Lady Gaga live at BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend 2011

It's Daijams' Full Concert Tuesday!

There is good reason to be suspicious of concerts by pop stars. Most of them don't actually sing, and when they do, it's often...downright bad. Right now I'm resisting the urge to provide a mean link to a certain country star who annoys the hell out of me, even though she's not technically done anything to deserve my ire. Sorry, Taylor, but I'm just not buying it.

Lady Gaga can sing -- she's proven that time and time again in live performances on TV shows and at festivals -- but the first 20 minutes of this show still feel like a haphazard circus, a mishmash of the weird and the absurd, a breathless race through her radio hits "Born This Way," "Bad Romance," "Telephone," "Poker Face," and "Alejandro." Through all the dancing, she hits 95% of the notes with no problem, but it lacks soul, even when she's banging on a cymbal with a stray drumstick or chiding the audience. It feels forced.

But then, just as I'm ready to turn it off and give up -- maybe a full Lady Gaga concert isn't a good idea -- a trumpet blares out from the darkened stage. What's this? A jazz interlude? Lady Gaga emerges to flirt with the trumpeter, make a few remarks about how she was a nerd in high school jazz band, and then belt a cover of Nat King Cole's "Orange Colored Sky." Now we're talking. Her voice sounds relaxed, confident, unstrained by the pressure to dance and sing and throw out all the stops; it's the right balance of smooth vibrato and gritty growl. And proving herself as adaptable as ever, she spits a verse she penned about the Royal Wedding, which had gripped the entire United Kingdom just two weeks earlier. The audience eats it up.

For her next song, Gaga flounces to the piano to pound out a rendition of "Speechless," which she'd performed earlier in the year with Elton John at the Grammys, and suddenly the transformation from Little Monster Orgy to Lounge Act is complete. She's mesmerizing in both roles -- Crazy Head Monster and Sensitive Singer-Songwriter -- but only the latter makes me melt with affection for the pop singer. She transitions into an acoustic piano version of "The Edge of Glory," which had been released digitally just two days prior, but you can still hear a few dedicated fans who already know the words. (They probably downloaded it illegally, the Monsters.) She wraps up the acoustic section with the now-familiar "You and I," which was also on the Born This Way album released later that month.

And just to prove you should never assume you know what to expect from Gaga, she tops off the acoustic set with what appears to be a pop-induced seizure on top of the piano, a return of the trumpeter, some devil-possessed scat-singing, and a moody, Latino-infused transition song.

When she returns, it's back to business -- pop hits "Just Dance" and "Judas" -- but it's clear how in control Gaga is -- in control of her performance, of the audience, of the record industry, of the future of her own slice of pop music. She did her hits, but she also did music that meant something to her, that proved her diversity as an artist. It wasn't all great, but hell -- I'm sold. I'd see her live. Would you?

To fully appreciate the transformation, check out this performance from when she was a student at NYU, still known as Stefani Germanotta. She's right where she belongs -- behind the piano.

Hanson: "Thinking 'Bout Somethin'"

Let's cast our minds back to 1997. Gas was $1.12 a gallon, Bill Clinton was (barely) still president, Steve Jobs reclaimed the helm of Apple Computers, Mike Tyson bit off part of Evander Holyfield's ear during a boxing match, the tobacco companies were forced to weather their first huge legal loss, we all learned the phrase "El Nino," and at age 21, Tiger Woods became the youngest golfer ever to win the Master's. And, of course, there was the music. Here's the top 12 songs from that year:

1. "Candle in the Wind," Elton John
2. "Foolish Games / You Were Meant for Me," Jewel
3. "I'll Be Missing You," Puff Daddy and Faith Evans
4. "Un-Break My Heart," Toni Braxton
5. "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down," Puff Daddy
6. "I Believe I Can Fly," R. Kelly
7. "Don't Let Go (Love)," En Vogue
8. "Return of the Mack," Mark Morrison
9. "How Do I Live," LeAnn Rimes
10. "Wannabe," Spice Girls
11. "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)," Backstreet Boys
12. "MMMBop," Hanson

Alright, so we probably could have guessed that the Backstreet Boys and the Spice Girls wouldn't stick around long. Toni Braxton, En Vogue, and Mark Morrison have done alright; according to Wikipedia, they're still "active" musicians, though the 90's were their unequivocal heyday. Jewel and LeAnn Rimes have maintained respectable careers, and R. Kelly has maintained a career of sorts, though the timelessness of "I Believe I Can Fly" really pales in comparison to some of his earlier, raunchier tracks, such as 1993's "I Like the Crotch on You." A true wordsmith.

