Jonas Brothers thrill fans — and even some parents

JONAS BROTHERS AND ROONEY, E Center, Friday

At first it was hard to hear the music at the Jonas Brothers concert Friday. The reason was the screams.

The audience, mostly made up of girls ages 5 through 18, let their voices loose as the brothers — Joe, Nick and Kevin — rose up from the stage's third tier to sing "Year 3000."

The screaming became louder as the trio, backed by a guitarists, a bassist, a keyboardist and a drummer, slid down some transparent ramps to their microphones on the lower level.

Although the sound mix was hard to hear, the audience sang the words loud and clear.

Joe Jonas strutted the stage and fell to his knees a few times throughout the performance, giving the audience reason to scream some more. Nick and Kevin Jonas spent a lot of time on their guitars, but Nick also ventured off to play the drums during a couple of drum duets. He also played the baby grand piano during other segments of the evening.

The stage tiers were bordered with LED screens that flashed videos and abstract neon designs that highlighted the songs.

Staple Jonas tunes such as "Hold On," "Games," "Hello Beautiful" and "Just the Way We Roll," all taken from the group's self-titled album, were given some new life with dynamic intro arrangements.

The group even threw one in for the parents, A-ha's 1985 hit "Take on Me." The arrangement was loyal to the original but also had that JB flair.

The boys also performed four new songs from their upcoming CD. "A Little Bit Longer," "Don't Take My Heart and Put It on the Shelf," "Burning Up" and "Pushing Me Away" were received with as much enthusiasm as the evening's last song, "S.O.S."

At one point, Nick sat at the piano and introduced the band's power ballad "When You Look Me in the Eyes." As the song went into the first verse, the other two brothers, who ran backstage, emerged once more on risers in the top tier.

Although Nick did stumble coming down one of the ramps, the energy on stage was just as kinetic as the audience's enthusiasm. In fact, both fed off each other.

The trio worked the audience like pros, using sing-alongs hand clapping and arm waving. But it was the way they played their instruments that caught a lot of parents' attention. Even Joe Jonas strapped on a guitar toward the end of the evening and played the keyboards during "Games."

These three brothers from New Jersey write their own music and lyrics and can play an array of instruments. Although they are still teen idols, they have talent that surpasses many boy bands of the past.

The five-man band Rooney opened the evening and primed the audience with its garage-pop sound. And while the screaming was loud, it was evident the audience was really there for the Jonas Brothers.

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E-mail: scott@desnews.com