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Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, the Grateful Dead... and Hanson? If the idea of the young pop-rock phenoms taking the stage at San Francisco's fabled Fillmore Auditorium--where Hendrix, Joplin, and so many other immortals once bathed in the spotlight--should strike you as sacrilegious, well, perhaps you're selling Hanson short. For while brothers Isaac (guitar), Taylor (keyboards) and Zachary (drums) Hanson are boys, they are certainly not a "boy band"; the teenyboppers who packed the Fillmore for this June 2000 show may swoon over their wholesome good looks, but Hanson eschew choreographed dance moves, fancy duds, designer haircuts, and the other boy-band trappings in favor of (gasp!) their music. For one thing, the Hanson brothers are real musicians; augmented by a bass player and second guitarist and keyboardist, they offer ample evidence in the course of this 12-song concert that they can both play and sing (especially Taylor, who handles the lion's share of the lead vocals) like seasoned rock & roll pros. And while their self-penned songs may not exactly change the world, Hanson has a knack for filling them with irresistible hooks, from the opening "You Never Know" through "MMMBop," the hit that started it all, and other, more recent numbers like "If Only" and "Next Time Around" (entertaining videos for the latter two are principal among the DVD's bonus features). They also throw in a cover of Steppenwolf's "Magic Carpet Ride," a nod to the '60s that shows that Hanson was fully aware of the Fillmore legacy. It all makes for a righteously groovy experience, dudes. --Sam Graham
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