I have been checking the Guys’ MySpace this week, repeatedly and for the first time in ages…in no small part because I am secretly hoping to see new, accessible tourdates pop up out of nowhere. Alas! Instead all I have seen are the disappearing dates, as the Guys played their last shows of the Burning Up Tour.
But! It seems an opportune time to reflect on our experience of it! We got to see them earlier on, in Hershey, and then last Wednesday we got to see them winding it down in Camden. (And, of course, it was yet another fantastic Jonas experience…)
My main takeaway? I thought we were being over the top in going to two shows…we totally could have done more (oh, except for the whole money/time/work/life thing). They must know they get repeaters – especially in the geographical cradle of the JB, the Eastern Seaboard – because I felt like the Boys made an effort to create a performance which, though fully in the Burning Up mold we had already seen, was a unique concertgoing experience.
I was skeptical that it would be as big of a rush as the first time, when I made obsessively sure it was all a surprise to me; the side of me that is cynical and somewhat takes those Boys for granted took hold in advance of the show…but it took about 2 seconds after their arrival on stage for me to be rendered, as always, breathless and geekily in-the-flailing-moment.
I found myself amazed at the prowess and the professionalism they have cultivated since I first started peeking at their live performances. But at the same time, I felt myself as enchanted as ever by their easygoing charm, guileless youthfulness and casual ability to entertain while looking like they are just chillin’ and having a good time.
I loved the When You Look Me In the Eyes Tour…it was a pleasant surprise (thanks to the writers’ strike) and I LOVED the show but I felt concern on a few levels…where were the loveable, unchoreographed antics of the Marvelous Party Tour?? The staging and formality of LMITE took me aback at first, and while they did a good job, but they seemed tired, overworked, at the same time.
This time around I felt reassured…that they were up to the challenge of performing on this level and, not only that, but would be able to appear that they are taking it in their stride and enjoying themselves. Excellent.
I think that says a lot about the significance of this tour in general…it was a big achievement, a great balance and exhibit of why they deserve to be where they are in their career. I think it will remain unique in the memories of attendees for ages.
Reflections on the tour (BYO!! And I do Camden, with some highlights), after the jump!!!
THE PROGRAM!
THE CAMDEN EXPERIENCE:
Our venue: Honest to goodness amphitheatre! We saw them in this space before…when they were doing a quick set for Philly top 40 station Q102…but this time it brought home its merits! We’ve seen them in an overheated mall atrium, a small indoor arena bursting from sonic pressure, and an open-air stadium. This time, we were in the ceiling-ed, concrete enclosure of the venue, with 20,000 seats extended behind us, including the vast, sloping lawn.
CONS: The sound…we were in a weird pocket where the openers sounded pretty muddy, and there was some echoing – the open air stadium pwned this show, sonically. I felt like I could hear Joe’s vocals very well, but sometimes Nick’s sounded faded, as did – once or twice – Kevin’s guitar. There were a couple of hasty moments of them talking into the stage mic…though for the most part it was smooth sailing.
PROS: Tiered seating areas with sloping floors meant our sightlines were great – even seated extreme Kev-side of the 16th row of the front section (this put us about 30 feet from both the stage and catwalk. Sounds close…doesn’t feel quite so close! Hehe) But it does create an air of intimacy…I felt like we were almost on eye level with them, and close enough that, when Joe & Kev came to our side, it did feel almost like we were looking right at each other. Yay!! The lasers also look 1,000 times cooler in an enclosure than in the open.
Atmosphere: Electric, of course!! Nothing like a JB crowd for infectious enthusiasm…there can be party-poopers (especially those of the mean girl variety, who heavily populate the front sections with their smuggled in mini-signs to block your view), but usually my experience is that everyone is thrilled to be there and it makes me so happy.
The Boys: They were ALL in TOP form!! Nick was serious. Kevin elicited a compliment from our jaded older sister that he was “an amazing performer”. No bias on my part (ask Cpaig) but Joe, especially, was incredibly laidback and relaxed on-stage…goofy and goading his stagemates to a level unseen in many months. Which was really fun to see.
Burnin’ Up Tour Setlist (with Camden 8/27 Notes & Highlight Vids)
ENTRANCE!
1. “That’s Just the Way We Roll“
2. “Shelf“
3. “Hold On“
4. “BB Good“
Joe’s Pyromaniac Lead-In to…
5. “Goodnight and Goodbye” (with acrobatic ending)
INTERLUDE: Tribute to White Stripe’s “7 Nation Army” by Nick, Jack & Garbo and drumstick throwing contest…Jack catches them this time! And Joe throws in some sort of weird, novelty giant drumstick which misses Jack by…a lot.
6. “Video Girl”
7. “Gotta Find You” – (Little girl is plucked from the audience.)
