I wonder how much these flip flops have actually cost me, I thought as I looked through my merch pack from the Island Gigs desk on a hot January morning. It was hard to believe that 2020 was my sixth stint on the island and my fifth visit to Jamaica. The last couple of months had been rough to say the least, and I was looking forward to seeing some good friends, splash around in the ocean and drink cocktails by the pool, not to mention the main attraction: four days of Hanson shows. With no setlist voting this year, I was optimistic, trusting that the band would surprise us with something different.
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| Check out those very expensive flip-flops |
THE MAIN SHOWS
In keeping with the last couple of years, the event kicked off to the calypso rhythm of “Back to the Island” - the song that lends its name to the event. I was happy to hear “Already Home” - it’s one of my favourite Hanson songs and one that sadly seems to have been dropped from heavy rotation in recent years. What followed, however, was a fairly predictable setlist that sounded straight out of 2017’s Middle of Everywhere tour.
There were a few highlights, like “Great Divide” and “Watch Over Me” - incidentally both tracks from what many fans consider to be Hanson’s most inspired album - The Walk.
Hanson were in good form, and played a solid set that sounded as flawless as it gets for island standards. However, it all felt very much like the singles-themed night of past years, another stop of the MOE tour. The crowd seemed to love it, but I left the beach that night with a distinct feeling of déjà vu.
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| Been there before? Yes. |
When the band introduced the second show as a whole set of ballads, my heart sank. I like a slow song - or two - but a whole set? Three songs in, I felt my energy levels dip so low that - in a totally unprecedented move since I’ve been a Hanson fan - I decided to leave my relatively good spot on Isaac’s side of the stage and carry on watching the show from the back. A couple of songs later, I’d claimed a sun lounger, which made it a lot more tolerable to sit through songs like “Save Me”, one of my regular ‘skips’, and the omnipresent “More Than Anything”, which Isaac plays at every single BTTI.
Comfortably horizontal but sonically unchallenged, I struggled to stay interested. Tiredness and possibly some residual jet-lag had got the better of me, compounded by a setlist that was more Kumbaya around the fire than Caribbean beach party. More than once I felt myself going under and wished I’d remembered to pack some caffeine tablets.
Mercifully, Hanson picked up the tempo in the finale and treated us to a rare performance of “Carry You There” - one of my favourite songs and one that I had yet to hear live. Overall though, I found the ballads set excruciatingly dull, and ninety minutes straight of ballads made me want to listen to a Dead Kennedys playlist on repeat.
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| A view from a lounger |
By that point, many of us had assumed that the final show would be a much awaited Members/Rares set. It had to be, right? But no. The last concert on the island was nothing of that sort, with a setlist largely featuring popular album tracks, with a few BTTI staples like “Best of Times” and “I Don’t Want to Go Home” here and there. Undoubtedly, Hanson’s choice of songs had its advantages: a tried and tested setlist made for a tight performance that bore no resemblance to 2019’s shambolic final concert. But the show held no surprises, no 'ahh' moments, and once again I felt that I was watching a regular tour stop rather than something special. Where were the rare songs and the deep cuts, where were all those EP vaulted into oblivion after one single live airing at Hanson Day? Where was “Compromise”, arguably the best song from the 2019 Members EP?
I walked away from the beach after the final bows thinking “well, that’s it” - it's over. Hanson had left me wanting more, but certainly not more of the same.
The Solo Sets
The first of the three solo sets, Zac’s solo show was at least rich in new and seldom played material. The setlist included three new songs, two songs from the last members EP and no album tracks - if we exclude “Lulabelle”, technically a hidden track (remember those?). I was happy to hear “Call Out My Name” - another favourite from “Sound of Light” and a song that works very well as a solo performance. Overall, I found the energy of the set a bit lacking compared to the previous year, but I know the Zac fans will probably disagree.