That leaves us with the Top 12's heavyweights: Elton John had that year's #1 hit with "Candle in the Wind," a song written in 1973 about Marilyn Monroe's death. It surged back into popularity in the late 90's as a memorial song for Princess Diana. Another tribute song, "I'll Be Missing You," in memory of the Notorious B.I.G., was cobbled together by Faith Evans and the artist formerly known as Puff Daddy, the only artist to appear twice on the list. Too bad he no longer exists.

And that's a wrap!

Oh wait. There's also Hanson, eeking in at #12. They had this little hit in the 90's called "MmmBop" to which fifth graders like myself mmbopped around our friends' basements, dancing and using hairbrushes as microphones, discussing who was the cutest Hanson, and deciding that their Oklahoma background meant they were not only talented and attractive, but also down to earth, wholesome, and our realistic future husbands.

Eventually we moved on to other (likely shorter-haired) heartthrobs. But those Hanson brothers kept at it, and for almost 15 years since the release of "MmmBop," they've been honing their craft, touring, getting married (dammit), and cutting records. Their newest, released last year on their own label, is their eighth studio album and features this song as the lead single. I'm partial to the music video, which is an homage to the Blues Brothers, a movie released the same year the eldest Hanson was born. But through the years the child prodigies (too strong a word?) have grown even more talented, and they haven't forgotten what we liked in the first place -- the great harmonies, the catchy licks, and the meaningful lyrics.

Before writing this post, I'd never read the lyrics to "MmmBop," but it does actually have words other than onomatopoetry. The then-12, -14, and -17-year-old boys were singing about finding the one or two relationships that will last a lifetime and holding on until your hair falls out. ("You have so many relationships in this life ... / So hold on to the ones who really care / In the end they'll be the only ones there / When you get old and start losing your hair.") The brothers lived that, too; each is already married with children in multiples of two. [See guide.]

[A guide to the Hanson Brothers]

Isaac, born 1980, guitarist, prominent facial hair, married, 2 kids

Taylor, born 1983, lead singer and pianist, no facial hair, married, 4 kids

Zac, born 1985, drummer, scant facial hair, married, 2 kids

In this new song, more than a decade later, the Hanson men have apparently had enough: "I've been thinking 'bout somethin' other than you." And it sounds like there's some juicy backstory: "I've been getting the love that moves me while you've been getting around." This holds up as a satisfying break-up song, complete with an upbeat tempo and happy major chords. It's about moving on, something the Hanson brothers are familiar with as they've navigated the path from child stardom to long-lasting musical careers.

There are many reasons I'm glad it's now 2011 and not 1997. The 90's slow jams have been replaced by hip-hop, we've got a non-intern-prone Democrat in the White House, and though we've lost Steve Jobs, he left behind an indelible mark on both technology and society. Also, when Hanson releases their first beer label next year -- yes, beer label, an IPA called  "MmmHop" -- I'll be old enough to drink it and enjoy the full Hanson flavor.

Okay that sounded better in my head.

Oh hell, why not?

Haley Reinhart: "Bennie and the Jets"

So I know I just did a post on American Idol's most recent talent discovery, Haley Reinhart, but now I can't stop YouTubing her performances. With each video I'm more convinced that American Idol voters are just plain stupid for voting her off. Though I guess I would have to vote to earn the privilege of complaining about the result. But I mean -- good lord, this girl is so talented.

I love Haley's cover of this song (originally released by Elton John in 1974) partly because it's gritty and kind of raunchy and totally convincing, and partly because it reminds me of this scene from the beloved romcom 27 Dresses. I spent one winter break in college watching and rewinding and rewatching this movie for like nine days straight. Yes, I'm a sucker.

Oh James Marsden and Katherine Heigl, you jokesters! But seriously, that looks fun.