oh, I forgot, before I went over and got his autograph, I just stood there a couple of feet away watching Taylor sign something for someone else, I was just watching him thinking "WOW!" then he looked up at me and smiled! My heart melted but I just smiled and looked away. So I looked over and saw Walker and or Ashley video taping (I WANT THAT VIDEO!!!) Any ways after Taylor, I got Ike's autograph, he had already put the top back on his Sharpie but he was holding my tourbook so he took the pen off with his mouth! He made a funny face when he did that too! So he signed it blah, blah, blah and I told him my mom loved him and says 'hi', that she thought he was awesome, and he's her favorite. He kinda blushed and said "aaawww, thanks, tell her I said 'hi'" thats when Amy remembers her brother wanted her to say hey to Zac for him. But Zac was on the other side of the room getting a pen from his dad (who had just walked in the room and said rather loudly "Somebody forget their Sharpie?" LOL) So Amy basically yells across the room "Zac, my brother says hi!" Of course her brother didn't really think she would meet him! Any ways when I got Zac's signature, I asked him to please sign my name and he just looked at me and gave me a weird smile and like shook his head. Christie....when she got Isaac's autograph, she only had her ticket stub, and when he signed it, he accidentally marked on his shirt! Poor kid :) And when Beth got Isaac's signature, he signed her calendar and he asked if he could look through it b/c he hasn't had the chance to yet. It was cute. Ike was really sweet! I watched him sign someonešs MOE #1 magazine and he asked her if she had the newer one and asked how she liked it. Then a lady was telling everyone it was time to leave so she was escorting everyone out of the room. But Amy was getting Hanson's autograph's. I asked the lady if I could stay b/c my friend was still getting autograph's and praise God she let me=) So Amy gave the piece of paper to Taylor and he said he's sorry b/c he doesn't have a pen, but Ike took it from him and looked at the paper and said "Hey Tay, we should sign up top so she can send away to join the fan club" Ashley gave Ike a stupid look and said "she's back here b/c she's already IN the fan club" it was so funny! So Ike signed it, the Taylor did (w/ Ike's pen) then Zac grabbed the paper out of Taylor's hand and signed it. Then it was our time to leave :( I shook Taylor's hand and said bye, then Zac reached out his hand and said "It was nice meeting you, Sarah" I was like woo-hoo! He said my name! Anyway, we told them good luck they said they hope we enjoy the show, we said we're sure we will =) They all were thanking us...I don't know why they were thanking us!! But Taylor once more stuck out his hand and said "Thank you" I shook it and said "Your welcome, but really, thank you!" and he held on to my hand for a while and wouldn't let go. Then we left =*( We met up with all the other MOE people and we all thought we were about to die! None of us could believe where we had just been or who we just met!

~Back To Our Seats~

On our way back to our seats me and Amy walked very fast, holding our autographs, clutching out backstage passes and our mouths were wide open and so were our eyes. We were like "WHOA!" We then saw Natalie and Elizabeth in their seats. We yelled for them and said we just met Hanson! They came running and we told them everything! All of us were screaming, jumping, hugging, screaming some more! It was so much fun! Every one must have thought we were stupid.... but they don't know what we had just done!!! So we go and casually sit in out seats. Then we just turn around to the girls behind us and tell them we just got from backstage. Of course they....scream....we all do. They want to shake our hands, I felt famous LOL!

~Admiral Twin~

Then it was about 7:35 and Admiral Twin came on. They rocked! Everytime Jarrod would be shown on the screen, I would jump up and down and blow him a kiss :) Unfortunately there weren't allot of other people up dancing and singing. I know I was! Me and Amy were all dancing and jumping! AT sang "Box Under His Bead", "Phone Call #27", "Down", "There", "Dancing On The Sun", "Figi Fandango", and a cover of an old Hollies song "Bus Stop". But I didn't get to watch they whole thing because I left to get some water and to look for my mom. Now your not aloud to go into the other sections if your seat isn't in that section, but they people there were very nice! I told them that my mom was sitting in that section and that I had to see her b/c I just got bsp and HAD to tell her. Any ways, I didn't find her. She wasn't there basically. So I just go and sit back in my seat. Also, I had found where Beth (another girl who was backstage) and we exchanged home addresses. That was the first time I had heard Admiral Twin. But I loved them the second time they started to play! They are REALLY awesome and I have their CD now...called "Unlucky" and I think everybody should go buy it!!! OK- so now I am practically hoarse b/c not only was I SCREAMING b/c I had just met them but I was cheering for Admiral Twin! As I mentioned before........ THEY ROCK!!!

