Butvinik Strikes Again: A Review of "The Jonas Brothers " at Agganis Arena

As my readers may know by now, I am a fan of all things Disney. I have been in the audience for “The Cheetah Girls,” “The Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Tour,” and even “High School Musical: The Ice Tour.” However, Disney’s latest franchise, The Jonas Brothers, left me with a bad taste in my mouth.



On the surface, the basic premise of the Jonas Brothers is fine. But when you consider that they are a trio of Christian/Punk crossover artists, something just doesn’t sit well in the ear.

It seems as though every time Nick Jonas wants to sing about Jesus, a corporate lawyer from Disney puts his hand over his mouth and forces him to sing about girls or heartbreak. It just didn’t make sense in many of their songs. One specific example stuck out so strangely, I almost laughed afterward. During a dramatic piano solo, the youngest Jonas tells a story about being diagnosed with Diabetes, and how he made a promise to ”himself.” Just replace that with “God,” and it would have been the same lil’ garage band that was old school Jonas.

Then there’s the fact that the littlest Jonas, Nick, (although die-hard fans will not hesitate to hound me about Frankie, the 11 year old “bonus Jonas”) seems to have lost all appreciation for the performance. During their disappointing 40 minute set, I never saw him smile. Not once. An entire auditorium of eight to fifteen year-old girls, and not even one grin! I tried to imagine myself on that stage, in front of an auditorium that sold out in less than fifteen minutes, and I just could not fathom how he could be so unhappy! (Lets not forget the fact that my seat cost $50). Cha-Ching!

The point I’m trying to make is that if Disney is going to continue to sell us dreams and fairy dust, the least they could do is sell the magic to the entertainers themselves. Unlike the other Disney-fied concerts and shows I’ve attended, The Jonas Brothers left me with a disappointed, bitter feeling, that still hasn’t left. I spent $50 to hear Disney peppiness pouring at me through giant speakers while sitting in an auditorium full of screaming pre-teen girls, and…well…I just ended up feeling like a pedophile at a Dashboard Confessional concert.

This unhappy reviewer wants his money back. On the bright side, I’m almost positive they weren’t lip-syncing. If that even matters, considering most people will stop listening soon enough.

I feel better now.

--Michael Butvinik

(Photo credit courtesy of Google image search.)