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Keeping up with the Jonases
A brother-by-brother breakdown of the pop sensations

By Richard Ouzounian
Theatre Critic
The Jonas Brothers are continuing to prove this year, just like they have since 2007, that they’re as much a part of summertime as barbecues, beach parties and warm weather romances.

Those musical brothers from New Jersey are continuing the warm-weather fling. Their Disney Channel series, Jonas L.A., just started a successful second season (and was recently nominated for an Emmy as Outstanding Children’s Program), they’re in the middle of another giant North American tour (they play the Molson Amphitheatre on Sept. 2 and 3) and, perhaps most importantly, Camp Rock 2, the sequel to their hit 2008 TV movie, debuts Sept. 3.

On the surface, it would seem like the brothers will be a viable commodity for some time yet. The problem is, that as each year goes by, they look and act more like three individuals than a homogenous boy band.

There’s no dissension, no strife; the guys get along well onstage and off. “We’re brothers, dude, what else did you expect?” asks Kevin, the oldest.

They’re staying together but, bit by bit, they’re also going their separate ways. Nick, the youngest, not only went out as a solo act earlier this year, he is appearing in London’s West End as Marius in Les Misérables, a return to his early days as a professional stage actor.

Kevin was the first to get married, while Joe — sporting a new pair of Clark Kent-styled glasses — is being seen at more and more L.A. social events and has announced plans to record a solo album. It was possible to see the seeds of all this last summer, when the brothers were in Toronto filming Camp Rock 2.

On a rainy night in August, I went to the set in Earl Bales Park to spend face time with each Jonas Brother, one on one. (While I connected with Kevin and Joe that night, Nick was busy with other projects, so I had to catch up with him later in New York.)

Kevin Jonas (b. Nov. 5, 1987)

It was interesting to talk to Kevin first, because he’s the one most people think of last. That’s not because he’s unimportant or uninteresting, but he’s just not as easily labelled as his brothers.

Joe is hot, Nick is cute. But Kevin? He’s the oldest and he’s probably the best musician, but he’s he one who makes the softest impression.

That is, until you meet him. He’s got an engagingly shy smile, but he’s outgoing when the subject turns to music. “There’s a lot of old-school rock ’n’ roll in my blood,” he admits with a grin, “and I guess I convinced the other guys to put a lot of it in the (2009) tour. It’s just such great music and once it gets inside your blood, you’ve got no choice but to share it and make everybody feel good.

“And I feel that feeling is growing. I think we’re the generation that’s going to bring back the music of yesterday and pay it the respect it deserves.”

It was the music that convinced Kevin to join up with Nick and Joe to form the Jonas Brothers, and he admits “that wasn’t the direction I ever thought my life would go at all.”

“I think when the whole success thing came along, I was the one it caught most off guard. Nick’s been performing since he was a kid and Joe’s always been good with people, but it took me a while to come into my own, I know that.

“It wasn’t always easy for me, but I’m happy with the way I fit in now.”

The most low-key in terms of his personal life, he was nevertheless the first one to get hitched. On Dec. 19, he married Danielle Deleasa, a former hairdresser from New Jersey whom he’d been dating since he met her on a Bahamas vacation in 2007.

The marriage attracted a stream of attention on the Internet and in the media.

“It’s funny,” muses Kevin, “but once people see you perform, they think they know who you are and that’s not always the case. And of course, the more places you get seen, the more places you can be criticized, so me, I try not to read any of the bad stuff that’s being said about us.

“Who are the Jonas Brothers? We’re just three guys who play the music we love.” He looks off in the distance.

“Man, I want this to last for a very long time.”

Joe Jonas (b. Aug. 15, 1989)

First things first. Yes, Joe Jonas is as good-looking in person as he is on the screen. Maybe better, in fact, because when he’s relaxed, he seems more casually engaging then as a high-voltage performer. The dark hair and smouldering eyes that make him stand out also mark him as the brother bearing the strongest influence of his one-quarter Cherokee heritage.

When the band broke big, he was the man at the front, power-housing the numbers and making the teen girls swoon. As the years have passed, younger brother Nick has earned his share of fans as well, but Joe is still usually the man in the spotlight.

