Fans are suckers for the Jonas Brothers, who played to screams at Kansas City show
Two generations of women never stopped screaming and dancing during a concert by the Jonas Brothers at the Sprint Center on Sunday.
Had the volume not been set at a Metallica-level blare, the music performed by Joe, Kevin and Nick Jonas and their seven-piece backing band would have been drowned out by the ecstatic roar of about 14,000 fans, which apparently included Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
His arrival, hours after winning the Chiefs’ home opener against the Baltimore Ravens, also heightened emotions.
“Mahomes walked in around the same time the Jonas Brothers hit the stage and my ear drums exploded,” tweeted Steven St. John. The band also watched Mahomes play Sunday afternoon. Nick Jonas tweeted on Monday: “Thanks for having us at Arrowhead Stadium.”
Bolstered by their affiliation with the Disney empire, the Jonas Brothers were child celebrities during the previous decade. Following an extended hiatus in which the siblings stayed busy with reality television programs, musical side projects and high-profile romances (Joe Jonas recently married Sophie Turner, the British actress who played Sansa Stark on “Game of Thrones”), the Jonas Brothers recently reunited and released “Happiness Begins” — their first album in 10 years.
“Happiness Begins” is better than even the most devoted fan of the Jonas Brothers could have imagined. Not only does the album contain the strongest music of the Jonas Brothers’ career, its songs fit snugly between the latest hits by the likes of Ed Sheeran and Cardi B on Top 40 radio.
The shocking relevance of the boy band that’s thriving well past its presumed expiration date explains why women born in the ‘90s were just as vociferously engaged as kids still in elementary school. And the mania proved that women in their 20s can shriek even louder than children.
Whether the Jonas Brothers were performing current hits like “Sucker” or trifling throwaways from the group’s initial heyday, the unqualified adoration never abated during the group’s 95-minute outing.
The enthusiasm was heightened by a dazzling production that included a secondary stage, pyrotechnics, confetti blasts and videos depicting the brothers interacting with actors portraying their younger selves.
The Jonas Brothers expertly reproduce the pop sounds of the moment, but the innovative Bebe Rexha sets the trends they’re following.
During her 30-minute opening set, Rexha and a five-piece ensemble performed a diverse array of selections including “Me, Myself & I,” her duet with rap star G-Eazy; “Meant to Be,” a 2018 smash hit she created with the country duo Florida Georgia Line; and “Take Me Home,” an electronic dance music collaboration with Cash Cash.
Rexha invited a vivacious fan named Amber to join her on the latter selection. Amber’s euphoric dancing and singing compelled Rexha to call her a star on Twitter.
Yet Amber’s enthusiasm merely reflected the widespread elation. Amber and all of the other spirited pop enthusiasts at the Sprint Center were the evening’s true stars.
Jonas Brothers set list: Rollercoaster; S.O.S.; Cool; Only Human; Strangers; That’s Just the Way We Roll; Fly With Me; Used to Be; Hesitate; Games; Gotta Find You; Jealous; Cake by the Ocean; Comeback; When You Look Me in the Eyes; I Believe; medley: Mandy/Paranoid/Got Me Going Crazy/Play My Music/World War III/Hold On/Tonight; Lovebug; Year 3000; Burnin’ Up; Sucker
Bebe Rexha set list: Me, Myself & I; I’m a Mess; The Monster; Better Now; Call You Mine; Hey Mama; Take Me Home; In the Name of Love; Meant to Be
This story was originally published September 23, 2019 at 10:09 AM.