Tulsa's a very Hanson-y place


	Llama's tour of Tulsa includes four sites. This is one of them... you'll probably recognize the building from RTA, where a shot of it was shown during the whirlwind venue fraction of a second. Hanson supposedly prepared for their tour here, and walking around back it's possible to see where the pictures in the back of MOE 4 were taken. The ones with the intensely bizarre graphics of a random hand at a grill? I also suspect that this might be the theater that Ravi talks about in the first few pages of his book, but there has been no positive ID.

Here's stop number two on Llama's illustrious Tulsa tour. It's about a block away from the Brady Theater, and figures in as one of the major reasons why we're able to know that the Brady is the location for the MOE 4 shots, thanks to its high sign. This is a club where Admiral Twin has performed repeatedly over the years, and is also where Hanson were spotted at the Jonny (::cough:: spelled properly ::cough::) Lang show a few months ago.

	The significance of this particular landmark can hardly be questioned. Let it suffice to say that if you don't know what song was playing as we drove by, you should go back to pages on Britney Spears where you belong ;)

Tour locale number three: the Center of the Universe. This spot holds a prominent part in the story of one of my good friends' story and totally ranks high on the nifty-o-meter. If you stand above it with one foot in the light circle to the left of the seam and one to the right you're treated to some bizarre special effects whenever you speak. Every word you say echoes, but only to you. Everyone else believes you sound normal, but your voice is all mixed up in your head. It's definitely a must see in Tulsa, for its sheer oddity if nothing else.

"Ooooh llama," I can just hear you heckling, "you've really outdone yourself this time! Trees!" These particular specimens happen to be growing beside the MOE house, formerly known as Hanson's house. It's a nice backyard space, and the treehouse is just visible through the foliage. While we were there this time, MOE central looked very deserted. The lawn hadn't been cut for awhile (llama: has lawnmower, will travel), and there were several packages on the front stoop, apparently offerings from fans. The "keep out" signs have intensified since my last Tulsa trip, for good reason, judging by the parcels. Instead of just one "keep away" sign, there were several warnings about security systems and a chain on the driveway.

	The panoramic camera strikes again! This is a view of the entire Hanson house, complete with "private property, do not enter" sign and basketball hoop. It's nothing short of miraculous that a family of seven could have lived in such a small place!

The Blue Rose Cafe is a little seedy, a little shadey, and a lot biker. This shot was taken when we stopped by for dinner (being the oldest living Hanson/AT fans and therefore being able to enter the wonderland of 21+) after the Mayfest performance. The building is small, and at this hour of a Saturday night was totally flanked by motorcycles of all sorts. Most of them were large, red, and looked as thought someone named "Chuck" probably owned them. The inner area of the establishment is small, only housing a few wooden tables and a bar that's almost too big for the space available. The walls are covered with musical paraphernalia of all sort, from posters for Jackson Five concerts in the late 60s to Janis Joplin album sleeves. The restaurant is, according to our waitress, perpetually sold out of t-shirts and merchandise, no doubt due to teenie influx. They do, however, give cups to people who order soda. They have the cute little penguin insignia (seen in the background of this picture) and the slogan "no crybabies" written across their base.

	In the course of my journey I had the good fortune of getting to stop at an arcade at the Grapevine mall in Dallas, Texas. Hanson had performed there in the past, and this race car was signed by them. They even spelled everything right on this one, unlike the t-shirt that's hanging framed in Tulsa upon which Zac messed up on "lasarquest". Also of note: a llama hoof.

	They grow ladybugs big in Tulsa.