“Hey, there’s nothing with the fact that me and my brothers have different performance styles,” he says when asked about the changing dynamics. “We’re all at different stages of our lives, we’re all still growing.

“We also all have different kinds of music we’re into. Kevin loves country and rock ’n’ roll, Nick is into his own music a lot and I bounce back and forth. Sometimes it’s Michael Bublé, sometimes it’s indie rock.”

Joe is also the one the paparazzi follow most closely; whenever he’d go out running in Toronto, they were on his tail. He finally took refuge inside the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre on Spadina Ave., which graciously offered him its fitness area as a photo-free haven.

“I’ve got to do some kind of workout,” he says. “It’s not about looks, it’s about energy. The only way I can put out the kind of voltage I have to provide in the evening onstage is to prepare myself for it during the day.”

And after work is through, he enjoys the most varied social life of the group, although — in line with the family’s strict Christian Fundamentalist upbringing — there’s no liquor, drugs or premarital sex. The purity ring is still on Joe’s finger.

That’s not to imply he’s been sitting at home alone. He’s been publicly linked in ongoing relationships with AJ Michalka, Camilla Belle, Demi Lovato and, most memorably, Taylor Swift, who announced to the world that Joe broke up with her during a 27-second phone call.

He shakes his head before responding. “I know there’s people out there who say I’ve been breaking hearts, but listen to our songs. They speak the truth. If hearts have been broken, they’re usually ours. What happens in our relationships winds up in our songs and haters will be haters.”

Joe has also been making appearances apart from his brothers, judging on American Idol, appearing in other groups’ music videos and composing songs with Lovato.

He’s recently opened the door to his own solo career, but he doesn’t feel that goes against the Jonas Brothers entity.

“We’re staying true to who we are, man. We’re a band of brothers and you can’t break that apart, no matter what you try to do.”

Nick Jonas (b. Sept. 16, 1992)

No question that Nick is the most fascinating of the Jonases, not just because of his early years in Broadway musicals or the fact that he’s been openly living with Type 1 diabetes since he was 13.

There’s something different about him, a sense that he connects with his fans on a deeper level than the average boy-band member, or the feeling that he wants to be an artist instead of just an entertainer.

When asked why he was going back into the world of theatre, performing in Les Misérables in London this summer, he had a surprisingly mature answer.

“I feel I need to respond to the challenge to portray feelings and emotions. I want to learn how to know a character better and dig more deeply inside them. This is a really interesting process to me and the fans will tell me how I’m doing.”

He came to the world of performing long before his older brothers even thought of it. “My parents went to see Les Miz when I was 5 and brought the program back home. I saw a picture of the boy playing Gavroche and I ran to my mother saying, ‘Who is this kid?’

“She must have seen something in my eyes, because she asked, ‘Is this something you could see yourself doing?’ and I told her yes.”

He started on Broadway in A Christmas Carol at 7, moving on to Beauty and the Beast and Annie Get Your Gun before finally landing in Les Misérables. But soon after all that came the diabetes diagnosis.

“I knew I had something wrong with me,” he recalls, “but I didn’t know what it is, so when the doctor told me, I first felt relief. But that was soon replaced by confusion, shock and disappointment. I thought my career was over.”

It wasn’t, however, and even though a solo musical theatre career was a bit too strenuous in those early years, when Nick was learning how to live with his condition, singing with his brothers proved something he could handle.

“I think once I realized I could use it as an opportunity to share my story and encourage people, it all began to make sense. There are still moments of coping with my condition that are harder than others, but I feel I’ve got a good grip on it.”

Of all the brothers, he’s the one who’s been making the biggest impact in his own so far, with a solo tour, his own album and his current theatrical engagement.

But he insists he’s not breaking up the team. “I want the Jonas Brothers to be together for a long, long time. I’m committed to the group.”

What he’s had trouble being committed to is a romantic relationship, already having broken up with Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez and Nicole Anderson.

When we spoke, he took pains to point out that, “I’m not necessarily a loner, but being alone is not such a terrible thing. I enjoy being single right now, being on my own.”

In the past weeks, however, the British tabloids have been linking him with not one, but two of his leading ladies in Les Miz, Lucie Jones and Samantha Barks.

