Jonas Brothers get better, or at least flashier, with age.
San Jose Concert Review:
When the Jonas Brothers — the reigning kings of the tweeny-bopper music universe — finally took the stage on Monday night at the HP Pavilion in San Jose.
It's amazing to see how far the brothers—Nick, 16, Joe, 19, and Kevin, 21 — have come
relatively in a brief time. They played the Alameda County Fair in 2007 and headlined at Shoreline Amphitheatre a year later. That's what happens when Disney gets behind an act with the same all-encompassing game plan it used for Miley Cyrus.
This tour represents the next step for the Jonas Brothers, who released their fourth studio album, "Lines, Vines and Trying Times," in June. The HP gig was a far more ambitious affair than last year's Shoreline show. The siblings apparently wanted to deliver a true pop spectacle — with enough bells and whistles to make U2 envious — and, for the most part, they pulled it off.
The roar was deafening once the house lights dimmed for the Jonas Brothers' set. Lasers began firing every which way about the elaborate, multilevel main stage, set "in-the-round"-style on the arena floor and connected to two smaller stages by long catwalks. Then the rest of the swirling light show kicked in.
A few moments later, the Jonas Brothers entered under the glare of spotlights as they were elevated slowly through the center of the main stage. Their accompanying band, which featured a four-piece horn section and two violinists, quickly latched onto the recent single "Paranoid," and the brothers were off to the races.
Knock the brothers all you want for the music they make — a Radio Disney-approved mix of whitewashed pop and bland rock — but don't doubt their ability to entertain a crowd. The trio, who also star in the Disney Channel TV series "JONAS," kept the mood upbeat and the pace steady as they moved through such ear candy as "That's Just the Way We Roll," "Poison Ivy" and "Hold On." They also came across as confident and poised during some of the show's more theatrical moments.
Judging by the crowd reaction, the two most popular brothers are guitarist-vocalist Nick, and lead singer Joe, 19. The squeals directed at guitarist Kevin, 21, were modest by comparison. That makes sense, as the age of the crowd, not counting the parents, seemed to range from about 6 to 16.
Joe Jonas is growing increasingly comfortable at the microphone and ever more suave as a frontman, and could turn out to be the Justin Timberlake of this group.
Like the seasoned showmen they are, the brothers saved their best for the last few numbers, including a surprise version of "Battlefield" that brought Jordin Sparks back out to the stage. It's hard to predict where the Jonas Brothers might go from here. Wherever it may be, however, the screams are sure to follow.
Jonas Brothers new Disney show walkin' down same old street as the Monkees | 'JONAS' owes more to Monkees than Miley
All the conditions are right for a breakout Disney show starring a trio of dangerously attractive brothers. Nick, the youngest at 16, was just photographed lunching with his ex Miley Cyrus. Flat-ironed Joe, 19, already has cut a swath through young Hollywood, dumping Taylor Swift for Camilla Belle. Even paparazzi magnet John Mayer is doing his part, romancing Scheana Marie, who plays a fantasy pizza delivery girl on the May 16 episode. Then there's the "Jonas Brothers World Tour," which kicks off in June.
Nick , Joe and Kevin Jonas play rock stars in "JONAS," premiering Saturday on the Disney Channel. And it's better than "Hannah Montana."
7 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday on the Disney Channel (available now at Disney Channel on Demand on some cable systems).
All "JONAS" really has to do is be better than the hammy "Hannah Montana" -- and it is. But just barely.
The title is in all caps because it was conceived as a spy show, with the letters standing for Junior Operatives Networking as Spies. But it ended up being about teen superstars who try to live a normal life at school. (Stop me if this sounds familiar.)
Producers have name-dropped "A Hard Day's Night" and HBO's whimsical "Flight of the Conchords." But let's be honest: The high-water mark for this sort of project is "The Monkees." Let me break it down for you:
• Nick = dreamy Davy Jones.
• Joe = goofy Micky Dolenz.
• Kevin = quirky Michael Nesmith.
The "Bonus Jonas," little brother Frankie, is set to guest star on several episodes. Maybe he'll shape up to be Peter Tork-like.
