Joe Jonas / Jay Sean Tour feat JoJo – REVIEW

On Joe Jonas’s solo tour, he came to the House of Blues in Chicago. With him came Jay Sean and JoJo. You can check out our review after the break.

As always, the House of Blues leant itself to a great time on Monday night when JoJo, Jay Sean and Joe Jonas took over. The three artists dazzled fans in what was an impressive night of music.

JoJo, the first act, opened with the song “Leave (Get Out)” that you might remember coming from a little girl with a big voice in the early 2000’s. The voice is bigger than ever, and JoJo now 20, is back with a fresh look and edgier sound.  She walked on stage with black hair, wearing a leotard and cute bronze cropped jacket. Her new look not only oozed confidence, but gave the audience an introduction to the revamped JoJo.

“Marvin’s Room (Can’t Do  Better)” was second in JoJo’s set. The darker R&B song sounded considerably different than the sounds and lyrics of the previous song. Her take on the hit single with the same name by Drake definitely showcased the more mature image she’s personifying while also demonstrating her range. Next, she performed her new single “Disaster” that hit the radio August 29. She sang passionately and commanded attention—everyone’s eyes were fixated on her and hung on each lyric. She closed the set with the familiar tune “Too Little Too Late” that had everyone singing along.

She seemed excited to be performing live again, to be a part of this tour, and about releasing new music. The five-song set was a great teaser of things to come. Look for JoJo’s new album called “Jumping Trains” set for an early 2012 release.

Coming on next was Jay Sean who gave a different performance than the proceeding act. The addition of his DJ really amped the crowd. He prepped everyone with Pitbull’s current radio smash “Give Me Everything” featuring Ne-Yo and even the stage lights had some extra intensity. Almost instantly the vibe turned from concert to dance party. He came out and went right into “Do You Remember.” Jay Sean in combination with the light effects, DJ and live band was awesome.

Jay Sean informed everyone that he had been terribly sick prior to the show and was fearful that he wouldn’t be able to perform in Chicago. I truly don’t think anyone would have guess he was ill hours before taking the stage. His swagger was on point. Jay Sean’s fluid and silky voice was consistent through all of his songs, but especially during “Ride It” and “Eyes on You.” When he performed the more fast-paced songs like “Hit the Lights” and “2012 (It Ain’t the End)” with such intensity the audience couldn’t help but have a good time.

His set was a little unconventional; he explained in his native London accent, that he wanted to give the crowd more than a playlist of Jay Sean songs that you could download at home. He wanted to make things interesting… And he did. Jay Sean introduced what he called “turn-tables from the future” that he used to remix a fan’s name. He also impressed everyone as he beat-boxed and wrapped label-mate Lil Wayne’s “A Milli.” It was a lot of fun to watch Jay Sean, the entertainer. The last song he performed was “Down” and not a single person was standing still. The audience rapped Lil Wayne’s part over the recording and you could feel it in the air that everyone was having a good time. When he was finished the energy level was through the roof.

Finally, Joe Jonas took the stage to debut his solo material. He opened with “Love Slayer” and the lyrics summed up his set. Over the star-struck and screaming fans he sang, “I came to dance, I’m about to touch the town. I came to lift my hands; I came to shut this thing down.” He touched Chicago and gave the audience a performance they won’t be quick to forget.

His sound is a little different than what you’ve heard from him in the past. His new single “Just in Love” especially has richer, R&B tones and when he slowed things down with the ballad “Sorry” he showed what his voice was really capable of. The emotional song about breaking someone’s heart was beautiful. Then there was the more electronic, dubstep style song “Kleptomaniac” that had a very current sound. It was in line with recent Britney Spears and Cobra Starship singles. Everyone lost control during that song and danced like crazy. It was one of my favorites of the night and I had stuck in my head the whole way home from the.

The mere mention of his equally popular brothers made girls shriek with excitement. A lot of people wondered if he would perform Jonas Brothers’ songs or not so he could distinguish himself from the family band that made him famous. He, however, embraced the group and sandwiched two JoBros songs between his own songs. It was almost impossible to hear Jonas over his fans who were belting out the lyrics to shortened versions of “Hello Beautiful” and “Burnin’ Up.” Everyone was very pleased.

When Jonas reappeared for an encore he had lost his blazer and brought roses for four lucky fans in close enough proximity to the stage. As he threw roses into the crowd he closed the show with a cover of Chris Brown’s “Beautiful People” and his solo debut track “See No More.” It had such a huge sound in comparison to everything else performed, and it made for an explosive ending to the night. Joe Jonas has true star power. He works it on stage, knowing how to engage the fans and live up to his heartthrob status. His songs were faintly reminiscent of a younger Justin Timberlake starting out his own solo career. Joe Jonas’ album “Fastlife” comes out October 11.

Information about the review…
Tour: Joe Jonas / Jay Sean Tour feat JoJo
Reviewer: Alexandra McMillin
Artists: Joe Jonas, Jay Sean and JoJo
Date: September 12, 2011
Venue: House of Blues in Chicago, IL