In 2019 the Jonas Brothers got the band back together after a six-year hiatus. Since then, the sibling trio has reintroduced themselves to fans through a slew of new music and two massive headlining runs. Now, they’re ready to do it all over again with “The Tour.”
This time around, Nick, Kevin and Joe Jonas have created a can’t-miss experience for their OG fans with what they’re calling, “Five Albums. One Night. The World Tour.” While this stint of shows comes in support of their latest album titled, The Album, each concert also chronicles five of their studio albums.
To kick things off, the brothers appeared in front of thousands of fans for back-to-back shows at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, August 12 and Sunday, August 13. This marked a full-circle moment for the band who grew up in New Jersey. It turns out, they were first asked to play the home of the New York Yankees back in 2008, but turned down the opportunity because they didn’t believe they were successful enough to be able to fill the large capacity.
“At that point it was like this meteoric rise for us over a two-year period,” Nick told Jacob Soboroff during an interview with the TODAY Show. “I don’t think we believed we could sell it. So we told our management team, ‘We’re too nervous. We should play somewhere else.’”
But now, 15 years later, they’ve sold 20 million albums and they can proudly say this is no longer a fear as they launched their worldwide tour with two sold-out shows at the very same venue.
“It’s going to be a pretty magical way to start the tour,” Joe added. “We’ve been in rehearsals for about a month now.”
Act I of opening night at Yankee Stadium featured their first two albums – 2007’s Jonas Brothers and 2008’s A Little Bit Longer, while Act II took fans through 2009’s Lines, Vines and Trying Times and 2019’s Happiness Begins. Tracks from band’s newest project, The Album, were also sprinkled in randomly throughout the set.
Incorporating a massive 67-song set list spanning each of these eras allows the listeners who have been around since day one to relive their favorite childhood tunes and also celebrate the growth in their artistry with newer releases. In addition, it allows a whole new crop of fans to get a taste of the music that started it all for the band back in 2005 when they inked their first record deal with Columbia Records.
As the sun set over the New York City stadium on opening night and the clock struck 8:30pm, the lights dimmed, allowing the massive screens to light up the entire setting and signal the start to the night. Cheers of excitement began to erupt throughout the audience as a cloud of smoke took over, concealing the band’s entrance from under the stage.
Suddenly, the three brothers emerged in front of the crowd, taking everything in as the instrumental tune of their single “Wings” led them into party mode with “Celebrate!” Fireworks exploded in the sky as Nick and Joe took turns delivering verses of the upbeat track that appears on their latest project. From there, they keep the energy high with 2020’s “What A Man Got To Do” before going back in time and starting at the top of their successful career with the fan-favorite, “S.O.S” off their self-titled sophomore album.
The trip down memory lane continued with some of their most iconic classics including “Hold On,” “That’s Just The Way We Roll,” “Year 3000,” “When You Look Me In The Eyes,” and “A Little Bit Longer,” as well as some deeper cuts such as “Just Friends,” “Games,” “Inseparable,” “Shelf” and more.
Midway through the show, the brothers took a brief intermission that couldn’t have had better timing as the clouds above the stadium opened up and began to pour rain onto the fans. However, just seconds before the nearly 20-minute countdown came to an end, the sky cleared up and the stadium remained dry for the rest of the night. The Jonas Brothers came back even stronger for the second half of the show, which featured a few surprise guests, as promised by the band.
Although fans didn’t get to hear Nick’s iconic “red dress” line in the second verse of “Burnin’ Up,” the crowd unleashed some of the loudest screams of the night once they saw the band’s former security guard Robert “Big Rob” Feggans appear on stage to rap his favorite verse on the catchy tune.
“Burnin’ Up” is among several of the band’s Hot 100 top ten hits to appear on the set list. The other top ten hits on The Tour set list include 2008’s “Tonight” and 2019’s “Sucker.”
Later on, gospel star Kirk Franklin and Jon Bellion, Grammy-nominated producer of their latest release The Album, joined the Jonas Brothers and the 40-person choir onstage to deliver a stunning performance of “Walls.”
Another noteworthy moment came when Joe tasked the crowd with starting a massive wave across the stadium just as Nick began delivering a speech before a heartfelt ballad. Although it took a bit away from the semi-serious moment, it made for an unforgettable memory.
Other highlights include Nick and Joe each taking their own moments to step outside of the Jonas Brothers realm to showcase a glimpse into their solo projects with “Jealous” and “Cake By The Ocean.” Additionally, the trio made an ongoing effort to closely interact with the fans in the front rows as well as the talented musicians of their backup band.
Towards the end of the nearly three-hour show, the brothers sat down at the end of the catwalk and took a few minutes to get to know one fan in particular. This person was spotted in the crowd for her clever costume that resembled Nick’s red uniform from the Disney Channel Games that aired from 2006 to 2008. As they got to know the fan through a series of lighthearted questions including her favorite Jonas Brothers song, the inspiration behind her outfit and more, she admitted that the Jonas Brothers was her first concert in the early 2000s. This earned a roar of cheers from the audience, many of whom can also relate to having a longtime history of fandom for the band.
After first forming in 2005, the Jonas Brothers began their rollercoaster of a career. Their journey started off with getting dropped by their first label and then getting picked up by Disney’s Hollywood Records. Along the way, they also endured a band breakup, pursued solo careers, and reconciled 10 years later.
However, through all the ups and downs, their fans continued to listen to their music and dreamed of the day they would see the group back together on stage. Luckily, that day came in 2019 when the Jonas Brothers official Instagram was reactivated and they released “Sucker,” their first single together as adults.
While making the set list, it’s clear that the trio was thinking of the fans whose first concert was the Jonas Brothers or who had posters of the brothers from 2000s teen magazines hanging on their walls. However, this tour isn’t just for the day-one fans, it’s an opportunity for anyone to experience the talent these brothers hold. From their irresistible dance tracks to the slow love songs, there’s something for music lovers of any age to enjoy.
“We genuinely love the work that we do together, but we also understand hwo rare it is to get to do something like this with family” Nick said during their recent interview on the Today Show.
“This is celebration of a walk with our fans, with our music and the love that we have that we get to do this together,” Joe added before Kevin chimed in to say, “There’s so much more to come and I think that’s what this is. It’s not just a look back it’s a look at where we are right now and where we’re going.”
Produced by Live Nation, The Tour will continue with more than 90 concerts across 20 countries before wrapping up June 20, 2024 in Belfast, Ireland. Along the way, the Jonas Brothers will make stops in legendary venues such as Toronto’s Rogers Centre, Chicago’s Wrigley Field, Arlington’s Globe Life Field, Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium, and many more.
Additionally, the Jonas Brothers have also announced a fifth hometown show at Prudential Center in New Jersey set for December 7. The band Lawrence will join as support across the North America dates.
The Jonas Brothers are next scheduled to perform another set of back-to-back shows in Boston, MA on August 15 and August 16.
