Concert Review: The Jonas Brothers "The Burning Up Tour All Over Again" at Madison Square Garden Was a Celebration of the Fans

It's been a nostalgic summer for the Jonas Brothers. This month, Camp Rock 3 — which they starred in and executive produced — was released. On top of that, just last week, they officially became Disney Legends. Then, last night, the brothers kicked off their "The Burning Up Tour All Over Again" tour with the first of three shows at Madison Square Garden. But, as it turns out, this was more than just a concert: it was a celebration of fans who have been with the band for more than 20 years.

With no opening acts for this evening, the pre-show as fans walked in was a video compilation reel of various Jonas Brothers covers from YouTube and other social sites. Then, before the brothers hit the stage, Tanya Rad hosted several segments talking to fans in the audience and also threw to some special footage, such as a behind-the-scenes look at the making of "Lovebug."

Then, after a dramatic curtain drop, the boys ascended to the stage, appearing below the familiar JB sign. Joining the brothers themselves was a band that consisted of multiple instrumentalists — including orchestral instruments — as well as a pair of backup singers. Yet, the fans felt like a part of the group as well. Throughout the show, intercut with footage of the brothers and band were several crowd shots, highlighting fans singing along, dancing, sharing their love.

Over the course of their two sets, the Jonases performed more than 30 songs from their catalog — all of which I knew (save the brand new song), even as a semi-casual Jo Bro fan. As you can see from the setlist, the first half of the show was more or less a recreation of The Burning Up tour, jam-packed with classics. Then, after a brief intermission (which featured a best-of reel for the boys' podcast Hey Jonas!), the second set included more recent hits from the Jonases post-reunion.

In that latter half, we also got the live debut of a brand new song. As Nick explained, the tune was inspired by the early 2000s, including such bands as Switchfoot, Dashboard Confessional, and Taking Back Sunday (who are actually name-checked in the lyrics). "Listen When Sad" is set to drop on August 28, but here's a preview from the show:

Adding to the sense that this was a momentous event were some of the guests that came out to celebrate. For "Lovebug," the Jo Bros were joined by original backing band members Greg Garbowsky and John Taylor (as in "No way, John Taylor!," which can be heard on the album version of "Lovebug"). But there was another fun cameo as well.

It would seem as though the show was meant to end with the hit "Sucker." But, due to travel complications (storms on the East Coast being a likely culprit), Big Rob missed his cameo during "Burnin' Up" in the first set. So, rather than let the moment pass, the band did a reprise, this time bringing out their former bodyguard to perform his verse. While I don't suspect this will be the case for subsequent shows, it actually ended up being a fitting closer. Honestly, I was also just impressed with the nimbleness the crew was able to show in accommodating this change, even during such a huge show.

All in all, the Jonas Brothers "The Burning Up Tour All Over Again" at MSG was something special. In a venue as big as the Garden, the place was still packed — and I'd estimate that 80% were in some sort of merch (homemade or otherwise). Looking at the crowd shots, it was a sea of red, fitting the Burning Up Tour theme. And the band rose to the occasion, delivering throwback fun while also acknowledging how much has changed in the past two decades. Of course, I am curious to see how this show will be adapted for the nationwide tour. Regardless, I'm sure fans will love those shows just as much as this opening night Madison Square Garden event.