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| Zac |
Possibly having listened to fans feedback, Isaac stepped up his game for his 2020 solo set and came on stage prepared. That meant that we got to hear rarely played songs in their entirety, with no aborted attempts or forgotten lyrics. My friend Kasey finally got her wish granted with “I Don’t Know” and there was even a new song, “Your Eyes”. The latter sounded a lot like all of Isaac’s recent sappy songs, but at least it wasn’t “More Than Anything” (which, alas, I would still have to suffer at least once during the event).
At one point Hanson’s younger brother Mac joined Isaac onstage, accompanying him on the keyboard for “Grace Unknown” - a song that had only been performed live twice thus far. It was certainly a better rendition than what Isaac had attempted at BTTI 2016 - although in my opinion it needs a full band to do it justice.
At one point Hanson’s younger brother Mac joined Isaac onstage, accompanying him on the keyboard for “Grace Unknown” - a song that had only been performed live twice thus far. It was certainly a better rendition than what Isaac had attempted at BTTI 2016 - although in my opinion it needs a full band to do it justice.
My verdict? 2020 was without a doubt Isaac’s best solo set since Cancun 2015.
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| Isaac |
Taylor
I think most people will agree with me that the highlight of Taylor’s 2020 solo set was "Dream Girl" which, according to Hansonstage, had only been played a total of 12 times thus far. It's that kind of rare performance that entices a lot of fans to shell out for the event.
Equally special was a performance of “Get Out of My Heart” as a duet with MILCK - who had played a terrific guest set the night before. When I heard the first notes of "These Walls" I decided that Taylor had won the battle of the solo sets 2020.
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| Taylor |
Everything Else
There’s definitely some truth in the Law of Diminishing Returns and as BTTI has become more expensive every year, it has also become a little less special. Although this year’s event ran more smoothly than ever, and the night-time activities made it possible to actually have some beach time during the day, something had changed. Compared to past years, it's plainly obvious that Hanson are more than ever before keeping their distance from fans. It could be because their families are there, or simply because the guys don't want to be at the centre of another selfie-fest. Maybe they're just kind of over it. I don't know. But the spontaneity of past years has gone, and with that, the surprise factor of maybe bumping into Isaac at the bar, or Zac stopping by to chat with fans on the beach after the show.
Something else really bothered me.
During one of the main shows, a guy in the audience shouted something like ‘I love you, man!’. What ensued was something I have now witnessed at Hanson shows several times before: Taylor joking about the fact that, of course, it had to be a bro type of love. I’m paraphrasing here, but the banter went on for a good couple of minutes, all along the lines of the ‘we’re all manly men here, of course’. Taylor joked about grunting. It was all reminiscent of when it was common for a certain type of straight men to say ‘no homo’ after any statement that potentially carried ‘gay’ undertones.
I get it: Hanson are straight men and in all likelihood, the guy in the audience was an equally straight fan, someone’s husband or boyfriend yelling out his appreciation after one Red Stripe too many. But what if - please suspend your disbelief with me for a moment - what if the fan in question had been a male LGBTQ person? What if he had meant the “I love you” in the same way as those female fans who regularly yell and catcall Hanson at every single show? Hanson’s reaction would have instantly invalidated that fan’s perspective, and to what benefit? Does acknowledging “I love you” from a male fan make you gay?
I get it: Hanson are straight men and in all likelihood, the guy in the audience was an equally straight fan, someone’s husband or boyfriend yelling out his appreciation after one Red Stripe too many. But what if - please suspend your disbelief with me for a moment - what if the fan in question had been a male LGBTQ person? What if he had meant the “I love you” in the same way as those female fans who regularly yell and catcall Hanson at every single show? Hanson’s reaction would have instantly invalidated that fan’s perspective, and to what benefit? Does acknowledging “I love you” from a male fan make you gay?
I’ve seen Hanson react that way a lot - on stage, on social media, in interviews, and it’s been getting worse. It’s as if they are making a conscious effort to assert their masculinity at every opportunity, reassuring the fans from the platform of social media that their favourite band members are wholesome straight men who run in mud, ride motorcycles and throw axes in their spare time.
Then there was Family Feud. A short while into the game, Mac joined Isaac to co-host. Armed with a microphone, the youngest Hanson sibling put on a very camp voice and switched into the made-up persona of a crazy German scientist.