8. “This is Me” (Demi Lovato, everybody!
COSTUME CHANGE time! We watch the episode of LTD about Nick’s diabetes on the big screen.
9. “A Little Bit Longer” (Nick seems more emotional than last time…and then the band seems to come in too early…Nick looks slightly rattled…the result is a slightly truncated performance of the song…I think he usually goes too long with it though)
10. “Gonna Getcha Good” – It was “cute” last time, all faux-twangy, but Joe sang it much more masterfully this time around – much better!
11. “Still in Love With You” – Foam guns! Joe has to get on the stage mic and get someone to clean up the foamy walkway (a stealth stagehand rushes out with a mop on command)…it’s like watching him at the office! Hehe.
12. “Tonight“
13. “Year 3000“
INTERLUDE: Joe conducts the string section…one of the top moments…for me!
14. “Pushin’ Me Away”
15. “Hello Beautiful” – The pillars, and the long break overlooking the audience.
16. “Love Bug” (Featuring Frankie!! Who is adorably 7. Cute…but Cpaig will tell you, I am not a big fan of this particular changeup…sorry, Frank.)
INTERLUDE: Usher’s “Love In This Club”…which will never cease to crack me up, because of this.)
17. “Can’t Have You“
INTERLUDE: Violins!!! – The strings play Vivaldi, while Joe gallops around until Nick – yes, he was VERY SERIOUS this evening – cracks a grin.)
18. “Play My Music“
Water Drums!
19. “Burnin’ Up“ – BIG ROB!!!!
ENCORE
20. “When You Look Me In the Eyes”
21. “SOS“
Big bows and hearfelt waves…they hustle back onto their platform and lower out of sight…
Thanks (understatement) for the Tour, Boys…Onward!
[Via: Daylife (photos); hspgcmcrgd (YouTube); SiblingRevelry (YouTube); SarahLThompson (YouTube)]
cpaig
mememoi
coolmom823
Just a footnote – Our sister Harlequinn took those videos, not us.
We were too busy dancing around, looking for dropped earplugs, and giving occasional dirty looks to the mean girls with the signs (JK).
Well, she only took the violins one!! And the one linked for Goodnight & Goodbye.
Great post gals – natch.
I consider that I made my own Burnin Up pilgrimage this summer. After the disappointment of not getting to go, I decided to indulge like crazy in youtube. And that’s what I did, watching a truly appalling amount of concert vids. I began in Toronto, and followed JB at every stop. It was crazy fun to watch the show grow and ripen, and see the guys grow in confidence with it. As a performer, I can appreciate the discipline it takes to keep the work fresh every night, and JB performed this summer like the pros and troopers they are.
My faves are completely arbitrary, will follow a roughly geographical path, and are unapologetically Kevolutionized.
At the first show, I was too busy loving the new songs to make any choices, and about the Detroit show (the one I should have gone to) I was too bitter to watch much. Therefore, my tour stops first in Oklahoma City:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGJ1YStvEYA
This “Burnin’ Up”, including band introductions is great fun. It’s by singerchick93 (a 15-year old who attended LOTS of show all over the country this summer, her page is chock full of tour goodies – worth a look)
Next, we go to Phoenix for a very nice “BB Good”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBNwk8QGsZI
The sound is so-so, but the photography is first rate. And I have a soft spot for jonasbrothersangels, because this girl loves Kevin very much and her page is a great source for the Kev-fan.
Also from Phoenix, “Pushin Me Away”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWawnaOQg1Y
Onward to Wheatland California, and “Video Girl” also with some very nice Joe moments:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TISeBZ4Dy_8
In Indianapolis we meet up again with singerchick93 and enjoy her lovely “Gotta Find You/This Is Me”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jo8zTMAnU5c
Then it’s off to Hershey, PA with the ladies from SR! I very much loved this “Shelf” in its entirety:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jwua2Ljl3c
I think I’ll send this, and continue in a later comment.
Apologies in advance for any links that don’t work!
Coolmom’s Burnin Up Junket Part 2
After Hershey, I took a hiatus (not from watching, but from choosing favs) due to excitment for ALBL release, MTV Live Feed, and attendant MSG hoopla.
In Buffalo, on Joe’s birthday there is one I HAVE to include, it’s a repeat, but so what? This “Gotta Find You” is so adorable of Joe with the little girl (whose older sister is a diabetic and had a meet with Nick) that it’s a classic:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzwrVc3sF5E&feature=related
mememoi, this one’s for you!
We find the guys next in our nation’s capitol, for a nifty “Love Bug” w/Frankie that is nice because you can see both the performers AND screen very well. It also has a close-up of Kevin playing the mandolin:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJERTPbbIQg
Cleveland, yielded some treasures for me (who’da thunk?). A complete “Gonna Getcha’ Good” (if that’s your cup of tea):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYRRMs7tYG4
AND a really special “Hello Beautiful” with primo close-ups from the big screens of all three gorgeous guys:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWtWCjj6ZLo
I’m gonna submit, and back later!
