Concert Commentary: The Jonas Brothers Shake Things Up in Prague
Ah, the Jonas Brothers in Prague! You might think this was the hottest ticket in town, but judging by the crowd, you might also think they were giving away free samples of laxatives! With a room full of teenage girls and their slightly mortified guardians, the Jonas Brothers took to the stage, promising a night full of hits (and apparently, no electronic devices pointed at them). Because nothing says "exciting concert" like being threatened with an abrupt end if someone brings out a selfie stick like it’s a weapon of mass distraction!
Now, let’s dive into the actual concert. The Czech-speaking host had to lay down the law which, to be fair, is pretty standard for concerts these days. Nobody wants to be blindsided by someone aiming their camera like it’s a laser sight at a celebrity! Who knew documenting history could go so wrong?
Tired Performers? Not That Tired!
So, the show went on, and you could almost see the Jonas Brothers’ fatigue from the get-go. I mean, they’ve been on a world tour that’s stretched through continents! Jaywalking through the streets of New York for their first show to now, crawling around the stage in Prague is a commendable evolution, isn’t it? Surely they could have taken a page out of Bob Dylan’s handbook—he’s a master at giving the impression of being smelly and fabulous at the same time!
The glaring truth, however, is that fatigue isn’t a great look for performers. Imagine sitting through a two-hour concert where the stars themselves seem to be longing for their beds—it’s kind of like going to a funeral but with worse music and more awkward moments. And speaking of awkward moments, let’s talk about that sound mix! It was about as harmonious as a cat fight in a karaoke bar, blending musical lines and creating confusion.
Sing-Along Shenanigans!
But let’s not be too cruel. The audience was alive! The girls danced like they had just discovered Christmas in July, standing up and breaking out into dance numbers that could have distracted even the most seasoned Jonas followers. You’d think they were at a high school reunion rather than a concert! And it’s moments like these that kept the optimism high, igniting enough energy to neglect any of the evening’s mishaps—like how the show was far from sold out, making it feel less like a concert and more like a pizza party gone wrong.
They divided the show into thematic parts, like a badly organized Netflix series losing focus halfway through. I mean, did we really need to hear every song? It could have used a snip here and there! Perhaps twenty minutes shorter could have made for a more digestible show. Think of it as ‘The Last Jedi’—exciting, but too many subplots make you ask, "Do we really need this character?”
Mixed Bag of Genres
Musically, I had a good chuckle reading the part where they likened their sound to a mixture of rock and pop. Oh darling, it was more like if Elvis had a lovechild with a boy band—catchy but littered with soul and R’n’B-ish overtones! The ambitions were clear, but so was the chaos on stage. A 12-member orchestra with a brass section tried to redeem itself with melodrama while the Jonas trio crawled to the next verse, looking like they were trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube while riding a merry-go-round.
In Summary
In the end, the concert can be looked at as a fun flounder—a mix of passionate performances and moments that had the audience feeling like they were at a wedding where the DJ was just a bit tipsy. The joy radiating from the younger fans bartered quite well for the hiccups along the way. So, if you were one of those girls in the audience, you probably thought it was the BEST NIGHT EVER! But if you were Kevin, Joe, or Nick, you’re hatching plans for an urgent nap.
As the evening wrapped up, we were left with a curious thought—imagine if Bob Dylan crashed that party. Would the energy go chaotic or soothingly mellow? Either way, just remember, if someone tells you to put your camera away during a concert, maybe listen—unless you’re way too excited and maybe, just maybe, you’d prefer to document the razor-thin line between smelly and fabulous. Cheers!
A Czech-speaking man from the stage explained that the concert would continue under the condition that no one would point such a thing at any of the performers. If so, it will be over. The warning was clear enough that the culprit hid his gadget. The band returned and continued the performance.
At the same time, she would probably welcome it if the problem recurred and she could shorten her set. It’s a heretical idea, but she seemed a bit tired from the start of her set.
Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas are on a tour called ‘Five Albums. One Night. The World Tour” since August of last year when they started in New York. With breaks, they then took it through North America, Asia, Australia and South America to finish everything in Europe, where they have been playing and singing since the beginning of this September.
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The Prague stop was the second to last in the program of the entire tour, everything will culminate in Krakow, Poland, on Wednesday. Considering the number of times they played even on consecutive days without a break, it’s no wonder that the three showed signs of fatigue that was literally noticeable.
Their 12-member backing orchestra combined with choristers played brilliantly, ensuring that the sound was varied and rich. Constantly pretending that everything is in the best order and that it is actually one long party, but it seemed unconvincing, a little comical, even chaotic.
Instead of welcoming the audience, such a brass section should have simply played and honored the choreography prepared for the songs. The brothers themselves sometimes crawled around the stage.
In addition, the concert did not have a very good sound, many musical lines merged into each other. And if we are talking about the list of weak points, then one of them included the moment when suddenly something started to crackle in the speakers, which threw off a number of carefree dancing fans who thoroughly enjoyed the evening in many ways.
Photo: Profimedia.cz
Jonas Brothers in Mexico City. From left, Nick, Kevin and Joe Jonas
Girls in the audience predominated, especially those with compulsory high school. It was the best news for the Jonas Brothers, because their affection pushed all the described unfortunate moments out of focus. After all, one of them was that it was far from sold out.
Right at the beginning of the concert, the girls started dancing. Even many of those who were sitting in their designated seats quickly stood up, swaying their hips and singing with such enthusiasm that it simply had to be beneficial for the performers.
It was their first stop in the Czech Republic, which the brothers did not fail to mention. They divided their set into several thematic parts, which is why one block included songs from the TV musical Camp Rock from 2008, another from the new album The Album from last year, then pieces from the solo work of Nick Jonas or the band DNCE, of which he was a member in years 2015 to 2023 Joe Jonas, and so on.
After that, it only mattered how successful each song was when it was created and how much the fans in Prague like it. There were moments when literally everyone in the hall sang and it looked like a real high school party, as well as moments when some of those standing sat down for a while because the concert lost its tension.
It could have been twenty minutes shorter. Surely the weaker moments in his dramaturgy could be discovered and pushed off the stage. However, since it lasted significantly longer than two hours, they stayed on him.
The Jonas Brothers claim to combine rock with pop. The brass section in the concert line-up, as well as the high number of musicians on stage, revealed that in terms of interpretation, they are moving towards more complex and richly arranged forms of songs. They are clear about where they have come from and where they want to go next. After all, the influences of soul and r’n’b are evident on their last year’s record The Album.
Jonas BrothersO2 arena, Prague, October 15, 2024 Rating: 70%
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