I’ll give it to him - the youngest Hanson brother is obviously good at impersonations and has an innate sense of comedic timing. For a minute, maybe, it was even funny. But it went on, and on, and on. There were innuendos and double entendres involving “sausage”. All around me, fans howled with laughter. Feeling that I couldn't leave as I had agreed to join a team for the games, I sat there feeling this massive disconnect from both the audience and the man performing: was I really watching a straight man put on a foreign accent and a camp voice to entertain a crowd of largely straight, white women? And what was so funny about his shtick - was it the German accent - aren’t foreigners hilarious! - or the camp voice: aren’t those gays a hoot!
I most definitely wasn’t laughing - especially knowing that I was ultimately paying for that sorry spectacle. If I'd wanted to suffer through outdated and not-so-subtly homophobic comedy sketches, I would have stayed at home and watched old comedy re-runs on UK Gold.
There are worse places to spend five days in January and, like every year, I enjoyed my time in Jamaica. I saw friends from faraway places, swam in the ocean, dressed up like an extra from an '80s movie - something I never got to do back in 1985. I had some great conversations with some wonderful Jamaican people, some of whom I knew from past years. Mercifully, and unlike my poor roommate, I didn’t get salmonella.
As organising guru Marie Kondo says, when something doesn’t spark joy, it’s time to let it go, and if I have to be really honest with myself, BTTI 2020 didn’t really spark joy for me. Instead, it highlighted a sense of dissatisfaction with the band I'd been experiencing for a while. While we have all been waiting for 'that new album', I found joy in other artists and bands. Online, I’ve been avoiding fan groups and forums, frustrated by the prevailing attitude that Hanson can do no wrong. But more than anything else, I can’t keep justifying spending thousands of dollars on a four-day event that no longer offers anything new. I think the time has come for me to hang my flip-flops and take a break.
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| Photos, however, have been consistently getting better |
Post Scriptum: Notes from the Age of Coronavirus
It’s April 2020 as I am finally getting round to posting this. The world has changed beyond recognition since February and it feels like the days of watching a Hanson show on a Jamaican beach belong to a different lifetime. My country of birth, Italy, has been absolutely ravaged by the virus, with a death toll so far of almost 25,000. People all over the world have lost their jobs, families have been split, borders have been closed, planes have been grounded. 'Social distancing' has become a common phrase. One by one, artists had to cancel shows and entire tours.
In the earlier stages of the pandemic, before the US media grasped the gravity of the situation, Zac made a very insensitive Instagram post, in which he joked about "people acting all #coronavirus crazy". The post was accompanied by a hand painted sign that read ‘Live your life and don’t lick doorknobs’ - a reference to an idiotic social media challenge. A lot of fans, including myself, commented on the post, pointing out that Zac’s statement was in really poor taste. Zac was unapologetic, reacting with sarcasm and even deleting some of the most critical comments. It was not the first time Zac had handled controversy with the maturity of a thirteen year-old boy, but that was the first time that it was over something so serious. Soon Isaac and Taylor embarked on a damage limitation mission, with heartfelt messages and impromptu Instagram livestreams. They looked sincere, but to date there’s still been no apology from Zac, who instead replied to another fan's comment just recently, pretty much accusing her of having no sense of humour. I can’t help wondering if Zac would have showed a sense of humour to a post poking fun at 9/11.
In the earlier stages of the pandemic, before the US media grasped the gravity of the situation, Zac made a very insensitive Instagram post, in which he joked about "people acting all #coronavirus crazy". The post was accompanied by a hand painted sign that read ‘Live your life and don’t lick doorknobs’ - a reference to an idiotic social media challenge. A lot of fans, including myself, commented on the post, pointing out that Zac’s statement was in really poor taste. Zac was unapologetic, reacting with sarcasm and even deleting some of the most critical comments. It was not the first time Zac had handled controversy with the maturity of a thirteen year-old boy, but that was the first time that it was over something so serious. Soon Isaac and Taylor embarked on a damage limitation mission, with heartfelt messages and impromptu Instagram livestreams. They looked sincere, but to date there’s still been no apology from Zac, who instead replied to another fan's comment just recently, pretty much accusing her of having no sense of humour. I can’t help wondering if Zac would have showed a sense of humour to a post poking fun at 9/11.
