Last night, my wife Courtney and I decided to have a spontaneous date night.
Where did we go, you ask?
A nice romantic dinner?
A movie?
Perhaps an evening of sophisticated adult conversation over a couple of cocktails?
Nope.
We went to see the muh f***in’ Jonas Brothers.
Now, before you get too excited, I should probably clarify that I wasn’t exactly the target audience for this particular outing.
Courtney, on the other hand, was living out a childhood dream.
You see, my wife grew up during the height of Jonas Brothers mania. Back when teenage girls were plastering posters of Nick, Joe, and Kevin all over their bedroom walls and dreaming of the day one of these three gentlemen would sweep them off their feet.
I’m a little older than my wife, so the politest way to put it was that I thought the Jonas Brothers were too “metrosexual” for my taste. I was more in my rebellious phase circa 2008 listening to more Staind, Rage Against the Machine, Hurt, and other artists in that vein.
Nevertheless, I’m a supportive husband, and when the opportunity presented itself to make one of Courtney’s childhood dreams come true, I was happy to oblige.
Plus, I figured I knew a couple of their songs.
Turns out I knew quite a few more than I thought.
I just didn’t realize they were Jonas Brothers songs.
Oops.
At one point during the show, Nick Jonas asked the audience something along the lines of:
“How many spouses got dragged here tonight, but are still happy they came?”
I cheered.
Along with approximately five other men in the entire arena.
There we were.
Brothers in arms.
A small but mighty collection of husbands who had willingly surrendered their Sunday evenings to three former Disney Channel heartthrobs.
And you know what?
We were having a pretty damn good time.
I have to give credit where credit is due.
The show was fantastic.
The production was impressive, the band sounded great, and there were enough pyrotechnics to make me do a quick check to make sure I could spot the emergency exits, ya know… just in case.
At one point, flames erupted from the stage with enough intensity that we could actually feel the heat on our faces several rows away.
Pretty cool.
It was like sitting at a hibachi restaurant, except instead of a guy flipping shrimp into his hat, there were three grown men singing teenage pop songs.
The musicians backing the brothers were phenomenal, too.
I particularly enjoyed the trumpet and saxophone player, who brought a soulful energy to the performance.
But now we need to discuss the brothers themselves.
Because I have some observations.
The Jonas Brothers Performance Review
First up, Nick.
Nick Jonas is the real deal.
Seriously.
Of the three brothers, he was easily the most impressive to me.
The guy can sing, play instruments, and command a stage. He has genuine musical chops, and watching him perform gave me a newfound appreciation for his talent.
I walked into that arena knowing Nick Jonas was famous.
I walked out understanding why.
Next up, Joe.
Joe Jonas has apparently mastered the ancient art of standing on a stage and looking devastatingly handsome.
That’s not to say he can’t sing.
He absolutely can.
But his primary responsibility appears to be smoldering.
Constantly.
He’s got that whole pretty-boy rock star thing down to a science.
And then…
There’s Kevin.
Oh, Kevin.
Buddy.
What exactly is it that you do?
Now, before the Kevin Jonas fan club organizes a protest outside my house, I understand that Kevin plays guitar.
Rhythm guitar, specifically, and he does it quite well.
And as someone who appreciates musicianship, I recognize that rhythm guitar is an important part of a band. I’ve even been a rhythm guitarist in several projects myself.
But watching the three brothers perform, I couldn’t help noticing the differences.
Nick was displaying his musical talents.
Joe was making approximately 15,000 women reconsider their marriages.
And Kevin was…
Well.
Kevin was there.
He did get his own solo song, to be fair.
It was okay.
I’m sure Kevin is a lovely human being but if the Jonas Brothers were a group project in high school, I have some questions about how the workload was distributed.
There was something else about the evening that I found unexpectedly interesting.
For most of my life, nostalgia concerts were something that happened to other generations.
Bands from the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s would get back together, tour arenas, and sell tickets to people who wanted to relive their youth.
And I always understood the appeal.
But last night, sitting in Little Caesars Arena, watching thousands of people lose their minds over songs from their childhood, I had a realization.
This nostalgia act is meant for people younger than me…oh no….
This was for the people who grew up watching a different kind of Disney Channel, called handheld games “DSes” instead of “Game Boys”, and arguing about which Jonas Brother was the cutest.
We’re all getting older.
The music we grew up with is becoming nostalgic.
The artists who were once teenage heartthrobs are now grown men with families and careers spanning decades.
And the kids who used to scream their names at the television are now adults with mortgages, responsibilities, and spouses who reluctantly accompany them to concerts.
It’s a strange feeling.
Not necessarily a bad one.
Just strange.
Different.
The Best Part of the Night
As much fun as I’ve had questioning Kevin Jonas’s contributions to the family business, the best part of the evening had nothing to do with the music.
It was watching Courtney enjoy herself.
There’s something really special about getting to experience a little piece of someone’s childhood alongside them.
For her, these weren’t just songs on the radio.
They were memories.
They were a connection to a younger version of herself.
And for one night, she got to revisit that part of her life.
I got to be there with her.
That’s pretty cool.
I also got to discover that the Jonas Brothers are significantly more talented than I’d previously given them credit for.
So, I suppose we both learned something.
Final Thoughts
Would I go see the Jonas Brothers again?
Actually, yeah.
I would.
They put on an excellent show, the musicianship was impressive, and I had a genuinely great time.
Sometimes it’s worth stepping outside your usual interests and experiencing something you wouldn’t have chosen for yourself.
You might discover something new.
You might make a great memory with someone you love.
And you might spend the entire drive home wondering what Kevin Jonas actually does.
Nick, you’re a phenomenal musician.
Joe, keep smoldering, buddy.
Kevin, keep showing up and playing guitar.
And Courtney?
Thanks for a great date night.
I’m glad you dragged me along.
I can’t wait to have so many more adventures like this one with the love of my life.
Sidenote: Being married is pretty awesome.