Like all the Jonas Brothers, he’s a going concern.

Source: Toronto Star

Jonas Brothers & ESPN Meet in Softball Challenge
Noon, August 13 at New Britain Stadium

The Jonas Brothers will change their repertoire from hit singles to doubles, triples and home runs when their “Road Dogs” softball team takes on the ESPN “G.O.A.T.S,” a team of ESPN commentators, at noon ET on Friday, Aug. 13 at New Britain (Conn.) Stadium, home of the New Britain Rock Cats (Double A Eastern League affiliate of the Minnesota Twins).

The Jonas Brothers will stop in New Britain en route to their 8 p.m. Live In Concert World Tour stop that night at Hartford’s Comcast Theatre. They will have begun the day with an appearance on ABC’s Good Morning America in New York.

Tickets for the “Road Dogs” vs. ESPN “G.O.A.T.S” game are free, however, donations will be accepted to benefit the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center’s A Brighter Hope campaign. Tickets will be available beginning Thursday, July 29, at noon at the New Britain Stadium Box Office, located at 230 John Karbonic Way, New Britain or by calling (860) 224-8383 (limit 6 tickets per order). Additional event information is available at www.espnradio.com and www.rockcats.com.

The first pitch for the August 13 game was figuratively tossed in May when the Jonas Brothers were guests on an ESPN Fantasy Focus podcast. They mentioned their “Road Dogs” team, and ESPN fantasy guru Matthew Berry aka “The Talented Mr. Roto,” challenged them to a game. The team name “G.O.A.T.S,” which is an acronym for “Greatest of All Time” (a common phrase used on the podcast), was submitted by a loyal listener.

While the “Road Dogs” are made up of Nick, Joe and Kevin Jonas, their band mates and road crew, the ESPN “G.O.A.T.S” will present a line-up including Berry, Mike and Mike in the Morning’s and SportsCenter’s Mike Greenberg, SportsNation’s Michelle Beadle, NFL analyst and former All-Pro defensive end Marcellus Wiley, and Baseball Tonight analyst and former MLB player Eduardo Perez. NFL Live host Trey Wingo will add play-by-play and commentary to the game.

Friday’s event is sponsored by Comcast. Allstate, the official partner of the “Road Dogs,” will be promoting the “X the Text” campaign encouraging Jonas Brothers fans to take a pledge not to text and drive. Those unable to attend the game can take the pledge online at www.facebook.com/thumbsuppledge.

Pre-game entertainment starting at 9:30 a.m. will be provided by Vermont-based Burnham, with brothers lead vocalist Forrest, Alex on guitar, and Andre playing bass and keyboards; and teen-band Fyve featuring lead singer Danielle, the harmonies of identical twins Kristen and Katherine who play guitar and drums, Aaron on bass, and Declan on guitar.

Connecticut Children’s Medical Center

Connecticut Children’s is the State’s only academic medical center devoted exclusively to the care of children, from birth to age 18. The center has over 270,000 visits each year, caring for children from every town and city in the State, and many from far beyond the region. Donations made to A Brighter Hope campaign will help create an expanded, integrated, state-of-the-art, child-friendly care center for kids with cancer and blood disorders. For more information visit www.connecticutchildrens.org.

Source: Rock Cats website

Jonas Brothers To Play Softball Game With ESPN Personalities In New Britain

NEW BRITAIN — — Tickets are available now for a charity softball game featuring The Jonas Brothers and personalities from ESPN.

The game will take place noon Aug. 13 at New Britain Stadium, according to a press release from the New Britain Rock Cats.

Tickets to the game are free, but donations will be accepted to benefit the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center Brighter Hope Campaign.

The band will be playing music — not softball — that night at the Comcast center. The ESPN G.O.A.T.S are a team of the network’s anchors and commentators.

Tickets are available now at the New Britain Stadium Box Office, at 230 John Karbonic Way, New Britain or by calling 860-224-8383 (limit 6 tickets per order). Additional event information is available at http://www.espnradio.com and http://www.rockcats.com.

