Monday, May 05, 2008


Jonesing for Jonas

If you have a daughter above the age of five, who watches the Disney channel, then you most likely have heard of the teen singing sensation, the Jonas Brothers. And, if by some rare chance you have not, pay attention. They are a female addiction just waiting to happen.

From the playgrounds of the elementary schools, to the halls at New Canaan High – and Lord knows everywhere else in the country – girls are going gaga for New Jersey-raised brothers Nick, Joe and Kevin. I think the Jonas Brothers are to our daughters what the Beatles once were to those of us of a certain age (and for those younger mommies, think David Cassidy?). They are swoon-worthy, they are energetic, and they are sweet-sounding young musicians. And I know New Canaan has been bitten by the Jonas bug.

I spied quite a number of you at their recent concert up at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport. And don’t deny it – even you were held in the brothers’ thrall. They are quite the act on stage: PG, with just a hint of PG-13. It was difficult to actually hear their vocals at times during the concert, what with all the insanely high-decibel screaming going on all around, but judging from the CD which plays non-stop in our car, the boys have decent pipes.

My daughter became a fanatic a year ago, and as the Jonas Brothers have grown into more and more of a phenomenon (singing the national anthem at the White House this Easter, performing in Times Square on New Year’s Eve, on “Dancing with the Stars” and “Jimmy Kimmel, Live” to name just a few appearances), her fandamonium has grown exponentially. It’s a little scary to observe sometimes, but it’s fascinating all the same. They bring such a strong smile of joy and rapture to her face that it’s hard to deny her. And so I have become an enabler and a fan all at once! (Perhaps that fact is scarier than the depth of her passion!)

In just three month’s time, I have taken her to see them four – count ‘em – four times. My husband has seen the Allman Brothers, Radiohead, and Los Lobos during this time span; me – three moppy haired Jersey boys. Last week I literally injured my forearm sprinting down our stairs to get to the computer in order to purchase tickets for their upcoming summer concert tour. I missed some of my beloved “American Idol” to catch them singing on “Dancing with the Stars.” And I awoke at 4:00 a.m. this past Good Friday to drive her and her equally-addicted friend, Madison, to catch a 5:00 a.m. train into the city so that they could attempt to see the boys perform on CBS’ “The Early Show.” (That mission was not accomplished, unless one counts seeing their tour bus parked outside of the Hard Rock CafĂ© in Times Square; trust me – they counted it!)

It seems these lads have staying power and a brother for every age: Nick is 15, Joe, 18 and Kevin is 20. There is even a “Bonus Jonas,” seven-year-old brother, Frankie, although he doesn’t perform with his older siblings. And there could be worse things for our daughters to be obsessed with or addicted to, right? These guys are safe without being saccharine, tame without being lame, and “that’s just the way they roll.”

Janet has to get her fix everyday. I’d rather it be Joe Jonas than a joint; Nick over nicotine and Kevin rather than kegs. Long live the Jon-i!