‘I saw the Jonas Brothers for the first time – this unexpected thing truly surprised me’

In an evening peppered with Disney-fuelled nostalgia, eardrum-bursting shrieks and feel-good tunes, the Jonas Brothers are throwing it all at the wall for their latest tour – Five Albums. One Night. The World Tour.

It’s simple to write off the Jonas Brothers as a thing of the past for the casual fan, devoted fan from back in the day, and regular top 40 listener, yet even after 17 years since their first album, they still have an enduring charm and hard-earned charisma.

After launching solo careers to varying degrees of success, it’s hard to deny that the trio shines best when they are together, with an inter-generational appeal most noticeable in the concert hall.

From the tipsy mums to the millennials still harbouring their teenage crushes to a whole new crop of adoring tweens captivated by the brothers’ onstage magnetism, the band has cracked the formula for lasting popularity.

For those expecting the crowd to exclusively filled with nostalgic, Disney channel millennials, the variety was a pleasant surprise.

And – if their winks to the Belfast audience, on-command singalongs and effortless stage swagger are anything to go by – Kevin, 36, Joe, 35, and Nick, 31, know it.

Much like it says on the tin, the two-and-a-half hour concert plays out like the Eras Tour (Jonas’ Version), navigating the audience through their five albums – Jonas Brothers (2007), A Little Bit Longer (2008), Lines, Vines and Trying Times (2009), Happiness Begins (2019), The Album (2023).

It’s essentially a whistle-stop tour of their biggest hits, favourite numbers and a handful of lesser-known singles snuck in for good measure.

To the sounds of a roaring crowd, they aptly kicked the night off with Celebrate!and soon delved into classics like SOS and Hold On.

The energy in the room was high, and almost frenetic as the boys played up to the audience every chance they got, while also giving one another their moment to individually show off.

Although, cheeky nods to the crowd aside – there was little else to the stage production aside from base-level singing. At times it felt especially for what was touted as a career retrospective concert.

During a time when Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, Adele’s residencies and even early career stars like Chappell Roan have raised the bar for extravagant performance, the band fell somewhat short.

And in the realm of boy bands, K-pop groups such as BTS and Stray Kids are delivering on every level.

Some of the most engaging on-stage moments were when the larger-than-life backing band left their positions to have their moment in the sun, rocking out on a guitar or whacking out a saxophone solo.

The result being (despite the joyous energy) that when there was too big a gap between the well-known hits (populated with one similar-sounding pop tune after another) the show did drag at times.

It was especially jarring to see their anecdotes (about persevering after their label dropped them and the meaning behind various songs) tail off by the time we arrived at the later albums – a shame as they added humour, whimsy, and a fresh connection with the audience.

And for a band with the word ‘brothers’ in the name, it might have been fun to see more interaction between the three of them outside of singing (although that could be down to the fraught relationship they have had over the years).

Not to say there wasn’t some variety throughout the evening, as the trio also whipped out some slower tunes (such as Take A Breath) and enjoyed some surprisingly fun solos like Nick’s Jealous and Joe’s Cake By The Ocean cover.

As well as a touching cover of The Cranberries Dreams which set the whole arena alight.

There’s no doubt for the well-versed and devoted fan, this night has everything you could ask for. But for those looking for a bit of nostalgia or to hear hits like Year 3000, Sucker, or even Camp Rock sung live, it is a big commitment.

The Jonas Brothers just err on the right side of the line to make the show a memorable evening, with something for everyone.

But with their slightly less-stacked discography and minimally choreographed set, make sure you come well-armed with lyrics, an abundance of energy and perhaps some earplugs to save yourself from the delighted, lovestruck screeches.

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