Source: Hartford Courant

Additional coverage:
NBC Connecticut
WTNH
courant.com

Eminem Still No. 1, Rick Ross Bows at No. 2 on Billboard 200

Eminem makes it five weeks in a row at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 as “Recovery” sells another 187,000 (down just 4%), according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Rick Ross’ “Teflon Don” arrives in the runner-up spot with 176,000. Ross’ last three studio albums all debuted at No. 1, with his last set, 2009′s “Deeper Than Rap,” arriving with 158,000. The opener for “Teflon” is Ross’ best sales week since 2008′s “Trilla” arrived with 198,000.

A week ago industry observers had initially projected that Ross had a good shot at a No. 1 debut. However, “Recovery” held on strong with a small weekly sales decline. Chalk that up in part to its sale pricing at Target and Best Buy and the continued popularity of its single “Love the Way You Lie.” It reigns atop the Digital Songs chart for a fifth straight week (332,000 downloads; down 6%).

The Billboard 200′s second-highest debut is Sheryl Crow’s “100 Miles From Memphis,” which starts at No. 3 with 55,000. It’s the singer’s eighth top 10 album. All of her releases — save for one live set from 1999 — have reached the top 10. The singer/songwriter’s last effort, “Detours,” debuted and peaked at No. 2 with 92,000 in 2008. It was her fourth set to peak at No. 2; she has yet to claim a No. 1 album.

The “Kidz Bop Kids” series continues its profitable run on the Billboard 200 as “Kidz Bop 18″ bounces in at No. 5 with 43,000. It’s the 26th permutation of the “Kidz Bop” franchise to chart on the Billboard 200, including brand offshoots like “Kidz Bop Christmas” and “Kidz Bop Sings the Beatles.” The new set is the 11th “Kidz Bop” title to reach the top 10.

The Jonas Brothers’ soundtrack to their Disney Channel TV series “Jonas L.A.” surfs in at No. 7 with 32,000. The album is the eighth charting set for the brother trio. The act has so far released four studio sets, its “3D Concert Experience” soundtrack, two live EPs and the new “Jonas L.A.” offering.

As for the rest of the top 10, Drake’s “Thank Me Later” falls one spot to No. 4 (47,000; down 6%), Justin Bieber’s “My World 2.0″ also drops one to No. 6 (39,000; down 5%), the “Now 34″ compilation climbs four rungs to No. 8 (27,000; down less than 1%), Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now” rises two slots to No. 9 (25,000; down 8%), and Lady Gaga’s “The Fame” hops forward three positions to No. 10 (24,000; down 9%).

Overall album sales in this past chart week (ending July 25) totaled 5.3 million units, up 2% compared with the sum last week (5.2 million) and down 15% compared with the comparable sales week of 2009 (6.3 million). Year-to-date album sales stand at 169.7 million, down 12% compared with the same total at this point last year (193.2 million).

Digital track sales this past week totaled 21 million downloads, up less than 1% compared with last week (20.9 million) and down 1% stacked next to the comparable week of 2009 (21.4 million). Year-to-date track sales are at 660.1 million, down 1% compared with the same total at this point last year (663.9 million).

Source: Billboard.com

The Jonas Brothers perform for Obama and Sir Paul while Bieber gets mauled on a Segway. CNN’s Jeanne Moos reports.

Source: CNN

JonasWorld Fan Review: Jonas L.A. — America’s Sweethearts (episode 5)

Hey JonasWorld!! My name is Megan (but I go by Traci on here). I’m thirteen years old, and I’ve been a fan of the Jonas Brothers for a little over two years. I’ve known who the Jonas Brothers were ever since they were on Disney Channel, but I never really took notice of them, until I couldn’t stop watching their “Burnin’ Up” video!! It started with their singles, then their A Little Bit Longer album, then all of their songs! They’ve truly changed the way I look at music, and have shown me that there are at least three celebrities that act like gentlemen and appreciate their fans. I haven’t been to any of the concerts or meet and greets, but I hope some day I am blessed enough to go to one!

When I saw promos for JONAS LA, I knew that it would be better than the first season. The music in the first season seemed immature, and not something that the guys would write. And there wasn’t a lot of truly funny humor. But in JONAS LA, the music has improved A LOT, sounding similar to some songs that they have written in the past, and the writers have made filled the season with realistic drama and cute and funny humor.