~Waiting For Hanson~

Admiral Twin went off at about 8:15. Me and Amy sat down and, well, scream. Some girls got up and started everyone chanting "Hanson, Hanson...." but me and Amy were chanting "We just met (Hanson) We just met (Hanson)..." it was cool. Thats didn't last very long, it soon died down and the place was quiet except for the oldies that were playing on the speakers. Everyone looked like everyone was resting up for Hanson to walk out on stage. I just watched as the stage guys were vacuuming the stage. Then I just looked around and saw my mom coming towards us. I stood up and ran over to her. I just scream (which wasn't very loud considering I was hoarse) that me and Amy got backstage passes and we met them!!! She didn't believe me until I showed her our autographs. She was soo happy for us! Of course she was even happier that Ike said hi to her:) There was an empty seat next to us, so my mom sat there instead of her other seat, and she explained that she was stuck in traffic for 2 hours. As the three of us were sitting down talking about our backstage experience, Mr. Hanson walks right by us! I tell my mom that's Walker and I yell "Walker!!" he looks over at us and smiles and waves and says "Hey Girls! How are you?" of course we yell back "Good!" My mom was like "whoa, he recognizes you!" Any ways, Mr. Hanson walks by us a couple more times and each time he would, he'd wave and say "hey". What's funny is, some other girls were calling him and he'd not even turn around or if he did, he'd just wave. My mom was saying that she thinks he likes us b/c he actually talked to us =) Now, after every song everyone would scream as loud as they possibly could because they thought it was the last song. That got annoying after the third time!!! During "My Girl" everyone start singing. It was awesome! Then.....the lights go down! Just imagine the screams!!! And there are flashlights being turned on behind the black curtain. Hanson was right behind the curtain!!!!

~The Actual HANSON Part~

All of a sudden the opening cords to "Gimmie Some Lovin" are heard and right before Ike begins to sing, the curtain drops! And I thought the screams were loud before? Any ways they looked awesome! Here's the list of songs they did:

-Gimmie Some Lovin/Shake Your Tailfeather

-Thinking Of You

-Where's The Love (after this song is when Tay took off his shirt and had on a black tight undershirt, he was matching Zac-black shirts and maroon pants. What a bunch of cuties! LoL!)

-River

-Weird

-Sometimes-- this song is awesome live!!

*set change*

-Stories

-With You in You Dreams

-Madeline

-Soldier-- this song is beautiful live!!!

-More Than Anything ::::flump::::

*set change*

-Speechless

Introduction to the back-up band (when Tay does drums)

-Ever Lonely

-I Will Come To You

-Minute Without You

-Good Lovin

-MMMBop--this song sounded sooo good! everyone was clapping and singing

-Man From Milwaukee--although I couldn't hear cuz of the screaming, I was goin' crazy!!

*they leave=(*

*they come back back=)*

-Look At You

-Summertime Blues--that voice Ike does is hilarious!!

-Weird a capella

Unfortunately, I don't remember a lot about the actual concert part because me and Amy were watching Mr. and Mrs. Hanson. At one point, Diana and Walker were standing with their arms around each other. I thought that was the sweetest thing! Also, Jarrod (from AT) came out too! And he was talking to Mrs. Hanson and some one threw a glow string down in front of him! I yelled "JARROD!" and he looked up, waved, and asked if I wanted the glow string! So he threw it to me!!! I was like woo-hoo!!! Here's some highlights:

- When Tay said "welcome to our three car garage"

-"More Than Anything" I love this song!!!!! And before he left, he turned the little lamp off

-During "Speechless" Ike went up on Zac's platform and was telling him something in his ear

-When Taylor took over Zac's drums--he was laughing cuz all the girls were screaming so loud for him! He's an excellent drummer!!

-When Zac yelled "A Minute With Out You" for the peeps on the lawn like how he used to yell "Where's the Love" (know what I mean?)

-Ike and Taylor saying hi and Thank you to all the MOE people they met backstage (that's us!!)

-Ike and Taylor talking about how many glowy things there were in the crowd and how they've never seen so many before

-Taylor saying he's glad they came back to Charlotte b/c we're awesome!

-Walker video taping the guys! he was like up in their face!! it was funny

-When Taylor took a girls rose and put it in his mouth kinda like a tango dancer

-Ike and Tay kicking the beach balls into the crowd

-Ike taking a girls poster, looking at it then giving it back. I saw the sign earlier it said something about Ike.