On the episode I screened, Nick was the weak link -- odd, considering he's got Broadway experience. He underplays his part, which is a mistake when you're in competition with gimmicky sound effects. Nick told People magazine, "Kevin is not afraid to go over the top to get a laugh, and I am." So at least he is aware of the problem. But if he's hoping to emerge from this Faustian bargain with Disney with his dignity intact, he is in for profound disappointment.
The boys josh with each other, flirt with girls, slide down fireman poles, make dumb jokes and talk to the camera. Occasionally their rabid fans chase them and try to tear their clothes off. Occasionally the boys break into song. The amateur acting is endearing until they play a scene opposite someone with real comedic timing -- like John Ducey, who plays their dad. He puts Billy Ray Cyrus' plodding one-liners on "Hannah" to shame.
Joe, who wanted to be a comedian before he was a singer, has more fun, and Kevin, 21, is perfectly silly in the show. Kevin can be overshadowed by his hottie brothers and their sugar-buzz love lives, but he emerges as the leader on "JONAS" -- and even dares to reveal a hint of chest hair.
With time, the brothers will probably loosen up. For now, it's slightly more amusing to watch for the creative variations on private school uniforms. If the Jonases' plaid messenger bags start a trend, you'll know the show is a hit.
The JoBros Hit Number One
The Jonas Brothers have once again proved that they are on top of the teen scene. Their new album, A Little Bit Longer, has hit number one on the Billboard chart. Not a big shocker, really. It was pretty clear that the boys would do this. After all, they are the Jonas Brothers and nearly every teenage girl in America loves them.
It’s their first number one album on the Billboard Charts — which I find pretty hard to believe. Over an half million people bought the CD since its release on August 12th, making it the third biggest album debut this year after Lil’ Wayne and Coldplay. The coolest part about how successful their CD is doing is their 2007 album which included hits like “SOS” and “Hold On” and the soundtrack from their movie premiering earlier this summer on Disney Channel, Camp Rock holds position number eight. On the soundtrack, the Jonas Brothers perform the song, “Play My Music” and Joe Jonas — the middle Jonas — does a duet with Demi Lovato, whose album comes out this September. Their duet, which was proven quite popular, is called “This is Me.”
The songs on their new album include: “BB Good,” “Burnin’ Up,” “Shelf,” “One Man Show,” “Lovebug,” “Tonight,” “Can’t Have You,” “Video Girl,” “Pushin’ Me Away,” “Sorry,” “Got Me Going Crazy,” and “A Little Bit Longer.” The CD is excellent and my favorite song is “Video Girl.” The boys sing, “A Little Bit Longer,” which is about Nick’s diabetes. The Jonas Brothers are bit on charity work, especially raising awareness (and money!) about diabetes. In a Yahoo OMG poll, with over 1,750 people voting, 52% said they were obsessed with the new Jonas Brothers album. 10% called it their guilty pleasure. 27% are going to buy it. And a mere 13% said they can’t stand them. The Jonas Brothers also swept the Teen Choice Awards on August 4th. They won six awards: Choice Single/Love Song: “When You Look Me in The Eyes,” Choice Breakout Group, Choice Male Hottie, Choice Red Carpet Fashion Icon Male, and Choice Summer Song “Burnin’ Up.”
The Jonas Brothers consist of three brothers: Kevin, 20, Joe, 19, and Nick, 15. They are currently filming their 3-D movie in New York and touring as a part of their Burnin’ Up tour. They also have agreed to a second Camp Rock! and are planning on filming a new Disney Channel show. The JoBros recently made history for being the first group ever to sell more than 100,000 digital downloads for three consecutive singles: "Burnin' Up," "Play My Music" and "Pushin' Me Away." Their album "A Little Bit Longer" had one of the biggest debuts of this century last week -- 525,000 copies sold, marking them as the 'N Sync of the new millennium. And, in a bit of obvious demographic pandering, they even appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone.
So, who are these goobers, and how did they reach these lofty heights? The fabulously coiffed brothers -- Nick (15), Joe (18) and Kevin (20) -- grew up in the Jersey suburbs and were home-schooled by their mother and father, an Evangelical Christian minister and former church musician. Though he's the youngest, Nick is the group's leader and spokesman, as well as the breakout star: He started performing on Broadway at age 7, appearing in "Beauty and the Beast" and "Les Miserables," among other musicals.
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