Hanson Shout it Out 2012 Philippines

"Hold on to the ones who really cared,
In the end they'll be the only ones there."
- Hanson, "MMMBop"

Day 181
30 March 2012

Seven years ago, I got to watch my favorite band Hanson perform live. Today, thankful to the heavens for aligning the planets to work to my advantage, I am going to see them perform live again. Actually, even if I didn't get to win the ticket, I'd still buy myself a ticket because my uncle gave me money for the ticket. That day, I was giddy, happy, and excited. However, I still haven't received any message from Astroplus where and when to get the ticket, so I felt a little disheartened.




Still, I went to Araneta Center earlier than possible so when I receive a message from them, I was already in the area ready to pick up my ticket. I met up with my friend Daisy, had an early dinner and roamed around while chit-chatting about many things.


Around 6pm, I went to the red gate of Smart Araneta Center to pick up my ticket. Daisy's ticket was at the Upper Box, so she had to line up because it was free seating - first come first serve. I on the other hand, had a designated seat, so I was told by the guards to just chillax because even if I enter at the last minute, my seat will be there waiting for me. I got to see my friend's boyfriend as well as Denise - a new friend, so I spent time with them while waiting for my fellow Hanson Philippines admins, as they attended a Members Only Event prior to the main show. Only members of Hanson.Net Fanclub were able enter. I hoped to be a part of it, too, but the $50 yearly membership was a bit too expensive for me.


When the gates open, I made my way through my section. Oh my gosh... I was seated at the side part of the stage. This picture I took during the sound check of Robin Nievera (the one in white, holding the mic) as he and his band was the opening act for this leg of Hanson's concert.


Me with Cielo, a new found friend. She and I both won a Lower Box ticket from yesterday's Meet and Greet, and since we were seated next to each other, we just shared sentiments and many little things about Hanson.

When we realized we were seated at a not-so-good location, we started feeling bad about it. We told ourselves we weren't contended because we didn't choose this seat, but of course, both of us were happy that we were able to watch the concert for free.

When Robin Nievera started performing, we noticed there was an empty space near the center of the stage at the Lowerbox area. We wanted to have a good view of the stage, so we decided to change locations. If some people would come in and say they own the seat we were on, we will just find another seat. We were thankful nobody claimed our new seat - and from there, we told ourselves we had the best seats for the night.






When Hanson entered the stage, the fans started screaming. The coliseum wasn't full, but despite the few empty areas, the fans' screams felt like the place was jam packed.


I only had one camera as I couldn't use my cell phone to capture images and videos because I was quite far from the stage. What I did was... take pictures at the first few verses of the song, then I would stop and enjoy the rest of the song - dancing, singing, screaming.

Taylor was saying something about "Let us take you back to 1997...." I wasn't able to quickly recognize the intro, but the song was "Thinking of You," one of my top 3 Hanson songs. Obviously, I wasn't able to fully video the song, but I was happy to capture parts of it. Hearing this song melted my heart to the point that I was nearly teary eyed. They don't perform this song that often during their concerts, so hearing this made the show all the more special.

Complete setlist of Hanson's Shout it Out Tour 2012 Manila:

Waiting For This
Where’s The Love
Thinking ‘Bout Somethin’
Thinking Of You
Minute Without You
Crazy Beautiful
Can’t Stop
Strong Enough To Break (Acoustic)
Deeper (Acoustic)
Wish That I Was There (Acoustic)
A Song To Sing
With You In Your Dreams
This Time Around
And I Waited
Penny & Me
Give A Little
MMMBop
Lost Without Each Other
If Only

Truth be told, I still haven't memorized all the songs from their newest album "Shout it Out," but none of it mattered because the band played tunes from their past albums. Song after song, I can't help but go "wow" and "awww" because each song seemed to have transported me back in time. I call the concert my Magical Mystery Tour - an experience spanning 15 years.

When they played "MMMBop," I couldn't help but cry a bit. Yes, the song was upbeat and bubbly, but being a fan for 15 years, it was like all of us were back to 1997... it was the song that made me a Hanson fan, and it will always be a special song even if I don't consider it a favorite.


The band left the stage after the song "If Only," but since they still haven't taken the bow just yet, I knew they will be back, so when they did, I didn't pass up the chance to take a video of it. They performed "In The City," and it was a great performance to end a great musical journey.


Some fans at the show loved the band since they first came out... others loved the band just a few years ago. I got to see fans from way way back, and it was just amazing to see us holding on to the love. As my friend Daisy told on my Facebook page, "I guess the fact that Hanson can bring people together means something :) Hey, even the others that we saw are people we have met a long time ago and yet as if no time has passed!" Truly, it wasn't just a musical ride... it was also a celebration of friendship.

The road to this concert was a little rough for me - there were low, sad moments, but in the end I was victorious. I am not sure when the band will come back, so this moment I treasure a lot. The events and people that are part of this journey I will hold dear in my heart, and I will be forever thankful for this.



PS - If you wanna see the complete set of images, please click HERE.