Review

Almost a year after their last Dallas tour date, Hanson returned to the House of Blues Sunday on their "Walk Around the World Tour." There was no smoke, no flashy outfits, no big production, just the band, the instruments, great music, and their message about poverty in Africa.

Earlier that afternoon before the show Issac, Taylor and Zac met up with fans at the SMU campus to walk a mile barefoot and spread that message. Something they've been doing before every show since their tour last year. It's how they connect with the fans, and raise awareness about the poverty in Africa. In another attempt to help they've paired up with TOMS shoes, and for every pair sold, a child in Africa also gets a pair of shoes.

That evening the brothers hit the stage at the House of Blues to give anticipating fans an amazing show, jumping right into a few of the more upbeat numbers to get the crowd well warmed up. Taylor taking a minute during "Been There Before" and addressing the crowd " remember how loud you guys sang this the last time, so you better sing it just as loud this
time!" And you bet he got what he asked for. Hanson's fans may not scream at the decibels they once did, but they still know how to be loud.

Mid Set the band went ahead and slowed it down a little with an acoustic set doing a personal favorite of mine in that mix "Georgia." Then leaving Zac alone on the stage to let him do one of the new numbers by himself on piano, getting him out from behind the drum kit, giving each of the brothers time to spotlight their talents vocally and instrumentally through out the show.

When Issac and Taylor came back out to join Zac they went ahead and picked it back up, only taking a few songs before getting to the one song everyone was apparently waiting for.. yes.. "Mmmbop." There was jumping around, singing along, it was pretty fantastic actually. Now I have to warn you, my judgement was based solely on the amount of cell phones and cameras that came out during this song, but it sure seemed to be THE crowd favorite.

The last pre Encore number the guys did was "Watch Over Me" where Issac took a moment and asked the crowd to "scream the chorus at the top of their lungs, because the last time they were in Dallas it was the last song they did before he had to be rushed to the hospital due to a blood clot." I was a little surprised he mentioned it to be quite honest. It's good to see he's feeling great though.

Overall the set was a good mix of songs from their last four studio albums, mostly focusing on songs off the independent releases "Underneath" and "The Walk" which contain a more matured sound than the previous two. The addition of some of the new EP material was a nice treat, and continues to show growth in their sound and song writing.

After their Encore the band did an accapella chorus to "Great Divide" leaving the crowd with those words as a bit of a final thought and message to their cause, and I'm going to do the same.

"I find hope and it gives me rest. I find hope in a beating chest. I find hope in what eyes don't see. I find hope in your hate for me. Have no fear when the waters rise.. we can conquer this great divide" - Hanson

For more information on The Walk and how to help end poverty in Africa please
visit www.takethewalk.net or www.hanson.net