The show opens with Kevin rushing into the kitchen, taking Joe’s waffle and Nick’s orange juice, explaining to them that Mona was coming over. Joe continued, saying she was coming over for his photo shoot with Vanessa. Seconds later, Mona comes in, demanding that Kevin park his car, and paying him to not mess anything up. When she leaves, Nick comes over and gives Kevin a dollar to clean his room.

Read more after the jump.
(more…)

JONAS L.A. “Things Will Never Be The Same”
Nick has a big secret.

Watch JONAS L.A. this Sunday at 9p to find out what it is!

Check out the music video for “Things Will Never Be The Same” here.

Source: myspace.com/jonasbrothers

Alyson Stoner gets the giggles as she chats with Radio Disney host Ernie D at the studios in Burbank, Calif., earlier this week.

The 16-year-old multi-talented entertainer dished just what fans can expect on the Camp Rock 2 tour and Nick Jonas‘ professional athlete future. Check it:

On Nick Jonas’ athletic ability: “He is an amazing athlete. If he doesn’t want to sing anymore, he should be a pro-athlete. He can hit homers in professional stadiums because he is that good! BUT, I did beat Nick in four matches of tennis. Sorry Nick!”

On the upcoming Camp Rock 2 The Final Jam Tour: “They can expect a lot more music. Everything is bigger and better, the dance numbers have quadrupled in size, all the songs cover every genre of music so there is something for everyone and the characters get to pursue different interests that people have been waiting for.”

Radio Disney will continue to bring you all the music and cool prizes from Camp Rock 2 The Final Jam, so listen or go online RadioDisney.com for the latest

Alyson’s takeover airs TODAY, Wednesday, July 28 @ 3PM PT/6PM ET on Radio Disney!

Source: JustJaredJr.com

Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam Premiere in NYC Sweepstakes

If you are the Grand Prize winner of Radio Disney’s “Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam Premiere in NYC Games ” Sweepstakes, you could win a trip to New York City to attend the Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam Red Carpet Premiere!

Visit Radio Disney to learn more and to enter. Must be 16 or younger to enter. :/ Deadline is August 5. Good luck to anyone who enters.

Paul McCartney Rocks the White House

As a Beatle, Paul McCartney famously performed everywhere from Shea Stadium in New York to a rooftop in London. But it’s as the recipient of the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song that Sir Paul finally headlines the White House, playing his hits for President Obama and the First Family on In Performance at the White House (tonight, 8/7c, PBS). “Paul fills arenas and stadiums, so to transfer that electricity to the intimate setting of the East Room was a challenge,” says executive producer Peter Kaminsky.

Challenges aside—and despite the suits and ties—the concert still rocks out, thanks to tribute performances by a variety of artists. The Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl storms through Wings’ “Band on the Run,” Elvis Costello interprets “Penny Lane,” and the Jonas Brothers ignite “Drive My Car.”

“It was such an incredible experience. Paul has always been an inspiration and hero to us as a band and as songwriters,” says Joe Jonas, who ranks the JoBros’ latest trip to the White House as their “most memorable.”

Other performers include Faith Hill, Jack White and last year’s Gershwin honoree Stevie Wonder, who teams up with McCartney to reprise their 1982 duet, “Ebony and Ivory.”

Still, it’s McCartney who steals the show—and perhaps the First Lady’s heart. He dedicates the Beatles’ “Michelle” to Mrs. Obama, who is captured singing along with her husband and children. It’s that accessibility that is the appeal of McCartney’s catalog, Kaminsky believes. “Everyone in the audience, from the First Lady’s mom to their kids, all knew the Beatles’ songs,” he says. “It’s a common language that everyone speaks.”

Source: TV Guide via Seattle Post Intelligencer

The White House has posted the behind the scenes footage that we saw on cambio.com yesterday and provided a DOWNLOAD link.

“Paul McCartney: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song In Performance at the White House” taped on Tuesday, June 2 and airs on Wednesday, July 28 at 8 p.m. ET on PBS stations nationwide, followed by an encore presentation at 9:30 p.m. Check local listings. According to PBS, the entire episode will also be available online starting Thursday, July 29.