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JonasCon: 20 Years of Jonas Brothers
- LJ Portnoy
- Mar 29
- 14 min read
Nineteen Years Later, Not Much Has Changed
By LJ Portnoy | Editor-in-Chief
Contributions by Rebecca McDevitt
November 26, 2006.
The air was cold. I was thirteen, standing in the front row at the Michigan State Fairgrounds, pressed up against the barricade. My first concert. My favorite band. The Jonas Brothers. It had cost five dollars to get in. T-Squad and Nuttin' But Stringz opened the Radio Disney showcase, but nothing could prepare me for what happened after the set.I met them. Right outside by the tour bus. No flashy lights. No photo pit. No photographer. Just three boys, a dream, and a moment that would unknowingly shape the next two decades of my life.
Nineteen years later, not much has changed.
Except now, I'm not just a fan in the front row — I'm photographing the band I grew up with, capturing moments for the very magazine my friend and fellow photographer, Rebecca, and I built together. What started as a shared love of music and storytelling has evolved into SoundCheck Mag, and JonasCon wasn't just a fan event. For me, it was the moment everything came full circle.
Rebecca’s First Show - The Moments That Shaped Her
“I remember everything about that day,” Rebecca said, her voice warm with the kind of nostalgia that sits right behind your eyes. “It was freezing. Like, numb-your-fingers kind of cold. But I didn’t care. I got there at 7 a.m. with nothing but a hoodie, a poster that said ‘I <3 Joe,’ and this buzzing feeling that something big was going to happen.”
It was December 3, 2006 — her very first Jonas Brothers concert. The Theatre of Living Arts in Philly. Seventeen-dollar tickets, a 1 p.m. showtime, and the kind of magic only a teenage heart can truly recognize. She waited outside for hours, tucked into a line of other hopeful girls who believed in something they couldn’t quite name — something bigger than just three boys with instruments.
“I ended up in the second or third row,” she laughed. “I don’t think I blinked once during the set. They were right there — and I just kept thinking, ‘This is everything.’”
Somewhere in the swirl of that day, she met Chris Koon — a name every elder-Jonas fan knows. She was even invited to an after-party but never went. Not because she didn’t want to, but
because what mattered most had already happened.
“That show changed something in me,” she said softly. “It was the beginning of it all.”
Now, almost twenty years later, she’s not the girl holding a sign. She’s behind the lens — camera in hand, heart full — documenting the very band that shaped her. The little girl who froze outside the TLA in 2006 never left. She just grew up, found her voice, and made her way back — a little closer, a little stronger, and this time, telling the story in her own way.
JonasCon - Coming Full Circle
“Honestly, I didn’t go in with expectations,” Rebecca said. “I just wanted to shoot some photos and have fun with my favorite band. That was it.”
But sometimes the most unexpected moments hit the hardest.
One of the most emotional highlights came not from the stage, but from a quiet room tucked inside the activation space — where fans could line up, preview clips from Joe’s upcoming solo album, and browse limited-edition merch. Rebecca was one of the lucky few who got to hear a snippet of Constellation, a brand new track from the album releasing this May.
“Even just hearing part of it… it got to me,” she said. “It’s a completely new sound for Joe — really emotional, a little haunting. I almost cried. I wasn’t ready for it.”
The moment was fleeting — just a glimpse — but powerful in its intimacy. A whisper of what’s to come, shared only with those standing in that space. The kind of moment that anchors a memory deeper than you expect.
What began as a day to shoot and enjoy quickly turned into something deeper — emotional, chaotic, joyful. The crowd was buzzing with memories and screams, elder emos and Gen Zs all tangled together in the same heartbeat.
“We were all there for the same reason — to celebrate something that’s been part of our lives for over half of it,” she said. “That doesn’t happen often. That kind of connection. That kind of legacy.”
Rebecca attended both Sky Stage Sessions, but the second one stood out the most — especially when All-American Rejects took the stage.
“I’m such an elder emo,” she laughed. “Hearing Move Along live after all that Jonas Brother emotion? It was everything.”
The chaos of the con — the laughter, the crowd, the shared history — only made the day more powerful. There were moments of deep reflection tucked between snapping photos and capturing Reel content. She even met a fan named Pau who had flown all the way from Costa Rica just to be there.
