Published: August 13, 2008 04:46 pm            

MUSIC: Jonas Brothers blitz Darien Lake

If 2007 was the year of Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus, 2008 might be the year of the Jonas Brothers.

It seems, at least, the teen-aged pop-rock act seems to have all the pieces in place for a breakthrough of “Montana-mental” proportions.

Having completed a successful first tour as a headlining act this past winter and spring, the career of the Jonas Brothers kicks into high gear this summer with a run of headlining shows at outdoor amphitheater dates, including the group’s Friday concert at the Darien Lake Performing Arts Center.

The tour comes on the heels of the debut of the first Jonas Brothers movie, “Camp Rock,” which aired June 20-21 on the Disney Channel, while the same channel continues to air the reality show mini-episodes, “Living the Dream,” which follows three brothers — Nick, 15, Kevin, 20, and Joe, 18 — on tour.

The group’s new CD, “A Little Bit Longer” was released Tuesday. Plans also call for filming to begin this fall on a new Disney Channel series, “J.O.N.A.S,” which will feature the brothers playing spies in this action comedy. Down the road, a book and a 3-D concert movie are in the group’s plans.

In an early June teleconference interview, Kevin Jonas said the group relishes its mushrooming success and exposure, despite its challenges.

“It’s really crazy,” he said. “But it’s a lot of fun ... we’re enjoying every minute of what we do. The schedule we keep is demanding, but it’s definitely an amazing experience. We really enjoy going on the road as much we are able to. And being able to get out and about around Europe and see all of those amazing things as well is just incredible.”

The momentum for the group began to build when it landed the opening slot on last fall’s monumental Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus tour. Those arena shows sold out in minutes, and the unprecedented demand for tickets allowed resellers to fetch upwards of $3,000 for some seats.

The Jonas Brothers’ self-titled second CD, meanwhile, has sold more than 1 million copies since its release in August 2007.

But while the recent rise of the Jonas Brothers has been quick, it took a little while for the sibling trio, which grew up in Wyckoff, N.J., to get the ball rolling on their career.

Originally signed by Columbia Records, the Jonas Brothers’ 2006 debut CD, “It’s About Time,” was in the works for nearly three years before it was released. In fact, it originally was going to be a solo project for Nick Jonas, who had performed in several Broadway musicals.

But when songs written by all three brothers began to get submitted for the CD, Columbia shifted gears and decided to turn the album into a group project.

“It’s About Time” made only a modest commercial impact, and before making the self-titled second CD, the group split with Columbia and signed with Disney’s Hollywood Records. Soon the Jonas Brothers, who all participated in the teleconference, were being groomed to be the next superstar teen act.

The Jonas Brothers, though, is a different kind of teen act — one that is more like Hanson than ‘N Sync or the Backstreet Boys.

Kevin Jonas said this might be one reason the group is succeeding at a time when, with exception of Cyrus, the teen pop scene has fallen out of the spotlight.

“I think for us, since we’re there from the beginning with the writing of the songs through the production, it just becomes a different experience,” he said. “This music really is us. It’s not, like, a manufactured version.”

The Jonas Brothers’ sound, as well, is a bit different than many of the hugely successful teen pop acts. Where ‘N Sync and the Backstreet Boys leaned toward a urban-influenced dance-pop sound and other groups, such as 98 Degrees, specialized in vocal-based light pop, the Jonas Brothers have more of a power pop sound.

For “A Little Bit Longer,” the brothers have even hinted that the new songs have influences such as Elvis Costello, the Beatles, the Animals and the Rascals filtering into the music.

They emphasized, though, that “A Little Bit Longer” isn’t a major departure from the second CD.

“We’re thrilled with this record,” Joe Jonas said. “It’s kind of a continuation of the Jonas Brothers’ self-titled record. It’s definitely not a completely different change in any means, but this record was definitely been inspired by some of the artists we look up to, like some Prince and Elvis Costello influences and a little piece of funk (getting) into some songs. So we’re very thrilled for the audience to hear it.”

The new CD, the move into movies and the “J.O.N.A.S.” TV series figure to introduce the Jonas Brothers to new fans, although so far, the transition into acting hasn’t been that drastic. In “Camp Rock,” the Jonas Brothers, with Joe Jonas in the lead, portray a pop band.

The “J.O.N.A.S.” series, though, may require more acting skill from the siblings, although it, too, has a band element. In the series, the Jonas Brothers play government operatives who stop evil while working undercover as a rock band.

The show the group plays on this summer’s tour, Nick Jonas noted, is considerably different than the one fans saw this winter in arenas.

“It’s definitely going to be a different show,” he said. “We get to play a lot of brand new material from our (new) record. And we’re going to be adding some brand new staging things. It’s a whole new production and, of course, it going to be outside in amphitheaters and so it will have a summer vibe and we can’t wait for everyone to come out.”

Alan Sculley is a St. Louis-based freelance writer.



IF YOU GO

* WHAT: Jonas Brothers concert

* WHEN: 7 p.m. Friday

* WHERE: Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, 9993 Allegany Road, Darien Center

* MORE INFORMATION: Call (585) 599-4641

        

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