The Jonas Brothers Make Their 'Comeback' At NYC's Madison Square Garden

By Rachel Kaplan

September 2, 2019

On August 30th, the hottest show in New York City — and probably in the United States, to be honest — was the Jonas Brothers concert at Madison Square Garden. There was a sea of fans flooding the venue, equipped with handmade signs, old merch that may or may not have been dug up from the depths of closets, and, (for those who were old enough), alcoholic beverages. Squads sang along and got to celebrate their fandom, something they were unsure they would get to do again once the band of brothers split in October 2013.

The first time the Jonas Brothers played MSG was at z100’s Jingle Ball in 2007. Their four-song set included “Year 3000,” “Hold On,” “When You Look Me in the Eyes,” and “S.O.S.,” which have been mainstays in their setlist over the years.

Photo: Getty Images

In 2008, they were back at the Garden for several nights, but this time they were headliners on their “Burnin’ Up Tour.” Demi Lovato opened. They parked their tour bus outside and let fans sign it. They filmed for their 3D concert movie and Taylor Swift came out to perform “Should’ve Said No.”

When the band split up, their fans were devastated and spiraled into a whirlwind of uncertain thoughts. Would Nick, Joe, and Kevin ever release music together again? Would they ever tour again? Separately, maybe, but together? It didn’t seem likely. Five years went by before any hints of a reunion, which arrived in the form of reactivating their Instagram. Their comeback single, “Sucker,” dropped in February 2019, followed by a tour announcement in May, and Happiness Begins, their fifth studio album, in June.

Now you’re all caught up with the history of how we got to the second of two sold-out JB shows at the Garden in 2019. Their catalog is pretty large, so unfortunately they can’t play every single one of your favorites. There’s a good balance of old and new material weaved into the set. After the first nine songs, they include a fan request on the B stage to change things up. The audience shouts out suggestions and the brothers play one on command. Yes, they have two stages that they get to by running through the crowd. The biggest rule for this request-able moment is that it has to be a Jonas Brothers tune. Night one got “Please Be Mine,” while night two got “Goodnight and Goodbye.”

Nick stays on the B stage and starts to sing one of his solo smashes, "Jealous." Then, out of nowhere, Joe appears on the main stage, putting his spin on his brother's hit song before Nick comes to join him. That's immediately followed by DNCE's "Cake by the Ocean," with confetti and a few of those wacky arm waving inflatable dancers that you see at car washes. Once again, Nick and Joe switch off verses. After a quick-change from bold and bright colored suits to black and white outfits, Kevin sits down at the piano and addresses the crowd. "Do you know what's better than one night in New York City? Two nights in New York City. Thank you for believing in us, we love you!" Kevin plays “Comeback” on piano, while his brothers walk around the stage singing. They look at the audience in awe -- a humbling and reflective moment. It’s like they didn’t skip a beat between 2008 and now.

The brothers make their way back to the rotating B stage for a medley, including “Mandy,” an OG throwback from their first album. They finish the seven-song mash-up with “Tonight” up at the front. It’s safe to say they get in quite the workout every night with all of the running back and forth. After “Lovebug” and “Year 3000,” they say their thank you’s and goodbyes, but it was clear the show wasn’t quite over. Two of their biggest songs —“Burnin’ Up” and “Sucker” — had yet to be played, so it was inevitable that they would be returning for an encore. The Jonas Brothers concert experience in 2019 is not 100% complete without those songs.

From their silhouetted descent during their first song and the synchronized pyro in “Burnin’ Up” to the visuals with actors playing young versions of the boys on their journey to finding themselves, every aspect of the show was wonderful. All our hopes and our dreams came true, and it makes us grateful that after six long years, we’re able to experience being at a Jonas Brothers concert again.