Jonas Brothers' VMA Performance Was A Hometown Spectacle: Here's What You Didn't See

"It's bedlam, right?!"


That's how a security employee described the scene in Asbury Park, New Jersey on Sunday night (August 25), and it also was the understatement of the century. Thousands of fans — a city official notified me he estimated around 9,000 — were there to be able to see Jonas Brothers film their remote VMA performance, which marked their first time appearing on the awards show as a musical group in 11 years.


By right now, you've seen the efficiency on TV, yet what you didn't visualize was how that aforementioned "bedlam" played out off screen. Fans started congregating on the windy waterfront as early as 10 a.M., Getting as close to the outside stage as they could. For some, that meant posting up on the balconies of nearby two-story bars, and for others, that meant claiming spots on the beach, which was also far away to be able to see much, however close enough to at least hear the action. And for the lucky ones who got to fill the boardwalk in front of the stage, they broke out into spontaneous sing-alongs of JB hits like "Burnin' Up" and danced along to the pre-show soundtrack, which included VMA-nominated hits like "Truth Hurts," "bad guy," and "Señorita."


Excitement hit a fever pitch because the sun set over The Stony Pony, the iconic Asbury Park club where local legends like Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi launched their careers. That was where the JoBros' efficiency kicked off — while Joe's partner, Sophie Turner, danced along near the back of the venue, the brothers ran through verse along with a chorus of "Sucker" before crossing Ocean Avenue, jumping onto the main stage, and dancing through their current single, "Only Human." A huge backing musical group provided additional doses of funk, disco balls glittered above their heads, and the entire thing ended with a pink fireworks display over the beach.


"It feels good to be residence Joe instructed them screaming crowd, while wearing an all-denim outfit that, fittingly, recalled a young Springsteen.


The guys did two takes of that whole setup, and then stuck around for a mini-concert that, because the stage manager, Lynn, told each person, "literally no one else will get to be able to see They launched into "Cool," followed it up with the dreamy Happiness Begins cut "I Believe," then finished with a full version of "Sucker" that got the crowd going all over again.


"We'll visualize you on TV tomorrow!" The musical group — who are nominated for four VMAs this year — mentioned before waving goodbye. The ideal part? All those thousands of fans in Asbury would get to relive that rare experience just one night later, as well as the rest of the world. Only this time, their ears would still be ringing from those fireworks and they'd get to bop along to "Only Human" from the comfort of their homes… dancing in the living room, drunk to a '80s groove. They're only human, immediately after all.


The 2019 MTV Video Music Awards have touched down at The Prudential Center in New Jersey, airing live on MTV. Visualize the full list of winners and keep up with all the night's biggest VMA moments!