I've been to a couple of concerts in my time, but never one that was a festival of sorts with multiple headline-worthy acts. My sister, Marci, is a Hanson fan and when she found out that they would be in nearby Hershey Park as part of this festival she immediately bought tickets. I am typically her Hanson concert partner so when she asked me if I wanted to go, I agreed. In fact, I guess you could say I'm a Hanson fan too. I have a lot of respect for them; They've handled their fame (and money) far more responsibly than most child stars, they are true to who they are, working hard and even starting their own record label when others wanted them to conform, and most importantly, they are extremely talented!
When Marci found out they were offering upgraded "VIP" tickets, she decided that this may be her one chance to finally meet the man of her dreams, the one she's been pining over for 15 years, Taylor Hanson. (That's not even an exaggeration) So she upgraded our tickets as a birthday gift of sorts to me and we were ready for our big day.
The festival was actually a two day event, but we opted for only the first day. Money doesn't grow on trees people! Our line-up was as follows: Serena Ryder, Hanson, Gavin DeGraw, The Script, One Republic, and Train. And with our upgraded VIP tickets we had access to air-conditioned bathrooms, a pre-concert picnic, a VIP tent where VH1 was doing band interviews, we got to see a private acoustic concert by Hanson, and they had a photo booth and bar...it was pretty sweet. Oh, and we had some pretty close seats for the main event!
Marci (top) and I both got to meet Taylor Hanson at the VIP BBQ meet and greet before the private concert in the tent and then the full concert after that. Marci was starstruck so I made sure I told him how long she'd been waiting to meet him...and then he asked if I'd been waiting even longer, inferring that I'm the older sister. I kindly let him know I was the younger, bigger sister. :)
Next up - private concert by Hanson in the VIP tent. There were literally only three people in front of me!
Photo booth fun with Marci and some of the friends we made in the VIP tent!
Hanson on the big stage!
Train - incredible live. Sounded just like the radio :)
Special guest, Ashley Monroe, joined Pat M. from Train to sing their new single, Bruises. My favorite!
I honestly wasn't sure what all The Script sang, but once I heard their songs, I recognized almost all of them. Really great stage presence and performance as well. Representing from Ireland!
Sorry about the angle, but this is Gavin DeGraw performing. A surprising amount of swag on this fella!
One Republic put on a great show too. Their entire band is crazy good!
Did you make it to any concerts or festivals this summer? Who was your favorite performer? I can't thank Marci enough for her persistence in wanting to upgrade to the VIP tickets. I'm not sure I'll be able to go back to the "normal" concert experiences after this!
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