We did it, we got the band back together

Photo+by+Shaun+Breaux

Photo by Shaun Breaux

If anyone ever thought that these three beautiful people were capable of presenting anything less than a perfect show, they’d be ridiculously wrong.

In a graceful descent from the ceiling, in separate, brightly colored suits, the Jonas Brothers continued their return to the stage after six years apart for their loving fans on Tuesday night in New Orleans at the Smoothie King Center.

They started the performance with one of their new hits, “Rollercoaster,” and boy, was the entire show a rollercoaster of emotions.

Transitioning straight into an older classic like “S.O.S,” the boys came out with excitement and energy that matched the entire Smoothie King Center. The excitement and cheers were so great that at times, it was hard to hear their angelic voices over the screaming crowd.

Throughout the show, the brothers relied more on the connection of the music rather than speaking to the crowd, as it should be. When they did talk, however, it was powerful. With only a few songs in, the brothers left the stage for a moment. Kevin reappeared from out of the floor, having shed his purple jacket, leaving on a purple tank top and purple dress pants. He walked out holding his guitar so comfortably that he looked as though he was born with it. He walked up to the microphone standing alone and got really quiet.

Kevin said, “When we sat down two years ago and said do we want to do this again, the first thing I said was ‘Do you think anyone will care?’” He paused and said, “New Orleans, you care.”

The next few songs were a mixture of new and old. “That’s Just the Way We Roll” and “Fly By Me” brought a wave of nostalgia, while “Used To Be” and “Hesitate” further introduced their new style.

Leaving the main stage, the brothers reappeared on a smaller circled stage, in the middle of the VIP bar area. Here, they initiated conversation with the crowd, saying that over the past few months, they have played around 50 shows and are running out of songs they want to sing. After taking suggestions from the crowd, Nick did a stripped-down version of “Goodnight and Goodbye” on an acoustic guitar. And, if that did not melt your heart enough, Joe followed it up with a little throwback to Camp Rock signing “Gotta Find You.” To further make everyone else in the arena jealous, Joe gave a crowd member his signature tambourine. 

To bring the concert back up to rock and roll standards, Nick took the attention back to the main stage with his hit song “Jealous,” followed by Joe’s chart-topping single “Cake by the Ocean.” The lights, videography and the blow-up, multicolored tube men really emphasized the enjoyment the brothers have performing.

Starting off the second act of the show, the boys performed “Comeback” off their newest album. The lyrics of the song goes “come back to me, baby I’ll come back to you.” Many fans in the midst of the yelling chose to interpret this as the band coming back to its fans.

In all seriousness, with Nick and Kevin in all white and Joe in black to provide contrast, the boys melted hearts young and old with their famous love song, “When You Look Me In The Eyes.” Although the concert could have ended there, they were far from being done.

Running back to the smaller stage, they gave tribute to the OG Jonas Brothers fans. In a continuous mashup of songs like “Mandy,” “Paranoid,” “Got Me Going Crazy,” “Play My Music,” “World War III” and “Tonight,” the crowd sang along to every word. 

Still on the small stage and as the bartender handed out shots to the artists, Nick raised his glass and said, “Cheers to you, cheers to us, and cheers to the Saints, I guess,” as he motioned toward Drew Brees sitting in the VIP section. “Thank you all for coming out tonight. We love you.”

After legendarily belting out  “LoveBug” and “Year 3000,” the brothers disappeared off stage in one final tease before the last two songs.

Even with all the excitement of the night, the concert would not have been complete without their possibly two biggest hits. As the first few notes of “Burning Up” played, fire shot up from the stage, along with the three Jonas Brothers jumping from three platforms below the stage. It was simply epic. As they exited with “Sucker,” no one wanted the night to end. 

Was this account of Tuesday night exaggerated a tad? No. The intent of this article was to give any reader the experience of being there, and that is exactly how everyone who left the Smoothie King Center that night will relive it for years to come.