JoBro fans call him "the talented one"—something of a dubious distinction for someone who's all of 17 years old—but, to his credit, Nick Jonas certainly seems to have a decent grasp on the music industry. His own family band's massive success aside, looking back, it appears as if the youngest JoBro has been setting himself up for an eventual solo turn since the whole Jonas Brothers phenomenon started; interviews with major publications have found Nick name-checking a cast of influences far beyond the contemporary realm, and when he conducted an October 2008 Rolling Stone interview with his supposed hero Elvis Costello, the concept was far less hokey and more insightful than anyone had the right to expect.
So, no, maybe the fact that Nick is the first Jonas to go solo (if only as a side project) isn't a surprise. This shouldn't be either: The title track and first single, "Who I Am," off his upcoming Nick Jonas and the Administration debut, is an enjoyable enough pop-rock ditty, more rootsy than the pop fare to which Jonas fans have become accustomed, but just as lovelorn as most would expect. Still, the ambition is there: Both the band name and the album, slated for release one month to the day after this, the band's concert debut (not counting an appearance at the Grammy nominations party), center around Nick's "fascination with the presidency."
Think the Jonases are big now? Wait till his fans vote him into office in the '40s. Don't say we didn't warn you.
Opening this show is soulful up-and-coming piano-pop musician Diane Birch.
