They bonded over their love for Hanson. Twenty years later they reunite for the concert of their teen dreams
LOS ANGELES - I love Hanson.
Yes, the band Hanson, with brothers Isaac, Taylor and Zac. It is 1997, I am 12 years old, and I am not allowed to wear makeup, no matter how much I protest. And Hanson's first single, "MMMBop," is the hit of the summer.
But Hanson is not popular the way the Backstreet Boys are popular. They're from Tulsa, Okla., they're very religious (read: wholesome) and, as the boys in my sixth-grade class say, their long hair makes them look like girls.
A few Saturdays ago, I was 12 again.
Hanson - yes, they're still touring - played the Greek Theatre. But as I made my way to my seat, I was dismayed at the sea of empty red rows in the balcony. I was suddenly a tween on the defensive again, and I felt the urge to defend the band - to curse everyone who didn't understand how great they were.
Of course, everyone who was at the Greek felt like kin, other women in their 30s wearing faded Hanson T-shirts from the 1990s. The chosen few
