Jonas Brothers deliver hometown feeling to Syracuse fans

The stage lit up in a blinding white light as the Jonas Brothers walked out beneath a towering backdrop of the George Washington Bridge and the Lincoln and Holland Tunnels. 

The bridge symbolizes paying homage to their hometown roots and the trips they would take from New York City to their hometown of New Jersey.  

The crowd erupted into screams and cheers as they opened the seventh night of the “Jonas20: Greetings From Your Hometown Tour” tour with their new song “Tables.”

Though the brothers are from New Jersey, they said tonight, Syracuse would be their hometown. They highlighted that no matter the journey fans took to the show or where they’re from,  the concert was their hometown for the night. 

This year marks the Jonas Brothers’ 20th anniversary of playing music together, and they left it all on the stage. The setlist pulled from every corner of their careers, except for a Camp Rock song. The nostalgia on the stage was palpable.

The concert wasn’t just the brothers, but also consisted of Joe’s former band, DNCE, a brass section and even a melodica solo. The three really leaned into the nostalgia of their past 20 years of music, playing songs like “Year 3000” and “S.O.S.” 

They also made sure to represent the other paths throughout their life. Joe played four DNCE songs –  “Pay My Rent,” “Truthfully” and “Body Moves” before reuniting to sing with his brothers for the band’s biggest hit, “Cake by the Ocean,” later in the show.

The era-type performance didn’t leave out Nick, either. He played his top-hit solo songs, from his time in Nick Jonas & The Administration, like “Jealous” and “Chains.”

The conglomeration of different songs and people the Jonas Brothers worked with over the years truly elevated the performance to feel like you were seeing more than just one concert, allowing for a genuine, new experience. Having it all come together for this tour shows the team the brothers have built around them.

The brothers have definitely not strayed from their stage personalities. True to form, they were on full display Tuesday night. When the show opened, Joe Jonas announced to the crowd, “Tonight is gonna be crazy, I can feel it,” mirroring his personality throughout the show perfectly. 

Kevin, who is sometimes categorized as “no one’s favorite Jonas,” was quiet, and Nick showed off his musical talents, playing the guitar and piano throughout the night. Then there’s Joe, using the same word he used when he was about to sing “Body Moves.” The man was “spicy.”

Joe was very high energy bouncing around the stage, trying to make eye contact with and to fans throughout the show. He was also very expressive with his dance moves that would definitely push a PG-13 rating. 

Adding to the energy of family and nostalgia were the show’s openers: Franklin Jonas and the Byzantines and Boys Like Girls. 

To close their set, Boys Like Girls singer Martin Johnson said he wanted their most popular song to be experienced like it originally was in 2006. So, the band played “The Great Escape” twice, and asked people to put their phones away and just enjoy it the second time around. 

The show ended with a tribute to family with the song, “When you Look Me in the Eyes,” they were joined on stage by their father, Kevin Jonas, Sr. and their youngest brother, Franklin Jonas. The show ended how it began, with their band playing them off the stage. All the Jonas men linked arms as they crossed under their backdrop bridge for the last time of the night.