“It reminded me how global this community is. We’re all carrying different memories, different favorite songs — but we’re united by the same love for these guys. It was kind of overwhelming, in the best way.”
Thanks to a team member, Rebecca and I ended up with VIP bracelets for the second Sky Stage session — a small, surreal behind-the-scenes moment that reminded us just how far we’ve come.
“That girl at the TLA in 2006 wouldn’t believe this,” Rebecca said. “I was there with my best friend, photographing my favorite band, building something we created from scratch. It felt like a full-circle moment — and it’s only the beginning.”
The Sky Stage Was Heaven
Before the quiet intensity of Joe’s solo album preview — before the sneak peek of Constellation made us both stop in our tracks — the day began with pure, joyful chaos on the Sky Stage.
Saturday, March 23, 2025 – Rutherford, NJ
We arrived at the American Dream Mall by 5:45 a.m., clutching our camera bags and caffeine, buzzing with a strange mix of adrenaline and disbelief. This wasn’t just another convention. This was JonasCon — a one-day celebration of the Jonas Brothers’ 20-year anniversary. And we weren’t just attending. We were documenting it.
By 7:30 a.m., we were through security — all our professional gear approved (thank you, Hank). Around 8:50, the gates to the Sky Stage opened, and we stepped into the audience area, hearts racing.
Big Rob kicked things off with a panel hosted by Chicks in the Office, and when the crowd called for it, he gave us a surprise a cappella performance of Burnin’ Up. Iconic doesn’t even begin to describe the moment — hearing that voice, live, in 2025? It was like someone hit rewind and fast-forward at the same time. Timeless and brand new all at once.
Next came Franklin Jonas, relaxed and magnetic, performing with Harper Grace. Their newly released single IDK was both fresh and nostalgic — a little elder emo, a little country-pop, and a whole lot of soul. Harper’s vocals absolutely soared, and Franklin’s grounded presence proved the Jonas bloodline carries more than just fame — it carries talent.
By noon, Kevin, Nick, and Joe took the stage for their first panel — another Chicks in the Office interview — and the crowd erupted. Cameras up. Hearts pounding. They were just feet in front of us, and somehow, it still didn’t feel real.
The meditation ended, our eyes blinked open — and there they were.
The Jonas Brothers.
There’s no other way to describe it: it was magic.
The kind of magic that lives in the pit of your stomach, tied to years of posters on bedroom walls, burned CDs, and late-night MySpace messages — which, in our case, is where this whole story really began.
“We met on MySpace,” Rebecca laughed. “Back when you could rank your Top 8 and decorate your profile with glittery gifs and autoplay music. That’s how it started. Talking about these boys. Sharing edits, lyrics, dreams. We didn’t know it then, but that was the beginning of Soundcheck.”
So when Kevin, Nick, and Joe finally took the stage and started to play, it wasn’t just a concert. It was a full-circle moment — for the band, for the fans, and for us.
Earlier that morning, sometime around 10 a.m., we got an email — we’d been selected to submit fan-generated content directly to the Jonas Brothers’ team.
It wasn’t an official press assignment. There were no photo passes, no front-row access. We were just two girls with cameras, standing in the crowd like everyone else — except now, we had a purpose. We’d been invited to tell the story, and we weren’t going to waste the opportunity.
“When I read the email, I just froze,” Rebecca said. “Like… they picked us? Us? It changed everything.”
Every photo we took after that felt charged. Intentional. Like we were capturing not just a performance, but a legacy. We weren’t just screaming fans anymore — we were storytellers, and this was our story to tell.
There was a rhythm to it — click, sing, scream, click — as they moved across the stage with the same charm that captured every girl in the room’s heart back in 2007, except now, we were women behind the lens. Still in awe. Still believing.
“They’re still ours,” I remember thinking. “And we’re still theirs.”
That Sky Stage performance was more than just a set. It was a bridge — between who we were, and who we’ve become. Between fan and creator.
Between MySpace, and Soundcheck Mag.
These Songs Raised Us
The Sky Stage morning set was a blur of chords, harmonies, and history — about eight songs total, ranging from crowd-igniting classics like Burnin’ Up to newer releases like Leave Before You Love Me and Love Me to Heaven. It was short, high-energy, and unforgettable.
