The Jonas Brothers know what their audience wants — to be kids again

Article content

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Near the end of the Jonas Brothers concert on Sunday at MetLife Stadium, Nick Jonas started ruminating about how grateful he was for everyone who helped him and his brothers, Joe and Kevin, succeed in the music industry. Their parents. Many people in attendance that night, which was the kickoff show for the band’s 20-year anniversary tour. And, of course, a multibillion dollar corporate entity.

“One of those, it’s not a person, but a thing: Disney,” Nick told the crowd, reminiscing about the time the company – which helped rocket the sibling trio to fame in the early aughts with a record deal, TV appearances and their own show – asked Joe to audition for a 2008 film starring newcomer Demi Lovato. Their father negotiated for Nick and Kevin to land roles as well. “I think it’s time that we all walk down this memory lane and celebrate a little movie called ‘Camp Rock.'”

The audience went ballistic at the mention of the hit Disney Channel movie that holds a special place in the hearts of millennials everywhere, one that includes a thrilling and cathartic duet between Lovato and Joe (who briefly dated in real life) called “This Is Me.” (“You’re the voice I hear inside my head, the reason that I’m singing, I need to find you … I gotta find you.”) But that sound was nothing compared with the ear-shattering decibel levels when Lovato herself strolled onstage for a surprise appearance, joining Joe for a rendition of “This Is Me” along with “Wouldn’t Change a Thing” from the 2010 sequel, “Camp Rock 2.”

The JoBros have been through quite a bit since they started their careers as teen stars two decades ago – selling millions of albums; embarking on successful solo side projects; and going through a rift so severe (creative differences, their rep explained) that they split up for nearly six years. The brothers make it clear that they take their individual artistic identities seriously, so it would have been understandable if they avoided their Disney-fied years as much as possible.

Yet Sunday night was a reminder of how they understand their roles, and how they have endured through all their ups and downs because they understand exactly what their audience wants: upbeat earworm pop songs and nostalgia heaped upon nostalgia. During the concert, Nick and Joe crooned their lesser-known tracks in a sing-off battle; they played newer records, including several songs from their seventh studio album, “Greetings From Your Hometown,” that just dropped Friday. But ultimately, the brothers know what’s going to make fans lose their minds.

In addition to stacking the set list with past hits (“Lovebug,” “S.O.S.,” “Year 3000,” “Burnin’ Up”), they brought out early 2000s star Jesse McCartney – one of the first artists they opened for on tour – to belt out “Beautiful Soul.” They invited Switchfoot to play “Meant to Live,” because the band inspired the brothers to write their first song together. They played Joe’s side project DNCE’s “Cake By the Ocean” and Nick’s solo “Jealous.”

But as they probably anticipated, Lovato, a longtime millennial favorite, stole the show. While leaving the stadium, the audience buzzed about her cameo (“I feel like I’m 11 again!”). Attendees had already uploaded the “Camp Rock” performance footage to TikTok, where fans couldn’t believe what they were seeing.

“MY THERAPIST WILL BE HEARING ABOUT THIS,” one person posted.

“Okay I have CHILLS, why does this affect me so much,” posted another.

“Adult me is healing,” another wrote. “Cause I can feel my childlike happiness.”

The tour – titled JONAS20: Greetings From Your Hometown – treks across the country until mid-November and arrives in the Washington area on Tuesday, where the brothers will play Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow. Originally, they were supposed to play Nationals Park, but this was one of six dates where the trio had to downsize from stadiums to arenas and amphitheaters. While they would still play to huge crowds who crave a night of throwback songs, the change inspired a wave of social media commentary that questioned whether the Jonas Brothers could fill stadiums in 2025, when many artists are struggling to sell tickets.

But at MetLife (one of two stadiums that stayed on the schedule, along with Fenway Park), tens of thousands of fans packed the venue – how could they not? Even without knowing the slate of special guests, this was the hometown show.

“My name is Nick Jonas and Wyckoff, New Jersey, is my hometown!” Nick, 32, said at the top of the show. Joe, 35, who moved to Florida years ago, echoed: “Even though I took my talents to Miami, New Jersey is my hometown!”

“New Jersey is still my hometown!” Kevin, 37, yelled as the crowd screamed, standing about a half hour from where the siblings were raised. A towering bridge set piece was meant to evoke the George Washington Bridge, Nick said later in the show. They had to travel across it to New York City countless times as they tried to live out their dreams from the Jersey suburbs. Back when Nick appeared in Broadway shows such as “Beauty and the Beast” and “Les Misérables” as a child and got a record deal. Back when their lives changed after a label executive heard the brothers sing together and wondered whether they might work better as a trio.

At MetLife, they highlighted their familial bond as usual, and invited their parents and younger brother Frankie (known as the “bonus Jonas”) to the stage for their closing number, “When You Look Me In the Eyes,” which they co-wrote with their father, Kevin Sr., and released in 2007. The public will never not be fascinated by famous siblings and all the issues that go along with working with family and being in the public eye, and the brothers know that people crave details. They have been candid about everything from the famous “purity rings” they wore as teenagers (inspired by their Christian upbringing and minister father) to the communication issues that led to the band’s breakup.

They split around 2013, but that couldn’t last for long – after all, fans from the Disney days still craved new material. Still, the trio’s 2019 comeback single, “Sucker,” was perhaps bigger than anyone expected, its success fueling new tours and music ever since. The brothers also remain tabloid favorites. Kevin has been married to his wife, Danielle, since 2009 and they have two daughters (and once starred in their own E! reality show); Nick wed actress Priyanka Chopra in 2018 and they have a daughter; Joe tied the knot with actress Sophie Turner in 2019 and had two daughters, though the pair divorced in 2023.

Joe and Turner’s divorce coverage got messy after tabloid stories cast Turner as a partyer and Joe as a dutiful father, a narrative that outraged observers on social media. But the Jonas Brothers as celebrities have mostly managed to keep their images intact in the eyes of fans, who have watched their evolution from dreamy teen stars to fathers. “I Heart Hot Dads” was a popular T-shirt choice at the concert.

Asked about their Jonas Brothers fandom before the show, several concertgoers name-checked their love of “Camp Rock” before they even realized Lovato was in the house. A 30-year-old named Shelby, in attendance with her two 30-something friends, said it was her 11th JoBros show: “The Jonas Brothers, that’s all I need,” she said. Megan, 25, and Danielle, 27, of Long Island said they had been listening since the earliest days, and Megan said she even watched “Claim to Fame,” the 2022 nepo baby show on ABC hosted by Kevin and Frankie.

And then Melissa, 29, from Upstate New York summed up the reason she and tens of thousands of others were there, and why the brothers will always have an audience no matter how much time passes.

“It’s our childhood,” she said.

The Jonas Brothers perform at Toronto’s Rogers Centre on Aug. 21.

Love concerts, but can't make it to the venue? Stream live shows and events from your couch with VEEPS, a music-first streaming service now operating in Canada. Click here for an introductory offer of 30% off. Explore upcoming concerts and the extensive archive of past performances.