Hanson bridges gap between musicians and fans

Screams of anticipation could be heard from Whittenberger Auditorium Monday afternoon. Newly independent band Hanson visited campus for a screening of its documentary, "Strong Enough to Break," and later held a concert in Alumni Hall. \nThe documentary displayed the band's struggle to launch its album "Underneath" and gave a "play-by-play" of the band's split with Island Def Jam Records. The band struggled to please record executives, producers, CEOs and, arguably most importantly, itself. Ultimately, it left the label and, after shopping around, decided to create its own label, 3CG. Isaac, Taylor and Zac Hanson are all CEOs of their label, a position they're very happy with because it eliminates all the hurdles that once stood in their way.\nThe band made an appearance after the documentary and answered questions. The line for questions quickly reached the door, but the guys did their best at answering as many as they could. A couple of questions hit some good chords with the band, as the brothers continually interrupted each other and tried to coin the perfect answer. They voiced the unique structure of their label, their frustration with radio and emphasized how important an audience is to the industry.\nOne question, coming from a member of a band hoping to break into the industry, asked the brothers how they are amazingly successful.\n"Never have too much pride," Isaac cautioned.\nHe said no audience has precedence over another audience and explained how back before they were famous, Hanson sang for a manager at 7 a.m. in a hotel lobby. While the manager couldn't offer them much, he did offer them an attorney who helped with the business aspects of Hanson's success.\nA young trio of sisters asked to sing for the group, and another person asked to shake their hands.\nOne audience member asked, "Are these people for real?" after one of these questions. \nEach of the brothers urged those who had questions for the documentary and music industry to be at the core.\nConcluding the lecture, Isaac said, "It's really hard to make it and be successful. You've got to support the bands."\nThe band hopes to help other artists gain an audience by offering a free CD sampler at its shows. This all references back to the band's frustration with radio and how difficult it can be to get airtime, especially without a huge label. \n"A DVD can cost $20, and you'll maybe watch it three times a year," Isaac said. "But a $15 CD, you can listen to over and over. It's very worth the money."\nAll the attendees received a free copy of Hanson's Underneath album, an unexpected surprise that got a huge roar, much like "Oprah's Favorites," Isaac said. \nUnderneath is the No. 1 selling independent album and, as seen in the documentary, the band couldn't be happier.