Venue: Fort Canning Park, Singapore
Date: 22nd October 2012
Promoter: LAMC Productions
Review by: Maisha G.
Special Thanks: Andre and the LAMC Productions team
Photos by Cliff Y. – Anna Maria Perez de Taglé & Jonas Brothers
The wait was finally over for many fans who awaited their arrival in our Little Red Dot we call home. Through the years, we’ve crooned and jived to their popular tunes constantly played on the Disney Channel. Not fogretting their popular comedy series ‘Jonas’ and their ever so popular debut movie ‘Camp Rock’ featuring Demi Lovato and many other uprising teenage stars, too.
I might sound like any other 15-year-old fan girl right about now even though it’s seven years overdue but these boys have always held a special place in the corner of my heart. I grew up listening to them and humming to their popular hits like ‘When You Look Me In The Eyes’ and ‘S.O.S’ and it has helped me lift my mood through the sad and whiny days of secondary school life. So the seven year long wait is finally over and I got to see them live, in hopes to bring out the 15 year old me back.
I can’t deny the fact that I felt really old and sort of bashful, walking into the concert venue as I see streams and streams of young girls with lanyard tags around their neck that says ‘VIP Pass’, queuing up to meet the boys for Meet & Greet. A part of me wanted to be in the queue but I had to keep my cool and not stick out like a sore thumb in the queue. I chuckled to myself as walked pass the queue and found a comfortable spot not too far away from the stage. From where I was standing, I could see a massive group of girls with perhaps three boys in the crowd, singing along to the music being played at the background while chanting ‘JO BROS’ with gusto. I, on the other hand, was just warming out to the enthusiasm of the crowd as I made attempts to yell out to the band as well.
The night started with a bang! Anna Perez who opened the concert night gave the boys in the crowd a reason to stay as she serenaded us with her own renditions of “Only Girl In The World” by Rihanna and she also sang a hit from her favourite artist, as she mentioned on stage before she broke out to “Summer after High School when we first met, we make out in your Mustang to Radiohead….”, the crowd grew louder as she belted out the notes to Katy Perry’s popular number, “The One That Got Away”. Just as I thought she was only singing covers, she surprised the crowd with an original titled ‘Insomnia’ as she struts around the stage, flashing her moves as the sequins on her outfit shimmered giving her performance a one not to be forgotten though it was only for half an hour. She made the crowd all the more jumpy and impatient for the main act of the night.
With Queen’s “We Will Rock You” playing in the background, the supporting band made their way to the stage and the crowd roared, beckoning the contagious screams of teenage girls screaming out for Nick, Joe, and Kevin. The crowd went literally wild as teenage girls exchanged looks of major fangirling moments and shed tears of joy having pined for years to see their favourite trio perform right in front of their very eyes. I was grinning from ear to ear and maintaining my cool but the 15 year old me was jumping inside. I must say though, I was really proud that I was containing myself upon seeing the glorious three standing before me. Those years of listening to their songs on the radio and replaying their “Burnin’ Up” video umpteen times, I was headed for the best night of my inner 15 year old self’s life!
They broke out to a popular favourite, as the fans continued screaming and humming all the same as the music started. Overly excited as they broke into the chorus, and I too, sang out “When you look me in the eyes, tell me that you love me. You make me feel alright, when you’re right here by my side” with the fans. Memories of yesteryears came flowing in as I reminisce about the times I’ll sing my heart out to this song as a 15 year old teenage girl, still discovering her options in life. I tapped my heart and felt the happiness I haven’t felt for quite a while. The night had only just begun.
As the night started, Joe spoke into the microphone and said “we’re gonna play some old stuff for tonight”. The streams of fangirls cheered non-stop, as though their lungs were filled with ample air for them to be yelling and screaming at the top of their voice, in a good way that is.
“Goodnight And Goodbye” had the crowd dancing to the beat as the night transcended to a close acoustic set with Joe singing “Everytime I think I’m closer to the heart, of what it means to know just who I am”, I, a 22 year OLD girl, screamed my lungs out. The song that was made popular by the Disney movie “Camp Rock”. That song, that one song that accompanied me through rough days, long bus rides, and stressful physics revision was being played, live and what’s more commendable was they managed to strip down the set with a very good transition. I couldn’t contain myself, I knew the only right thing to do was to sing my heart out. And I did, and I never felt more alive. It was ‘rejuvenating’, in a different prospect, something that I can’t really seem to put a finger to it.
That soon led to them singing their own songs as Joe sang his popular track from his solo album, titled ‘Just In Love’, which swept the girls across Fort Canning Park off their feet. The backdrop screen was playing a familiar video as Nick took the microphone and sang “I want someone to love me / For who I am”. The song that inspired many, Nick, being a victim of diabetes himself, aims to create awareness amongst people that others should accept us for who we are and not change anything about us. A deep thoughtful insight transposed into a song that took over like a storm.
They also played tracks from their new album, all of which sounded really promising and forward looking. I seem to really enjoy it, as I was skeptical it would give a passé vibe but I was deeply mistaken and I can’t wait for what’s in store for us in the near future when the album’s released.
I was chanting “S.O.S” in my head as the night grew closer to its end, after swaying my body from side to side, singing, or more like screaming along to “Lovebug”, such a light hearted tune that drew scenes of a vast green pastures littered with daffodils, clad in a sundress, playing a guitar and humming to the song. Such imaginations were running through my head; I felt like I was in another place.
As Kevin started strumming the guitar to the all familiar riff, I knew I was ready to dance my heart out to “S.O.S” as we broke into the chorus “Ooooh, this is an S.O.S, don’t want a second guess, this is the bottom line, it’s true”. The crowd – even the boys and men – were caught singing their hearts out while moving their bodies in what I call, a very funky manner but nonetheless, no one in the crowd stood still. My favourite line has got to be “Next time I see you I’m giving you a high five / Cause hugs are overrated just FYI”. I went bonkers when Joe sang that line!
The night came to an end as they left their instruments but the crowd begged for an encore because the night won’t be complete without them performing the crowd’s utmost favourite single, “Burnin’ Up”. I was screaming at the top of my lungs, “ENCORE! BURNIN’ UP! ENCOREEEEEE!”
The supporting band came back on stage, as the drummer hit the bass drums and keyboardist teasing us, playing a song familiar to each and everyone in the crowd. Joe came storming out from the back stage and sang “I’m hot, you’re cold”. I screamed as loud as I can and was jumping around like a Mexican Jumping Bean; I couldn’t really contain myself. It was THE song of the night. The song that got me through the stress of A Levels. This is the song that commemorated my teen life as a whole. I sang to the lyrics of from the first note right till the very end.
I almost forgot about my 22-year-old self as I was busy reliving my 15 year old me that night. That night took away the normal gigs I would usually mosh to or body surf to. That night brought out the girly girl in me and I’m not embarrassed of that at all because I was truly and honestly happy. This was definitely top 5 on my list of best bands/best nights of my life.
Thank you LAMC Productions for making dreams of 15-year-old girls’ and mine, an overdue 15 year old self, dreams came true and for allowing me to relive my teenage fantasies.