If we ever needed proof that boy band fervor is alive and well, we need look no further than the Jonas Brothers.

The trio rode the next wave of screaming female fans after NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys, coming to prominence for the Disney set in the mid-to-late aughts. Thus followed seven albums, appearances in Disney Channel movies and television shows, several on-and-off periods, a constellation of solo projects and a long-lasting throng of devoted fans, enough to sell out PPG Paints Arena on Wednesday night.

And those fans weren’t afraid to make their voices heard, scream-singing along to the more than two dozen songs in the set and eagerly requesting their favorites for the trio to sing.

It’s easy to see what makes the Jonas Brothers so appealing to fans — besides making catchy pop songs and maintaining great singing voices, they also carry a boy-next-door aura that this “Greetings From Your Hometown” tour put on display. Even in a crowd of thousands, there was a friendliness and intimacy to their show that made them feel like your friends from down the street.

And that started out with introducing their kid brother, all grown up. Opening for the show were Franklin Jonas and the Byzantines, fronted by the youngest Jonas who shared the stage with two bandmates and sang 25 minutes of folksy, confessional songs. Even as the baby of the family, Franklin impressed with darker lyrics and a more mature sound, especially in songs “Village Liquors” and “Road Soda.”

He even threw in a few seconds of Wiz Khalifa’s “Black and Yellow,” enthusiastically waving a Terrible Towel throughout. Franklin was full of golden retriever energy, constantly expressing his gratitude to the cheering crowd.

The JoBros are celebrating the 20th anniversary of their band’s formation, so admittedly this tour feels a bit like a victory lap. They came out strong with “Love Me to Heaven,” a high-octane pop banger that brought all three out to the end of the thrust stage. In between verses, Nick, Joe and Kevin talked about their hometown of Wyckoff, N.J.

“New Jersey will always be my hometown,” said Kevin Jonas, “but I really feel like Pittsburgh needs to be my hometown tonight.”

After a few more selections from their catalog — including standout 2019 No. 1 hit “Sucker” — they made the crowd feel at home, too. They sang “Happy Birthday” to a fan named Cassie who was turning 20; celebrated a family that included three generations of Jonas Brothers fans; and even rolled a 20-sided die provided by a fan to randomly choose her requested acoustic song.

The two audience requests they played were the deep, deep cut “You Just Don’t Know It” — it took them a moment to get into the groove of remembering the song — and “Tables.” Both sounded great with their three strong voices.

The third request came from Franklin Jonas, who stood in the crowd holding a sign that read “Pick Me, Coward.” He came onstage to sing the brief, breezy tune “Velvet Sunshine” with the full band.

Each Jonas got their solo projects spotlighted as well. In maybe the best song of the night, Joe Jonas sang the DNCE hit “Cake By the Ocean” with the full force of his smooth voice accompanied by rainbow stage lights. Nick came out next to croon his own solo hit, “Jealous,” with old-school swagger and a killer falsetto. Later, Kevin performed his own chill single, “Changing.”

They also gave a little preview of their upcoming Disney+ release, “A Very Jonas Christmas Movie,” with the peppy, bouncy holiday song “I’m Coming Home This Christmas.”

In between, they kept things upbeat and funky with the help of their corps of musicians and backup singers, with groovy tune “Celebrate!” and “No Time to Talk,” the dance break that got the audience moving even more. Exuberant saxophone lent a little extra heat.

They pulled out all the stops as the show neared its close, starting with adorable tune “Lovebug.” It started with their request for phone flashlights and their voices over minimalist accompaniment, but the full band blasted in, wreathed with a pop of pyrotechnics, at the bridge.

The crowd sang along loudly with teeny-bopper bop “Year 3000,” and the regular set ended with superheated “Burnin’ Up” — complete with jets of flame, naturally, and an appearance from rapper Big Rob.

The encore dispensed with the bombast and kept things simple, starting with a clip of the much younger brothers from a television show. They sang the first song they ever wrote together, “Please Be Mine,” a sugary sweet boy band ballad that charmed the crowd. To end the night, they made it a whole family affair by bringing the crowd into their childhood living room. They brought out their father, Kevin Jonas Sr., and featured another appearance by Franklin Jonas.

Together, the whole family sang “When You Look Me in the Eyes,” with Kevin Sr. on the piano for the soaring song, even lending his rich voice to one of the last choruses. As the final notes resonated, confetti shot into the crowd and the brothers took their bows. From decades-long fans to the JoBros themselves, there was a whole lot of love in the arena as the show drew to a close.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)