popwreckoning

Having heard of Rooney about eight years ago or so (and being on their mailing list since then), I was intrigued to see them live for the first time. I was a little unsure of what to expect from them exactly, but since Rooney is currently on tour with Hanson to promote their newest release Eureka, I rightfully assumed it would be a fun show. And though the tour has only just started, they’ve already hit major cities such as Buffalo, NY and Philadelphia, PA.

The sold out Philadelphia show Sunday night was very entertaining. Though the majority of the fans were in attendance to see Hanson, Rooney, who happens to be very engaging, had the crowd singing right along with them. Lead singer, Robert Schwartzman, encouraged the crowd to clap along to the beat several times throughout the night. The band impressed me and had very good stage presence. They personalized the show by talking about the Phillies baseball game they attended earlier in the day, and about the storm that delayed the game, drenching the band in the process. At one point, Robert even threw his Phillies baseball cap out into the crowd.

Rooney’s music is very guitar based with the occasional keyboard used in their songs which of course keeps the energy level high throughout the night. They played songs from their newest release Eureka such as “Holding On” and “I Can’t Get Enough.” They even played a cover of “Rockin’ in the Free World” by Neil Young with Robert playing drums and Ned Brower, their drummer, singing lead. Their adaptation stayed true to Neil Young’s version of the song and the crowd seemed to really enjoy it. Overall, Rooney has very upbeat music that encourages the audience to sing and dance along. If you are looking for a good to pop show to see, don’t pass up the opportunity to see Rooney. You won’t be disappointed.

Hanson has announced the first two legs of a North American tour in support of their upcoming Shout It Out Release.

The band’s debut single, “Thinking ‘Bout Somethin,’” was released digitally Friday in conjunction with the premiere network television performance of the song on the Late Show with David Letterman, and the music video debut on Myspace. The video features “Weird” Al Yankovic and is a homage to classic film The Blues Brothers.

The first leg of the Shout It Out Tour begins July 21 with support from Rooney, and covers the east coast, south and midwest. The second leg, featuring A Rocket To The Moon, covers the southwest and west coast and begins September 14. In partnership with OurStage, they are hosting an opening band contest in each market, where local indie artists can compete for the chance to share the stage with the band.

If you cannot make it to any of the tour dates, don’t fret: the band’s sold-out, five-night concert series at New York’s Gramercy Theatre, featuring the band performing one of their albums in its entirety will be streamed live on Hanson.net, Livestream.com and MSN.com.

Shout It Out, is due out on the band’s 3CG Records on June 8.

Tour Dates:
Leg 1:
July
21 – Buffalo, NY – Club Infinity
23 – Hyannis, MA – Cape Cod Melody Tent
24 – Cohasset, MA – South Shore Music Circus
25 – Philadelphia, PA – Theatre of the Living Arts
27 – Baltimore, MD – Sonar
28 – Richmond, VA – Hat Factory
30 – Asheville, NC – Orange Peel
31 – Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theatre
August
2 – Louisville, KY – Headliners
3 – Nashville, TN – Wild Horse Saloon
4 – Memphis, TN – Minglewood Hall
5 – St. Louis, MO – Pageant
7 – Kansas City, MO – The Beaumont
8 – Omaha, NE – Slowdown (no Rooney)
10 – Minneapolis, MN – Music @ Zoo Outdoor Amphitheatre
12 – Milwaukee, WI – Pabst Theatre
13 – Chicago, IL – House of Blues
14 – Chicago, IL – House of Blues
16 – Grand Rapids, MI – Intersection
17 – Royal Oak, MI – Royal Oak Music Theatre
19 – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues
20 – Pittsburgh, PA – Carnegie Music Hall
21 – Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall
23 – Cincinnati, OH – Moonlight Gardens
24 – Indianapolis, IN – Egyptian Room
25 – Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom

Leg 2:
September
14 – Mesa, AZ – Piper Theater
16 – Anaheim, CA – House of Blues
17 – Los Angeles, CA – House of Blues
18 – San Diego, CA – House of Blues
20 – San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall
21 – San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall
22 – Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom
23 – Seattle, WA – The Moore
25 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom
27 – Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory
28 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory
30 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot
October
1 – Boulder, CO – Fox Theatre

I must confess the first thought that went through my head when I arrived at the Beaumont was “Damn. I’m old.”

Hanson‘s “Use Your Sole” tour, which featured Steel Train, Sherwood and Hellogoodbye, attracted a crowd of girls, aged 12 to 16, and women aged in the early 20s to mid-30s. There were a few dudes at the show, too.

The ladies in the crowd were in high spirits through the entire show. The girls’ hair flailed, and heels clomped as they shouted and cheered in sheer joy. The fans’ screams reached an all time high when Hanson took the stage.

Now, I’m not a fan of Hanson’s music, but I must admit the band earned the loud adulation it received from the crowd.

I was a bit shocked when Hanson walked on stage.

I mean, they were all grown-up.

I suppose I shouldn’t have been too surprised by the band’s mature look, but the last time I saw a photo of Hanson, the guys’ were much younger and grungier.

On Friday evening, Isaac Hanson (guitar, bass, piano, vocals) wore a white shirt with a slim, black vest and tie, and Taylor Hanson (piano, guitar, drums, vocals), wore a fitted, black shirt. Although I wasn’t able to see what Zac Hanson (drums, piano, guitar, vocals) was wearing, I can report he had a mass amount of energy. He got up from his drum kit a few times during the performance and ran around the stage to get the audience moving.

Hanson started off its set with “Worlds Of Fire,” then “Blue Sky.” Both songs were upbeat, and elicited thoughts of bright, crisp aired mornings and happy times.

During the third song, “Where’s The Love,” many of the girls in the crowd began to dance (and push through the crowd, bumping into whoever blocked the path they choose. Grr). Whenever the band sang the lyrics “round and around,” many females made swirly hand motions and jumped up and down.

The band then began playing the sweet “Strong Enough To Break,” which incorporated light, airy guitar sounds.

After playing “A Minute Without You,” the band launched into “Great Divide,” which had a Maroon 5 groove.

Hanson’s music has changed a bit over the years. While they’re still very pop on some tunes, many of the band’s new songs have a bluesy feel. The musicians seem to be writing more passionate lyrics, too.

During the last half of Hanson’s set, the band played “Been There Before” and “Hey.”

“Hey,” which came from the band’s 2004 album Underneath, had a light country rock feel, while “Been There Before,” which came from the 2007 album The Walk, had John Mayer guitar influences, and was filled with rich keyboard chords.

Hanson ended the show with its big pop hit, “MmmBop,” and the feel good, “If Only.”

So, what did I learn after attending a Hanson show?

1) The guys in Hanson are talented musicians, and are still able to write fun, rompy music.
2) The band has a loyal fan base who enjoyed the new and old material.
3) The band is doing a heck of a lot of good for the world.

Set list:
Worlds On Fire
Blue Sky
Where’s The Love
A Minute Without You
Great Divide
Carry You There
Strong Enough To Break
Cecilia
These Walls
Watch Over Me
Waiting For This
Crazy Beautiful
Hey
Been There Before
Hard To Handle ?
MMMBop
Lost Without Each Other
Something Going
If Only (update: listed, but not played)

Hanson: website | myspace
Take the Walk: website

Photo by: Joshua Hammond