-Taylor and Zac running all across the stage squirting their guns

-Finding out that we were the loudest concert at 149.2 decibels!! (it was in a Charlotte newspaper)

-Coming back on stage saying, "well, we had nothing better to do so we thought we'd come back at sing some more"

-Zac taking Ike's hand to bow and Taylor turned away and Zac was like grabbing at Taylor's hand

-Ike informing us how to become a part of MOE a billion times (it was cute)

-of course Ike's knee slide!!!

-During 'Summertime Blues' Hanson didn't sing the "Moo Moo" parts, but during the parts that it was normally sung, everyone would sing it!!! I guess we were all used to it b/c of Before They Were Rock Stars...but it was really cool since the WHOLE place was singing the "moo moo" parts, it sounded as though Hanson was, it was that loud!! I'm sure Hanson heard us! LoL!

-Zac's glow drumsticks! He was twirling them above his head! It was awesome watching the lights go blur as he drummed with them!

-When Zac was walking around on stage, he would be breathing hard and making noises and we all heard it b/c of his microphone LoL=)

-EVERYTHING!!!

One thing, during all of the songs, Mrs. Hanson would sing and dance and just look proud of her sons. But during WYIYD, she didn't look all that happy. Everytime Zac was shown on the monitors :::::screams::::: I mean, c'mon people... WYIYD is a spiritual song, have respect for their grandmother, and Mrs.Hanson, and Hanson and please, PLEASE don't scream during WYIYD!! I don't think the guys like it all that much either.

~After The Concert~

After Hanson goes off stage for good, we catch up with Beth and Christie and walk over to the back gate to see if we can find out some info on how to get the pictures Walker and Ashley took of us. The guy gives us a phone number. Thats also when I saw Stefanie, Elizabeth, Kristen, Natalie and all those people. Stefanie had gotten Zac's drum sticks!!! She had both of them and let me touch them =) She would have given me one, but she already promised one to her friend. But thats OK. After we got the phone # and talked to our friends one last time, we headed back to the car. We were sweating so much! I'm so glad we got to meet them before the show! Of course on our trip to the car, other girls heard our conversation and would want to shake our hands and blah, blah, blah, but I didn't mind :) We went to another gas station to get some gas (duh) and when we were there, some guy was selling some Hanson shirts for $10. Those shirts weren't sold at the concert, but it talked about the tour on the back...so of course we bought one. After being on the road for what seamed like 5 minutes but actually 2 hours we stopped somewhere to get something to eat (we were sooo hungry, we hadn't eating all day!) and some guy saw our car and asks "Who's Hanson" we tell them they're the band that sings "MMMBop" and he goes "MMMBob?" He had never heard it before!!!!! Then we went to a 24 Hour K-Mart to use the pay phone, I got to tell my dad we got backstage passes and we met them and he could not believe me!!! He said that he was so excited that he couldn't sleep. The whole trip home, Amy and I talked about every last detail about 3 billion times over and over again! My mom says she feels like she was there LOL! We got back home at like 2 in the morning and Amy calls her dad to pick her up. And he comes and gets her he stays a long time cuz he wants to hear "the story" plus he helped us scrape all the shoe polish off! Personally, I wanted to keep the writing on so my dad would have to go to work with all that on his windows! *hehehe* That would have been cool!

August 9th was seriously the BEST day of my life---so far!! And the whole vibe of 'Albertane' was so happy and exciting and....Hansony! I can't describe how amazing they were up on stage, or how incredibly nice and normal they are in person! Not to mention how beautifully gorgeous each of them are!!!! I've honestly never met anyone who was nicer then they were! I thought that if I would ever meet them, that I would be nervous, but I was really calm! And felt like I had known them forever! Most of the fans were really sweet too! I met soo many nice people, but never even got their names, or E-mail address. Itz like everyone at the concert....we were all friends! Thinking back on that day never ceases to make me smile, or get butterflies again in my stomach. No matter how hard I try, no word will ever come close to describing the concert, the music, the energy, the loudness of the screams (!), or the, the feelings I get when I think of that day in Albertane! It was just AMAZING!!! Sorry this is so long, and sorry if I bored you to death=)

E-mail me if you have any questions, comments, or if you went to the concert (especially if you took good pictures *wink wink*) Or if your just another Walker fan =P I love to get mail and hear from other HANSON fans!

Sarah

fred.denise.moore@worldnet.att.net