It’s August 27th, 2010. I’m 14 years old and about to attend the “Camp Rock 2” tour at the Susquehanna Bank Center in Camden, New Jersey. Demi Lovato is opening up for the Jonas Brothers who happen to be my favorite band. I’m convinced I’ll marry Nick Jonas one day because he’s just a few years older than me. I know my 24-four-year-old sister is secretly thrilled and can’t think of anywhere else she’d rather be. She accompanies me and two nine-year-olds to the show. We’re overly excited and can’t wait to see all of our favorite songs from “Camp Rock 2” come to life.
We arrive early and eat our nutritious dinner of chicken fingers and French fries. We then head over to the merchandise tent and each spends $30 on concert t-shirts. Our seats are in the 200 section right in the middle of the venue. Even though we’ve seen the Jonas Brothers many times, we can hardly contain our happiness. Together, Demi and the Jonas Brothers play a collection of songs from both of the “Camp Rock” movies. Then, they each take the stage separately to play their own songs.
When the concert ends, I think about the nap I’m going to take on the 40 minutes car ride home. My mom will pick us up and I’ll fall asleep in the back seat listening to my favorite Jonas Brothers’ songs through my headphones.
It’s July 15th, 2016. I’m twenty years old and about to attend the “Future Now” tour at BB&T Pavilion in Camden, New Jersey. Demi Lovato and Nick Jonas have just started their co-headlining world tour. I’m convinced I’ll marry Nick Jonas one day because he’s just a few years older than me. I attend the concert with two 15-year-olds. We’re overly excited and secretly hoping Demi and Nick will play some of the old songs we used to love.
We arrive early and eat our nutritious dinner of ice cream and crab fries. We don’t buy t-shirts because $45 is way too much to spend on t-shirts we’ll never wear. Our seats are on the lawn, directly back from the middle of the stage. Even though we’ve seen the Jonas Brothers many times, we’re excited to see how the youngest Jonas has evolved as a solo artist. Demi and Nick take turns playing songs from their respective albums. Nick joins Demi on stage for her song “Stone Cold” and plays the piano. We only know the words to a few of Nick’s solo songs, but we go crazy when he plays one of our favorite throwbacks, “Who I Am.” The song shows us that after all of these years, our favorite Jonas Brother is still the same kid from New Jersey we’ve always loved.
When the concert ends, I think about the forty minutes I have to drive home. I know I’ll spend at least thirty minutes trying to get out of the parking lot. I’m exhausted and am definitely not looking forward to going to work tomorrow at 9AM. Luckily, iced coffee exists and I know somehow I’ll make it through my eight hour work day. Even though my “Camp Rock” reunion dreams don’t come true, one-third of the Jonas Brothers is better than none at all.