Awesome, I will await your next post with anticipation, coolmom!!
I love singerchick93 – have you read her sweet blog?
Her videos from Hershey earned a permanent residence on my iPod. Best. Love Bug. EVER.
No worries about bad links, Coolmom – if you send is the titles of the vids we can fix them for you.
I am very glad that I didn’t watch concert vids before our first show, but I think the reason that I didn’t was erroneous.
I too loved the LMITE Tour, but totally agree about the strict staging. It was wonderful, but they did seem a little tired.
Which is another reason I was excited about going to an earlier show this time.
Hershey was my favorite show, but in Camden there was no loss of energy and the show had matured further to make it a new experience.
I was a little disappointed about how “extreme” our seats were (we were 5 seats in from the far aisle at the edge of the venue) right under a screen. The speaker stack blocked some of the right hand of the stage.
Our mom, sister and LBF were just Nick-side of the middle (Joe-side) and had a great view of the whole stage.
But we were close, and I agree with Mememoi that we were on eye level, and once the show started it turned out that all was good and we could see everything (sometimes with the help of the huge screen over our head.)
We were also at an angle were we could see them jump up on the magic carpet at their entrance.
they went on at 8:50 – and we thought they would go on at 9:15 – so when peeps stood up at one point we were all like – silly girls – then we saw JT. I was up and screaming “John Taylor!” before I new what was up.
And Joe was very relaxed, and beaming charm and fun and was having a great time (more so that in Hershey, I think).
Oh – and I totally got a Jonas related ankle injury and was limping around for a couple of days – I still need to find that perfect pair of concert shoes.
Next time (Montreal anyone? * crosses fingers * ) I will wear some Chuck’s or something – I need some arch support – LOL!
Coolmom’s Burnin Up Junket Part 3 (I promise this is the end)
In Columbus, I chose an adorable “Gonna Getcha Good”, it’s only a clip, but Kevin does the Jonas Snap!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDufQuIcllg
From Camden, I would humbly add this clip of Kevin’s “Video Girl” guitar solo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVNI9JgCykE
Smokin’!
In Syracuse Joe wore a Hot Dog suit!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_FW_txPBzE
And I’ll wind it all up where we began, with singerchick93’s “Can’t Have You” at Penn State. You can hear Kevin sing!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FycwK8iI73I
Kevin is gorgeous in this!
Well that’s done. I hope everyone hasn’t already seen these, and that the links work!
cpaig, mememoi, please accept this comment with a hearfelt thank you for all your work to lead us through the Jonasphere! This is all too much fun.
I have most definitely not seen these, coolmom – thank you, thank you!!
A new YouTube playlist is born…In fact I think I’ll post your concert vids to the SiblingRevelry YouTube account!
Thank you SO MUCH – that was awesome!
Here is the link to the playlist!
Now you can click “play all” and enjoy Coolmom’s summer of Jonas and YouTube!
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=C33516595904FDCE
You ladies are the absolute BEST! I love the play list.
Are you really going to Montreal if JB comes there?
Also, did you guys hear enough of Demi Lovato to form an opinion as to her abilities? I’m thinking I will get her CD when it comes out. What about you?
Ha, I completely neglected the openers! I enjoyed the Veronicas – they are cute personas…though their music sounds a little indistinguishable from a lot of stuff, to me.
Demi is very talented. They saddled her with at least one Disney-pandering cover (“That’s How You Know”) that I found atrocious, but her voice is incredibly strong. I like her stage presence, but I think she does struggle to connect with the majority of the audience. There was one ballad she was singing which I found to be quite gorgeous, I am not sure which it was…my verdict was that she was born to play Eponine in Les Miserables….she has the voice and the precise personality!!!
But I am not sure if I will be buying her album yet…on the fence. Scratch and Sniff website and all….
Oh and YES, I would definitely go to Montreal if it could be afforded!!
[I really enjoy the town, we have spent a fair amount of time there (LBF's Dad is Canadian and lived in Montreal for a number of years...he only just moved out of the QC, for school, in fact.). I am ruling out Toronto because I think it will sell out quick and all of our extended family there could not be avoided and would be a total distraction.
Plus I can practice my crummy Francais!]
The kids love her Disneymania “That’s How You Know.” I hate her version. I like Amy Adams’. But my DD adores Demi’s version.
I’m totally buying her CD. It’s a given with the Jonas Brothers on it. Besides my kids will love it!
Excellent coverage cpaig, mememoi, and coolmom! Thank you so much!