But it was later in the day, during the general admission performance, that the emotional gut-punch hit.
We weren’t inside the venue for that one — instead, we stood just a few feet away, watching the livestream on a nearby screen tucked inside the fan-inspired merch area of the mall. But when the opening notes of Time for Me to Fly and 7:05 began, it didn’t matter where we were.
Those songs stopped me cold.
“I hadn’t heard them live since 2006,” I whispered. And suddenly, I wasn’t 31 with a camera anymore. I was thirteen, barefoot in my bedroom, scribbling lyrics in the margins of my homework. Burning CDs for my best friends. Crying over AIM away messages.
They weren’t just songs — they were pieces of my past. And somehow, even through a livestream, they found their way back to me.
“I wasn’t just singing along,” I thought. “I was healing.”
Music has a way of tethering you to who you were, and who you’re becoming. Even through a screen. Even from a mall hallway.
After the Sky Stage performance, the day was far from over — in fact, it felt like it had just begun. We stepped off the concert high and onto the convention floor, where the energy of the fanbase pulsed through every corner of the American Dream Mall.
From the Jonas Beach poolside sessions (yes, fans really showed up ready to swim in 40-degree March weather — indoors, of course) to interactive activation games like the Jonas Escape Room and Jonas Mini Golf, it was clear this event wasn’t just about nostalgia. It was a love letter to every fan who’s been there since the first chords of Mandy graced our ears.
Even though I didn’t make it through the escape room or golf course myself, just seeing the effort and creativity poured into every station made me emotional. It wasn’t just well-designed — it was thoughtful. They thought of everything. They thought of us.
Every inch of the convention screamed connection, legacy, and celebration.
Fans Flew In From Everywhere — And We Spoke to Them All
We brought our cameras, but our real goal was to capture the heart of the fandom — not just through images, but through their stories. And they came ready.
Some of our favorite conversations came from fans who had traveled from all over the world — Australia, New York, Hawaii… and even Costa Rica.
“I flew in from Hawaii to go to JonasCon and it was the best day of my life!” said Taylor. “Getting to spend an entire day dedicated to the band I have loved since I was 14 meant the world to me.”
“If you would've told 14-year-old me that one day I'd spend 14 hours at a mall living out all of my Jonas hopes and dreams, I'd never have believed you,” Lindsey shared. “JonasCon was truly a fantastic experience. What a way to kick off their 20-year anniversary.”
Then there was Pau, who traveled from Costa Rica — and whose story left a lasting impression. She didn’t just make the trip for JonasCon. A few months earlier, on October 12, 2023, Pau was invited backstage by the Jonas Brothers themselves.
“That day changed me,” she said. “They knew who we were. Where we came from. What we do. It was crazy. It put something inside of me.”
She carried that moment into JonasCon — living proof of what this fandom can manifest. Her story wasn’t just about getting to meet them. It was about the connection, the recognition, and the deep emotional validation of being seen by the very people who shaped your youth.
Other fans shared memories that spanned decades:
“My favorite memory is meeting my best friend on MySpace. We’ve been messaging for 16 years,” one fan told us. Another added, “My best friend upgraded our tickets in Albany to B-stage, and I lost my mind — like, slowly falling down crying.”
“I brought a birdhouse to the concert in 2009 because Kevin once said he wanted one,” someone else laughed. “And I got to give it to him. It was the best day of my life.”
From Jonas Beach swim sessions to pink faux fur coats in limos, to countless concerts with sisters, moms, and chosen family — everyone had a story. A moment where life stood still and the music did something bigger than just entertain.
It was moments like these — chance encounters, childhood memories, friendships formed in comment sections — that made JonasCon unforgettable. Because this fandom isn’t just about the music. It’s about who we’ve become because of it.
Joe Jonas' Next Chapter
One of the busiest areas of the convention was the merch space — a mix of fan-designed shirts, rare vintage tour tees, and exclusive official drops. I gravitated toward Joe’s table immediately. I left with a JJ horseshoe crop top, a Cup of Joe sweatshirt, and most importantly — a sense that something bigger was unfolding beneath the surface.
Just before the second Sky Stage session, I stepped into the Joe Jonas activation room — a quiet, curated space where fans could browse merch and preview clips from his upcoming solo album, For People Who Want to Believe in Love Again (out May 23, 2025).
