Review: Yeah, we're a 'Sucker' for the Jonas Brothers in Seattle

One thing about me? I've been a fangirl for as long as I can remember.

My first concert was Backstreet Boys in 1999 at the Tacoma Dome; I have not been the same since. That core memory set me on a 24-year-long journey of loving boy bands — most notably, One Direction and the Jonas Brothers.

The Jonas Brothers — made up of brothers Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas — is a band formed in 2005 that gained popularity through the Disney Channel. They have found wild success over approximately two decades, even after a split in 2013 to pursue solo careers before coming back together in 2019.

After being a fan for most of my life, you could say 2023 has been my "full-circle moment" when it comes to the Jonas Brothers because not only did I get to interview Kevin in June, but I was lucky enough to attend their tour in Seattle Friday night.

Walking to my section, I passed a photo op Climate Pledge Arena put together that was essentially a re-creation of a bedroom covered in Jonas Brothers memorabilia and posters, which made me laugh because, at one point, my room looked exactly like that when I was in middle school. I was full of nostalgia before the show even started.

From the moment they appeared on the stage, the Jonas Brothers were electric, treating fans to a massive three-hour set, featuring approximately 60 songs from five of their studio albums.

"It's good to be back, to celebrate a near 20-year journey with you tonight by playing five albums starting with the first album of the evening, our self-titled album 'Jonas Brothers,' which came out in 2007 and changed our lives forever," Nick said. "But while we look back tonight at the past, what we are really doing is looking at the journey that got us to this moment right here, right now on Nov. 10, 2023, right here in Seattle, Washington. And last time I checked, it was Friday night, and it's time to turn this thing all the way up."

They didn't just pick a few songs from each album to perform; they essentially packed entire albums into 20-minute sections, flawlessly blessing us with their most popular hits and deep cuts. It was a mix of newer songs like "Waffle House," "What A Man Gotta Do" and "Sucker," their most iconic songs like "Lovebug," "Burnin' Up" and "S.O.S." and some surprises — like "Gotta Find You" from their Disney Channel Original Movie "Camp Rock" and their holiday song, "Like It's Christmas."

My favorite performance by far is not one I would have expected: "Summer Baby" from their most recent album, "THE ALBUM." I am not sure if I am just in my lover girl era or what, but from their vocals to the lyrics and melody, it was a vibe. Every album section was special in a way, but every song they performed from "THE ALBUM" hit different for me.

The trio, whose stage presence is undeniable, was accompanied by a large live band that kept the energy high from start to finish. Production was top tier — fireworks, flames, fake snow, colorful confetti, lights. You name it, they had it. It's no secret all three brothers are talented, but their mics were ON last night. Dare I say they sound better live than on their albums?

I have to make a disclaimer here: while Nick and Kevin are lovely, I have always been and always will be a Joe girl. Seeing him perform live only validated the choice I made in 2008 to be a Joe girl. I stand by it.

One thing I loved about the show was that they not only celebrated their journey together as a band. but celebrated each other's solo careers, as well. Nick performed his solo hit "Jealous," and Joe performed three songs from his time with DNCE, joined by his DNCE bandmates on stage, too. While we were all there to see the Jonas Brothers, I have to say, DNCE guitarist JinJoo Lee stole the show. Every time she was on stage, I couldn't take my eyes off her. She knows how to own a stage.

There were some fun and sweet fan interactions last night. According to social media, there was a marriage proposal at some point in the evening. Joe also did a fan's gender reveal — it's a girl, and the fan almost missed the reveal because she wasn't at her seat yet, but thankfully, she just barely made it. Another fan had a sign that said, "I beat cancer, and now we have the same hairdo," who was able to talk to them for a little. Another fan from Chile had a sign that said, "I learned English because of you," and told them that if she was ever going to be able to meet her favorite band, she had to learn English.

Another fan told the band that the show in Seattle was his 11th show of theirs and that he had come to the show alone.

"There is one problem with what you just said. You did not come alone, my friend. The Jonas family is in the house," Nick said to the fan. "It's pretty incredible to watch you sing every single word of every single song. You are a real one, and we appreciate you."

When you see one of your favorite bands live, you, of course, want them to perform your favorite song. Over the course of three hours, I was holding onto hope they would play "Leave Before You Love Me," their 2021 collab with EDM producer Marshmello. It happens to be my #11 most-played song of all time, so you can imagine my surprise when they ended the show with it.

I truly couldn't have asked for a better way to end a magical night.

Abby Luschei is Seattle Refined's assistant editor and digital producer. She can be reached at aluschei@seattlerefined.com. Follow her on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.