Something you may not know about me is that I am a huge fan of the Jonas Brothers. I mean, not anymore, really, but when I was in fifth and sixth grade, I was OBSESSED. You can't blame me, though, because it's pretty much a rule that all middle-schoolers must be obsessed with whatever boy band is popular at the moment. So when I was eleven, I was totally in love with Kevin, Joe, and Nick. I was doodled their names on my notebooks at school and was convinced that I was going to marry one of them (probably Nick). I had a phase where I loved each of them. I began with a Nick phase, and then I moved on to Joe for about a year, and I even had a short Kevin phase before he announced to the world that he was in a relationship and was getting married blah blah blah, so I of course had to move on to one of the available brothers. But I eventually came back to Nick, because hello, it's Nick Jonas!
Anyway, so when I was eleven, I wanted more than anything to go to a Jonas Brothers concert. I'd never been to a concert before, so I wanted them to be my very first concert. But whenever they came anywhere close to me, I either couldn't afford tickets or I didn't hear about the show in time or the tickets sold out in .02 seconds and I couldn't get one. I remember watching friends and friends-of-friends go off to Jonas Brothers concerts, while I sat home feeling extremely jealous. And then, once I grew up a little and moved on from my Jonas Brothers obsession (I then started obsessing over Twilight, so I'm not sure if that's better or worse) I sort of forgot about how badly I wanted to go to a Jonas Brothers concert. And then they sort of disappeared for three years, and I used that time to actually grow up and start obsessing over what I think are much better things, like books. I still listened to the occasional JoBro song, which was fun because it allowed me to feel all nostalgic and long for my youth and all that, but I was over my initial love of them.
But then, after their little disappearance, they came back. I'm sixteen now, and I haven't truly loved the Jonas Brothers in about four years, but when they announced a New Jersey tour date, I was so excited. When I was eleven and I wanted the Jonas Brothers to be my first concert, I assumed that I would then go to a bunch of concerts, and by the time I was sixteen, I would have been to countless concerts. Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way, and so there I was, sixteen years old, and I had yet to go to a concert.
So I bought tickets to the Jonas Brothers concert, expecting to be able to sort of relive my childhood and fulfill that dream I had at eleven years old of seeing the Jonas Brothers perform live. I went with my mom and sisters and two friends, all former JoBro fangirls, and I think it's safe to say that we had a pretty awesome time.
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| our friends Bronia and Katie, me, my sister Lauren |
We got to the venue and it was insanely crowded with teenage girls, all the people who'd been obsessed with the JoBros when they were in middle school. My friends and I all started getting super excited, and it felt like we had transformed into a bunch of twelve-year-olds again. We paid way too much money for t-shirts that we don't actually need, but they have the Jonas Brothers' faces on it so IT'S TOTALLY WORTH IT.
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| me and my sister Sara |
It was such a surreal experience for me. Here I was, years after I'd given up on my dreams of seeing the Jonas Brothers in concert, finally at a Jonas Brothers concert. It didn't feel like I was sixteen anymore. It felt like I was in fifth grade again, rocking out in my room to their first album.
I think it's amazing that music can do that, you know? I don't think any other form of media can really have that effect on people. A single song can take me back to a specific moment in time, and a concert can take me back to a whole period of my life. And that period of my life wasn't exactly something I wanted to relive. In a lot of ways, being eleven sucked. I was spending time with "friends" that I would end up never talking to again after sixth grade, my parents were going through a rough divorce, I cared way too much about what others thought of me and I cared way too much about being popular and getting people to like me. Also, I let those "friends" convince me that reading was not cool, so it was clearly a bit of a dark time in my life.
But being eleven was also better than being sixteen in a lot of ways. The world seemed simpler and smaller and I was an innocent kid, blah blah blah. I mean, everyone longs for their childhood, right? Being at that concert made me feel like a kid again, and it was an amazing feeling. I've changed a lot since the days I used to sleep in a room covered in Jonas Brothers posters, and mostly those changes have been good, but it was nice to get a reminder of what I was like back then. I think a good dose of nostalgia is necessary every so often.
The thing that surprised me the most about the concert is that I wasn't there just because I'd loved the Jonas Brothers as a child. You know what? I still think they're good! I love their old music that I used to listen to, and I also really enjoyed what I heard of their new stuff that will be released on their new album. They're really talented performers, in my opinion, and they make good music. Also they're SOO CUTE OMG OMG. Like, wow. I was surprised at how attractive I think they are. They've grown up so much since I used to be obsessed with them, and they've only gotten cuter! Especially Nick. I walked out of that concert giggling like an idiot because I think I've fallen in love with Nick Jonas all over again. Even my mom was like "HOLY CRAP THAT BOY IS SUPER ATTRACTIVE." So yes. That was fun.
I've spent the last few days listening to Jonas Brothers songs and feeling nostalgic and it's been great. I'm so glad I finally got the opportunity to experience them in concert.
As for you guys, I'm curious about what bands/artists/musicians YOU were obsessed with when you were in middle school! Was it just a phase or do you still love them? And do you have any fun concert memories? Let me know in the comments! We can all reminisce together. :)
Hahaha, when I was in middle school you were...being born? It was an amazing time for pop. On the one hand, you had Britney Spears and the rival boy bands (BSB, N*SYNC, and the often-forgotten 98 Degrees) but on the other hand you had all the "alternapop" bands (my true loves) ranging from SmashMouth on the most upbeat side to Third Eye Blind on the most bummer-y side. Plus: The Spice Girls! The theme from Titanic! The MACARENA, for Pete's sake!
ReplyDeleteWhat I've found is that even songs I thought were stupid then (MMMbop? Barbie Girl?) have become irresistible 15+ years later. My playlist of songs from the late '90s is my go-to if I want to get my same-age friends singing and dancing and having a blast. It's not even that middle school was an awesome time for me or anyone I know, but the music brings back only the fun memories.
I haven't heard much of their new music but I really loved their old music. Funny because I didn't know any of their songs until my friend downloaded entire albums onto my iPod and I just started listening. And it was great! Honestly, I think I'm going to have to lend her my iPod more often! My faves would probably be Can't Have You and Pushin' Me Away, and of course BB Good is always fun!
ReplyDeleteBesides the JoBros though, I also had a HUGE Jesse McCartney phase. I would seriously scream every time he came on the telly. But after his last album, I was a bit disappointed. So I haven't really been listening to his music lately but put on Beautiful Soul and you can still expect some dancing!