Holly Grande: Short and Sweet

Last night, I went to a Hanson concert. Yes, that Hanson. I've followed the boys from Tulsa since This Time Around and their pop-rock transformed into the earthy rock-and-roll it is today.

The concert was a blast. I went to the concert by myself, but I wasn't worried about being by myself. That's a really cool thing about Hanson fans: if you go to an event, you are going to make friends. Be it in line for the Walk, or dancing in the crowd, you'll meet someone.

I happened to meet some fans in the parking garage above the venue. I parked my car on the fith level, and on the way to the elevator, I saw a few other girls. No one said anything as we waited by the elevators until, finally, one girl piped up, "You're here for Hanson, aren't you?"

It turned out that all six of us were. Another fan added, "Hanson fans have a certain look, don't they?"

I don't know if it's anything about the look, but there is that overarching sense of community. I've talked about it before, this phenomenon that's developed thanks to the internet. Gemeinshaft isn't exclusive to tight-knit, real-world communities--it's popping up online as people connect through common interests, from skateboarding to Mmmbop.

As a band, I think Hanson has really taken advantage of it in an absolutely incredible way, too. The boys don't just put on performances or sell Mp3s, they engage their fans beyond music. With programs like the Walk and their partnership with TOMS Shoes, Hanson has used the sense of community that develops among fans and turned it into a massive effort to help the worldwide community as a whole. In fact, to date the band and fans have walked a combined 28,201 miles to fight poverty and AIDS.

It makes me really happy to be a part of that community.

Posted by Holly at 7:11 PM  

Labels: communication, germeinshaft