The Chance Theater might play its part next week in leading many to think back on the relatively cheery times of the '80s and '90s with two throwback but vibrant gigs in three nights. Blues Traveler has pushed past the two-decade mark making music, and continues to sport a true without-a-net approach to live playing. Harp-master John Popper may be slimmer and the band may no longer be headlining amphitheaters on the HORDE tour, but Blues Traveler hasn't lost touch with the sound that made it one of the most beloved roots/jam touring acts of the '90s. They play the Chance with guest Chris Baron - he of Spin Doctors fame - on Thursday, October 23.

If you're a fan of BT's new album, North Hollywood Shootout, don't expect a live version of how the record finishes: a six-minute rant from none other than Bruce Willis laid over a spirited BT jam. All tickets for the Chance can be ordered by visiting www.ticketweb.com. Tickets for Blues Traveler are $27.50. Doors open at 7 p.m.

From the boys (literally) who brought the world "MmmBop" comes a social conscience with tangible follow-through: Hanson - brothers Isaac, Taylor and Zac - brings its "Walk around the World Tour" to town at the Chance on Saturday, October 25. Sure, they are touring behind their recent record The Walk; but they're also working to raise awareness of the brutal poverty in parts of Africa - and to raise money to try to eradicate the problem through health care, education and basic supplies.

The tour includes a charity walk at each stop from a last-second departure point. Visit the Hanson website three hours prior to showtime or a bit more to get the location of each stroll for the cause. The idea is to walk with the brothers for one mile, barefoot. For each mile walked by each fan, the band is donating $1 for causes, which include buying shoes for children in South Africa, building a hospital in Soweto and helping Free the Children raise money for a school in Kenya. The idea is to tally up 24,902 miles: the equivalent of walking around the world.

Hanson (originally the Hanson Brothers) will forever be associated with the ubiquitous "MmmBop," a smash Number-One hit that helped their major label debut, Middle of Nowhere, sell more than four million albums. The super-poppy single, which Bono still counts among his favorite tunes of all time, catapulted the young brothers to superstardom at a very young age; Zac, on drums, was just 11 when the record came out.

The guys plan to follow their record with a five-song EP that comes with a coffee-table book called Take the Walk, which focuses on the band's fundraising efforts and aims to raise more money for the venture. The brothers got hip to situations in parts of Africa when a few years ago they were introduced to a medical technology firm in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where the band is based. The brothers become fascinated by what the company was up to: technology that allows doctors to treat patients remotely - in particular, AIDS patients. They put a halt to the album they were making and journeyed to Africa in order as assess the situation for themselves and to determine whether there was anything they could do to help.

While in South Africa and Mozambique, they recorded with a school choir and also took along a tape recorder to capture sounds from the streets. The results can be heard on The Walk on songs such as "Great Divide," "Been There Before" and "Blue Sky."

All tickets for the Chance can be ordered by visiting www.ticketweb.com. Tickets for Hanson are $32.50. David Barnes will open up the show at 7:30 p.m.