Why Long Island's millennials still love the Jonas Brothers

From age 13, Ariana Miotto, now 31, of West Hempstead, has been a die-hard Jonas Brothers fan ever since she caught the group on the Disney Channel in the summer of 2007.

"I went to see them open for Hannah Montana [Miley Cyrus] at Nassau Coliseum in December 2007 and they instantly became my favorite group," she says. "I expected to grow out of it, but I never did. They were always something I knew I could fall back to."

Miotto has seen the Jonas Brothers in concert more than 40 times, including at venues like Jones Beach Theater, Madison Square Garden and Yankee Stadium, as well as venturing out of state to New Jersey, Boston, Philadelphia and Las Vegas. Currently, she has Jonas tickets for Nov. 19 and Dec. 21 at UBS Arena in Elmont, Dec. 22 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn and Nov. 16 at the Prudential Center in Newark.

"Seeing them in concert is the best thing in the world," Miotto says. "Each show is special because every set list is different."

'AS THEY GREW UP, SO DID I'

The Jonas Brothers, Kevin, 38 (guitar/background vocals), Joe, 36 (vocals) and Nick, 33 (vocals/guitar), have a stronghold on millennials who grew up watching them in Disney’s "Camp Rock" films, TV series "Jonas" (later renamed "Jonas L.A.") as well as listening to their early hits "Year 3000," "Burnin’ Up" and "S.O.S."

"I feel like I grew up with them because I’m only a few years apart from Nick," says Courtney Sack, 30, of Glen Head. "I was around the same age as them when they were becoming famous. As they grew up, so did I."

Currently, the trio is on their massive "Jonas20: Greetings From Your Hometown Tour," which began Aug. 10 in their home state of New Jersey for a sold-out show at MetLife Stadium. Gabrielle D’Agostino, 31, of Mineola, paid $907 for a front-row ticket.

"Me and my friends spend whatever because we just want to see them every time they come to our area," she says. "I never regret spending the money because the experience and memories are 100% worth it."

Michael Simeone, 24, of Massapequa, was in the crowd at MetLife when the Jonas Brothers brought out special guests Demi Lovato, Jesse McCartney and Switchfoot.

"It was a total surprise," says Simeone, who waited in line for four hours at Looney Tunes in West Babylon to meet Joe Jonas at a record signing last spring. "The show was amazing, just life-changing."

The MetLife encore saw the Jonas Brothers performing their hit "When You Look Me in the Eyes" with their father on piano as their mother, a teacher for the hearing impaired, signed the song while they played.

"It’s clear that they are very family-oriented, loving and caring people," Shannon McDonough, 30, of Westbury, says. "Every Friday night their dad would put on a different record in their living room and he would play piano while they sang along."

FANS REQUEST FAVORITE SONGS

During their shows the Jonas Brothers offer a portion where they ask the audience for requests. Some people make signs to hold up or even shout out song titles. The house lights come up so the brothers can see everybody, and there’s even someone running around with a microphone. The hardcore fans’ goal is to get the band to play a deep track.

"I have a sign that says, Justice for ‘Pom Poms,’ which I bring to every show. I’m very passionate about this," Miotto says. "The song ‘Pom Poms’ gets no love. They never play it."

Kathleen Marino, 39, of Massapequa Park, is hoping to hear "Don’t Charge Me for the Crime" off the band’s fourth studio album, "Lines, Vines and Trying Times" from 2009, when she attends both UBS Arena shows.

"This song has never been performed live," Marino says. "They seem to hate it so much that it tickles me."

Meanwhile, D’Agostino is holding a candle for "Take a Breath" from their self-titled sophomore 2007 album.

"I’m praying they play it at UBS," she says. "My plan is to bring a big sign for the fan request."

COMEBACK KINGS

The Jonas Brothers have been on the comeback trail since 2019 when they hit the top of the Billboard charts with the hit single "Sucker" off their reunion album "Happiness Begins." This came after a much-publicized breakup in 2013, which was officially announced on ABC’s "Good Morning America."

"Everybody was just sad. Nick wanted to do solo stuff and Joe was focusing on his group, DNCE," Sack says. "I think they needed that time to grow up a little bit before they came back together."

Marino adds, "I was bummed out because I was set to go see them at Westbury Music Fair with second-row seats. I wasn’t pleased to say the least."

When the Jonas Brothers returned, their fans had grown into adults, who could relate to them.

"My friends and I would make dumb YouTube videos just like them," Miotto says. "We all grew up in the birth of the internet with all the social media platforms starting to rise."

Sack adds: "The Jonas Brothers coming back and performing the music that we all grew up with gets all of us wanting to still listen. It’s a nostalgia thing. They are smart for feeding into that."

'THEY WILL BE AROUND FOR A LONG TIME'

Truth be told, everyone has a favorite Jonas brother and it’s usually the one they crush on. Kevin is the older, mature one, Joe is the prankster and Nick is Mr. Serious.

"I had a major crush on Nick and thought he was so cute," Amanda Simeone, 25, of Massapequa, sister of Michael, says. "Plus, I was obsessed with his curly hair."

For Sack, it’s all about Joe.

"I’ve always been a Joe girl. I have a soft spot for him," she says. "I like his voice the best and I think he has a funny personality."

Meanwhile Marino set her sights on Kevin, who married Danielle Deleasa at Huntington's Oheka Castle in 2009.

"It’s always been Kevin. He’s my guy," she says. "I have met him on a few occasions and he has always been exceptionally nice to me, which I really appreciated. He’s overlooked and disrespected."

Looking toward the future, the question remains, do the Jonas Brothers have what it takes to go the distance as a legacy act? Only time will tell, but their fans are loyal and dedicated.

"If they play their cards right, they will be around for a long time," Marino says. "They must remain relevant by continuing to play the hits along with new songs that are bangers."

McDonough adds, "I feel like they are going to be touring in their 60s and 70s and people my age are still going to be attending their concerts. Whenever I go see the Jonas Brothers live, it’s almost like my inner child is coming out. I relive the moment when I saw them for the first time."

"They are my all-time favorite group," Miotto says. "I’ve been into them for 18 years. It will never die at this point."