It’s been 6 years since the Jonas Brothers last performed in Minnesota. In fact, St. Paul was their last tour stop during their original run as a band. You know, before they broke all of our hearts and disbanded. 2019 has surely been their year, after receiving their first number 1 single with ‘Sucker’, a third number one album, and their 10th tour. To say the least, it’s been a nostalgic year. All the little boys and girls who listened to ‘S.O.S.” on a CD player in the car on the way home from school got a blast from the past for one night only.
On September 17th, nostalgia returned to the Twin Cities at the Xcel Energy Center. Their old logos and band T-shirts were everywhere, along with a healthy mix of new merch. The ages at the concerts included everyone, adults who were just kids the last time they were here, and kids who just discovered the brothers. You could tell a lot of them had changed since the last time they were here. New fans and old fans back together again for one night only. After long lines and expensive drinks, it was time for the concert to start.
The lights went down and the stage was set for the first opening act; Jordan McGraw. To be perfectly honest, many people didn’t know who he was, but they knew exactly where he came from. He’s the son of the iconic Dr. Phil! While his father is surely a meme icon, the younger McGraw is not resting on his family name to get him to where he wants to go. His vocal talent plus a strong pop music sound is sure to get him noticed quickly.
Next was Bebe Rhexa, an icon in her own right. Her set was filled with songs everyone knew; it surprised fans to find she was the writer behind your favorite songs. My friend turned to me in shock not knowing she was the master behind ‘Monster’ by Eminem/Rihanna and ‘Me, Myself, and I’ by G-Eazy and herself. Her set was strong and got everyone pumped for what was to come.
Finally it was time. The Jonas Brothers were here, starting out with a song from their new album. It was like it was 2008 and I was 10 years old still reciting all the lines from Camp Rock. The energy was palpable, the kind of excitement you can feel in your bones and in your soul. Everyone gave their all, but went the hardest for the classics, like ‘Year 3000,’ ‘S.O.S.,’ ‘Paranoid’ and more. The new songs next to the older ones brought the entire JoBro community together, like a passing of the torch to the new generation. We’ll always be the OG fans, but the new fans will be able to hold up the fandom just as well.
One of the best highlights of the night was the entire venue singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Nick. The concert landed on his 27th birthday adding another incentive to get the tickets in the first place. Those who could drink, cheered the brothers down by the stage while the band members brought out a cake to him. There was also an incredibly special guest, J-Sister number two, Priyanka Chopra. The goddess herself came on stage to give Nick a rose and a kiss but she left the stage too early. I found myself forgetting about the boys and wanted the J-Sisters to come on stage and take over. Oh well, maybe next time?