My favorite moment is definitely Kevin and Joe on the water drums. In less than a minute, they demonstrate their passion for music (Kevin drums with his whole body), their sense of showmanship (primal beat, splashing water and pretty colors) and I am stunned by how in synch they are with each other. OMJ!
I hope they get some much-deserved rest and some peace and quiet (who am I kidding?). Selfish Me can’t wait for the next tour! I have already told my daughter we are there!
Flamom – I prefer Amy Adams’ too!! Maybe I am too attached to it to appreciate…
I am most likely to buy a couple of tracks on iTunes, and not the whole thing.
Thanks, sharpld! I can’t wait either…….
I like Demi. But I agree, Amy Adam’s version is way better.
But I DO like her songs, especially the ones JB helped write. There’s one called “On The Line” that is a duet with them that I can’t wait to hear.
As far as her connecting with the audience, I think it’s more about experience, seeing as how she hasn’t had as much exposure to large crowds as the JB. So maybe it lacks in comparison.
But then again, I could not make it out to a show this summer but I am holding out for another one maybe next year…
Sharpld – I nearly fainted the first time I saw the water drums. Whole body is right, he plays the guitar that way too – one of the ways Mememoi got me to pay attention to them (after a comment I made about Jack White).
I was less impressed by both Demi and the Veronicas, but our sound was muddy (and I had a stuffed up head) so maybe that is why. (Remember we missed her at Hershey.)
She is very sweet though, and disarming – she almost tripped, which we would have all ignored, and she totally called attention to it – but it was cute.
I will just say that my favorite Demi parts were her singing Get Back (wonder why), and when she comes out with the JoBros.
Demi’s band is AWESOME btw – better than Avril’s.
Cpaig – Jack White was my musical obsession before Kevin … I don’t know if your comment was good or bad, but the fact that JB covers ”Seven Nation Army” is a glorious thing for me.
You’re very welcome, sharpld. Enjoy the vids.
I like Amy Adams singing “That’s How You Know” also, I love all the music from “Enchanted” in fact.
I think Demi has a great set of pipes, but her stage persona is still unformed, she hasn’t figured out how to reach across the lights yet. If I could give her one piece of advice it would be not to move so much. She needs to learn how to stand completely still and command the space. MAKE them look at you honey! JB are masters at it, she should be taking notes.
Sharpld – it was totally positive…Cpaig once told me she loved how Jack White played with his whole body and how hot that was. (After, seeing The Raconteurs open for Bob Dylan…right Cpaig?)
Her comment came to mind while I was watching last summer’s JB videos…so when we happened to be on a family trip to Woodstock the same weekend that the Boys appeared on the Miss Teen USA pageant, I insisted we watch and told her to watch Kevin…
Then she was done for.
Sharpld – Oh no – the comment was good good good!
I had the great pleasure of seeing the Raconteurs live! My mom took me to (ok – sortof dragged me to) a Bob Dylan show she wanted to see (dragged only because we had seen him mere weeks before). In the car on the way there she was like “they were talking on the radio about the opening act, it is supposed to be a good match up…white something…”
*sharp intake of breath from me*
Me: “What the White Stripes?!”
Mom: “No that doesn’t sound right…”
Me: disappointed…
We got there and I saw this big R and had no idea – I had never heard of them before – and I was like “oh well”
Then they came on and – there was Jack White – and I went nuts.
It was a little difficult because all of the other people around me were sitting down (we were on the floor no less) and so I only got to jump up at the end of songs – but THEY WERE AWESOME!
I totally fell in love with Jack that night – hard not to – talk about emanating sexuality!
.
This was my favorite Demi song, referred to above: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MH_tqe5q0_o&feature=related
What a fun discussion, ladies…I’m sorry I missed most of it, I was hard at work at Costco serving up burrito samples (I’m not joking! lol)
Anyway, I would have to say our favorite tour moment was actually meeting the boys. Duh!
Our concert was in Wheatland, CA, so Coolmom, loved the YouTube of Video Girl from our concert!
Here’s the link to my MySpace page where I blogged about meeting the boys. Hope it works.
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=361845922&blogID=416076935
She said in an interview she has fallen 4 times already. She must be distantly related to Joe, or they are meant for one another.
Poor kid.
She is so pretty. I love how natural she is in the meet and greet fan photos. She looks especially cute with girls her own age.
She does need some smoother dance moves onstage. She’ll get better in time. She is so young.
Absolutely…even the Boys had their rough moments.
And Amanda – I loved your blog…especially your “Joe-ment”.
I’m just cruising through my playlist on Youtube. I love having so many of my favorite vids in one place!
Amanda, I can’t read your blog because I’m not on Myspace.
Everyone, I stumbled across this vid of JB calling the whole crew/gang up on stage at the close of the concert in West Palm Beach. Thought it might fit in here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWs4KQ1m6Sw
A classy closer from those classy guys!