Since then, it’s only gone downhill. A ‘Quarantstream’ t-shirt appeared on sale on the HNET store, cashing in on Isaac’s solo livestreams. The justification I heard for this spectacular case of poor taste is that fans had been asking for merch. But who is in charge here, the band or the fans? Do Hanson have to agree to every request for new merch, however ridiculous or inappropriate that maybe be? As to whether any of the profits would be devolved to a good cause, well, there’s no mention of that on the shirt's listing.
Then, when you think it couldn’t get much worse, Hanson decided to announce the sale of BTTI 2021. As the whole world spirals down towards the deepest recession since records began, and some of the biggest airlines are on the brink of collapse - as New York City turns into a real-life set of The Walking Dead and people worldwide are wondering where their next pay cheque will come from, Hanson decide to sell a luxury holiday in the Caribbean. I won’t go into the ensuing arguments that, of course, immediately erupted within the fan base: if you’re reading this, you probably already know where to find them, who to ask, who will have screenshots of the juiciest bits. I am not going to try and change anyone’s minds. I am just disappointed in a band who appears to have become permanently tone deaf and out of touch.
Seeing through these dark times is all matters to me right now: following a band around the world can wait. As the Queen said:
“...better days will return. We will be with our friends again. We will be with our families again. We will meet again.”
I have just finished reading everything, and although I have not been to btti, I have sensed from home the unease of the situation, I believe, that shows like this, which should be much more special and great others, lose the rhythm in a routine, which it gets boring.
ReplyDeleteDo you know the pasta in the soup? At lunchtime it is fantastic, but at dinner that pasta grows, and it seems to eat dog food.
Lately I prefer to listen to their old songs.
I am of the opinion, that having too many shows and too many events nearby, they forget, that fans with a little brain, would like the same adrenaline for everything, if as a band, you cannot give it, then it is better that you sit down and you think on, is it really worth spending so much to listen to old songs? In "strong enough to break", you can feel and see their desire to move forward against injustice, now I can't understand it, about the words on gay people ... Well .. There is a saying in Italian that says "when the fox does not reach the grapes, it says it is immature ..."
(you understand me) about the little hanson (Mac) is an unbearable character, he has never been nice, even when he still didn't have a beard and weighed a few kg less .... Hanson like many, especially artists, should give a I weigh on what they say, on the heavy words of a few laughs about gays and their phobia, fear prevails, here I will say a very heavy thing, but they are not only believers, I think they are so submissive from God, to be afraid to live , and to live is not meant their bank account, and their economic freedom, but everything that surrounds hanson beyond the stage, when the Lights are turned off. I always wonder, what kids will have grown up? What do I expect the magnificent 13 (or 14)? In some reality TV like (what happened to my heredity?) ... That said. I am sorry to have been disappointed even though I was not on the show, I speak of general disappointment. I wonder then now, if we fans have to take a break from them, or them from music .... Do you think they have ever faced the world? They have seen all the continents between 97 and 98, but comparing themselves with people is different, maybe it can be for them, the real life to tell in their songs, but this is only my utopia, I leave them there America, and reminding them that 9/11 is an untouchable date out of respect for the dead, for everything that followed. Perhaps a public school here would have taught him much more. I wish my English would be fine to understand every word I write... ❤️
I have just finished reading everything, and although I have not been to btti, I have sensed from home the unease of the situation, I believe, that shows like this, which should be much more special and great others, lose the rhythm in a routine, which it gets boring.
ReplyDeleteDo you know the pasta in the soup? At lunchtime it is fantastic, but at dinner that pasta grows, and it seems to eat dog food.
Lately I prefer to listen to their old songs.
