Subscribe
Follow Us
On paper, it is hard to believe that the Jonas Brothers' last tour — where, to my understanding, they played all of their albums in full each night — is less self-indulgent than their 2025 Greetings from Your Hometown Tour, which they brought to Hershey, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025.
For context, this is not an old head who thinks the Jonas Brothers can't even lace some legacy artist's boots (though the JoBros do take a lot from Bruce Springsteen's playbook, even down to their E Street Band-like backing group). I grew up with the boys on Disney Channel and on the radio.
But in 2025, a half-decade or so into their reunion, it feels like Nick, Joe, and Kevin Jonas are in deep need of another hiatus. Chalk it up to whatever you'd like — Greetings from Your Hometown being their fourth concert tour since their reunion and the past drama are both plausible options — they seemed oddly distant for a group that brings “JonasCon” on the road with them to these shows.
Money talks, and surely promoting the 20th anniversary of the Jonas Brothers with a tour was a no-brainer to some executives. However, considering they just celebrated their entire discography, Greetings from Your Hometown Tour seems like a redundant exercise, especially when they only played two songs from their latest album (which far surpasses The Album).
At the very least, they could have committed to the bit. The whole theme of the album barely leaves an impact on the show. Kevin Jonas said something to the effect of, “Tonight, I wanna make Hershey my hometown,” which he definitely has not told any other crowd.
It all seems like a missed opportunity for a band capable of much more. They always say to leave your audience wanting more, not less, when your show is over. It would be hard to act like two hours of the Jonas Brothers and a 20-minute set of Marshmello in the middle of it wasn't more than enough for a while.
The Jonas Brothers' 2025 Greetings from Your Hometown Tour review
After a rain delay, the Jonas Brothers took the stage around 8:35. They kicked off their show with the tour debut of “Rollercoaster” from Happiness Begins, a promising start.
However, the warning signs were there. “Rollercoaster” was the first of seven songs from the 26-song set from Happiness Begins and The Album, two of their weaker works.
Still, things got back on track when they played “Love Me to Heaven” from Greetings from Your Hometown. That is the most fun bop they have put out in a while.
Trouble in paradise?
Something still felt off as they played “Only Human” and “S.O.S.” Joe Jonas seemed particularly disinterested in performing that night. You could blame the tour managers for the itinerary, which has them playing several nights in a row, but he seemed distant.
In fact, all three brothers seemed distant throughout the show. Seeing them live reminds you time and time again that the Jonas Brothers really are Nick Jonas' band. It makes sense, since he has the best voice of the three (Joe believes he sings better than he actually does), but Kevin goes missing for long stretches.
After the first few songs, the brothers rarely shared the B-stage. It usually only featured one or two of the brothers as the other would walk up and down the ramp.
Years ago, it felt like the Jonas Brothers' whole schtick was their brotherly bond. Nowadays, they don't appear eager to perform together. Maybe Hershey was an off-night, but after hundreds of shows together recently, it wouldn't be surprising if this was par for the course.
The rocky setlist
Constructing a setlist is an art. Some legacy artists are able to play 40 songs that appease the casual and hardcore fans. The Jonas Brothers played some deep cuts, but all this did was lead to some awkward moments.
This may be due to them not having 10+ hit albums. Sure, they have lots of bops, but their deep cuts aren't on the level of someone with a stronger discography like Bob Dylan.
So, they played “Inseparable” and “Underdog,” which were both sign requests. The latter gets some credit, as a fan had Joe Jonas pick it via a paper fortune teller.
Later in the show, they brought out some of their idols, such as Cartel and Hoobastank, who both played their own hit songs. Between these guest appearances and the medley of Nick and Joe's solo songs (“Jealous”), the setlist felt jumbled. The hits would resume later, but these felt more like ego trips than anything.
Even if Nick and Joe are capable of writing solo music, playing this much of it on a Jonas Brothers tour feels misguided, just as the whole concept of this tour does.
How do Nick, Joe, and Kevin sound?
It dawns on you quickly that Nick is the star of the Jonas Brothers. His voice still remains good, though there are a few songs where his voice struggles to hit the notes he did 20 years ago (perhaps changing the capo will soon be needed).
Again, Joe tries at times, but his voice is nothing special. He looks so tuned out whenever the spotlight isn't on him. His voice has aged over the years, but not for the better.
And then you have Kevin, who rarely gets any time to shine. He is The Edge of this group — the biggest difference being he doesn't have signature guitar riffs or the same charm as the U2 guitarist.
Clearly, the Jonas Brothers are trying to capture some of the same magic as Bruce Springsteen, a fellow New Jersey icon, with their live shows. The imitations go as far as their backing band, which is trying to capture the magic of the E Street Band.
Unfortunately, they don't do that, though the backing band deserves credit for what they do. They're chasing greatness, though, and having a horns section doesn't put you on their level by default.
Should you see the Jonas Brothers on tour in 2025?
Fans of the Jonas Brothers have been patient with them, always indulging them in their ventures. There was genuine happiness when they came back in 2019. However, they seem destined for another hiatus in the near future.
They keep repackaging the same show and selling it as something else. The Jonas Brothers' 2025 tour feels like they didn't want to retread The Tour. So, instead, they overcompensated with guest spots (what was that Marshmello set?) and solo material that just doesn't land.
There is such a thing as too much of an artist. Perhaps the Jonas Brothers have spent too much time in the zeitgeist in recent years with their tours and album drops. The Greetings from Your Hometown concept is underbaked, and the brothers barely want to be there. Maybe all parties involved need a break that can end before the year 3000.
