Jonas Brothers concert review: Daytona Beach
By Jim Abbott | Orlando Sentinel Music Critic
Story posted 2010.09.05 at 11:05 PM EDT
It only took one Jonas brother to inspire screaming at a beachside concert earlier this summer in Daytona Beach.
And he wasn’t even singing.
So it’s not surprising that the decibel level reached jet-engine range at times on Sunday when Kevin Jonas returned with his brothers to actually do some singing at the Ocean Center. The concert was the final event in the American Music Festival, which also included shows by Tony Bennett Buddy Guy and others.
It’s safe to say that none of them sparked the reaction of the Jonas Brothers. On Sunday, Kevin, Joe and Nick justified that adulation with a well-paced 75 minutes that emphasized the songs, not pop-star spectacle.
It opened with a bang, of course, to compete with all that screaming. An opening salvo that included the rousing “Year 3000″ and “Play My Music” was splashy and loud, suffering a bit from a sound mix that was less hospitable than the one Usher enjoyed on Friday in the same building.
(Looking around that cozy building, by the way, it’s worth reporting that there were roughly half a dozen sections in the bowl with plenty of empty seats.)
The Jonas guys were preceded by a 45-minute set by Demi Lovato, another pop star off the Disney assembly line. Her catchy songs were powered by a 7-piece band that complemented Lovato’s heavily caffeinated style.
“Are you guys ready to party?” she exclaimed in her introduction of the song of the same name. All of her conversation seemingly comes equipped with multiple exclamation points.
By comparison, the Jonas Brothers showed more range, shifting from the bigger pop songs into engaging acoustic interludes that showcased the brotherly harmonies on “Please Be Mine” and other ballads. Aside from three big video screens and pretty lighting, there were no flashy production touches.
When Nick took over for a brief moment in the vocal spotlight, songs such as “Who I Am” showed that Team Jonas is capable of moving out of the pop formula.
But why?
Exuberant such as “S.O.S.” and the closing “Burnin’ Up” are fun.
And that’s still something worth shouting about.
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