I am of the opinion, that having too many shows and too many events nearby, they forget, that fans with a little brain, would like the same adrenaline for everything, if as a band, you cannot give it, then it is better that you sit down and you think on, is it really worth spending so much to listen to old songs? In "strong enough to break", you can feel and see their desire to move forward against injustice, now I can't understand it, about the words on gay people ... Well .. There is a saying in Italian that says "when the fox does not reach the grapes, it says it is immature ..."
(you understand me) about the little hanson (Mac) is an unbearable character, he has never been nice, even when he still didn't have a beard and weighed a few kg less .... Hanson like many, especially artists, should give a I weigh on what they say, on the heavy words of a few laughs about gays and their phobia, fear prevails, here I will say a very heavy thing, but they are not only believers, I think they are so submissive from God, to be afraid to live , and to live is not meant their bank account, and their economic freedom, but everything that surrounds hanson beyond the stage, when the Lights are turned off. I always wonder, what kids will have grown up? What do I expect the magnificent 13 (or 14)? In some reality TV like (what happened to my heredity?) ... That said. I am sorry to have been disappointed even though I was not on the show, I speak of general disappointment. I wonder then now, if we fans have to take a break from them, or them from music .... Do you think they have ever faced the world? They have seen all the continents between 97 and 98, but comparing themselves with people is different, maybe it can be for them, the real life to tell in their songs, but this is only my utopia, I leave them there America, and reminding them that 9/11 is an untouchable date out of respect for the dead, for everything that followed. Perhaps a public school here would have taught him much more. I wish my English would be fine to understand every word I write... ❤️ Matt
This is an honest and thoughtful reflection on not only this year's BTTI, but the changing nature of a fan's relationship to her favorite band. As we know from the response on Facebook, you have struck a chord that resonates with a number of Hanson fans, including me. Thank you for sharing these personal memories and insights.
ReplyDeleteI recently read an article about how the anxiety and sadness many people are feeling during this COVID-19 crisis is grief. Not necessarily because of loved ones lost to the disease (although of course that is grief in its most familiar and agonizing form) but for the time, experiences, and normalcy that we have lost unexpectedly. We are grieving the lives we took for granted before now: being able to commute to a job where we made a good living; being able to go to concerts and bars and restaurants and movie theaters; being able to visit with friends and loved ones. We lost these things without warning, and we are grieving them, even if only temporarily.
At the risk of sounding melodramatic, I think the growing sense of disconnection some of us have been feeling toward Hanson and the fan community brings about a similar kind of grief. Many of us have loved and been inspired by Hanson's music for the better part of our entire lives. We have bonded with other fans. We have admired Isaac, Taylor, and Zac not only as musicians but also as people. I know that for me, seeing the band's passion for making music take a backseat to their business interests diminishes the feelings of connection and enthusiasm that make it rewarding to be a fan. When I see ITZ distancing themselves from fans, and making decisions or comments that contradict what I believed to be true about them as people, I feel conflicted about continuing to follow and support the band.
All of this makes me feel like maybe I no longer belong to a community that was important to me for a long time. It feels like I have gradually lost something that I took for granted would always be there. It's one thing to process the breakup of a favorite band or the untimely death of a beloved artist. It's much more confusing to navigate "losing" a band that hasn't technically gone anywhere--but in recent years, that's what a number of Hanson fans find ourselves trying to do.
What you said about grieving is spot-on. That's why it's really unhelpful when some fans say things like, 'well, if you don't like Hanson anymore, why are you still around' - kind of thing. But it's not so clear cut, and 'letting go is the hardest part'. This band has been such a huge part of my life for the past 8 years (I know that's nothing compared to other fans) and it's sad to see that things have changed so much that I no longer feel that 'love'. But it definitely changed from their side - something changed in 2017 with the MOE album and tour. I can't quite put my finger on it but something changed and they have been different ever since. Maybe they think they're huge stars again, or maybe they have figured out that they made enough new fans/fanclub members to keep things going without really trying.
DeleteWriting the post has been incredibly liberating - now I feel I can at least let go. Not completely, I'll stick around in the periphery but right now I want to focus on what 'sparks joy'.
Thank you for reading and for your comment <3