We only heard snippets — just enough to feel it.
The tracks weren’t flashy or loud. They were soft. Reflective. Vulnerable. It felt like Joe had cracked his heart open and left it on tape, giving us a glimpse into something deeply personal: his breakup, his rebirth, and the quiet, aching hope of learning to love again.
But this isn’t the wound of another Jonas Brothers split — not even close. It’s a window into his own, a self-reflective chapter he needed to write through as an artist and a human being.
Joe’s solo music feels cathartic — like he’s digging through the emotional wreckage, not to dwell, but to grow. It’s not a goodbye to the band. It’s an inner reckoning. A healing. A rebirth.
This isn’t just a solo project. It’s an emotional offering —
for anyone who’s ever had to start over, and still dared to believe in love.
Why SoundCheck Exists — And Why It All Comes Back to Jonas
Here’s the truth: without the Jonas Brothers, there would be no Soundcheck Mag.
Nineteen years ago, we were two girls on opposite sides of the internet — bonded not by geography, but by music. It started with a Top 8 on MySpace, glittery headers, burned CDs, and late-night messages about tour setlists and favorite lyrics. But it became something much deeper. Because what we found through this band wasn’t just friendship — it was vision.
The Jonas Brothers didn’t just soundtrack our coming of age — they were the reason we picked up cameras, the reason we started writing, the reason we believed in storytelling in the first place. We didn’t just want to scream from the crowd anymore. We wanted to be part of something bigger — something that honored the artists, the fans, and the magic that exists between them.
And that’s what Soundcheck is.
This isn’t just a music magazine. It’s a platform for passion. A home for voices. A love letter to the songs that shaped us, the artists behind the curtain, and the fans who never stopped believing. From festivals to dive bars, from global headliners to emerging indie acts with just one listener on Spotify — we’re here for the art, not the algorithm.
Because good lyrics deserve a spotlight. Because honest melodies deserve a moment. Because music — real music — isn’t about follower counts. It’s about feeling.
JonasCon wasn’t just a convention. It was a culmination. A reminder of where we started… and how far we’ve come. We didn’t have press badges. We weren’t in the photo pit. But still — there we were. On the third level of the Sky Stage, cameras raised, hearts pounding, tears in our eyes.
We weren’t “official.” But we were exactly where we were supposed to be. Documenting the moment. Capturing the magic. Telling the story — not as fans, but as founders.
Soundcheck exists because we grew up in this fandom. Because we fell in love with music in real time. And now, we get to give that love back — one story at a time.
It Was Never Just a Phase
There’s a narrative people like to spin about "fangirls." That we grow out of it.
That we mature, move on, find new obsessions.
But we know better.
This fandom — this family — has grown with us. I saw moms and daughters holding hands in the crowd. I saw girls my age crying to songs they first heard in 2005. I saw three brothers step onto a stage, look out into a sea of faces, and see us still standing there.
They were the first band I ever saw live. The first time I felt the magic of concerts. The first photos I ever took with a dream of doing more.
Nineteen years later, not much has changed —
Except now, I get to tell the story from the other side of the lens.
And Now… We Begin
Two months ago, Soundcheck Mag was just a dream. A late-night brainstorm. A shared “what if” between two women who never stopped believing in the power of music.
Now?
It’s a fire. A movement. A mission.
While the Jonas Brothers celebrate twenty years, we’re celebrating two months — and already, we know this is just the beginning. We’re more than fans. We’re artists. Creators. Visionaries. And we’re building something bigger than ourselves.
We want to spotlight every voice. Every genre. Every artist — from one fan to 100 million.
We care about the music, the lyrics, the stories behind the spotlight.
We care about what makes you feel.
And we’re here to tell those stories with all the heart we’ve got.
This is for the believers. The ones still singing in their bedrooms. The ones still crying in the crowd. The ones chasing the same magic we felt at thirteen.
So here’s to the last two months. And here’s to the next twenty years.
We’re looking for partners. For contributors. For dreamers. For doers. For anyone who believes in the magic of live music, the pulse of shared experience, and the power of storytelling.
From the lens of our cameras to the notes in our journals — From fan to founder — We’re all in.
And we’re just getting started.
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