Everyone, Just Quit Now: the Jonas Brothers Are the Only Ones Doing Nostalgia-Bait Right

I became truly aware of the Jonas Brothers’ current tour when they brought out Demi Lovato on their opening night on Aug. 10. The performance went instantly viral, with many millennials losing their minds over the fact that not only had the Camp Rock gang reunited, but they looked and sounded better than ever. I thought it was just a one-off treat for us, but the JONAS20: Greetings From Your Hometown Tour has been filled with one surprise appearance after another and it keeps getting better.

The next surprise guests that had me reeling were Jesse McCartney and Jojo. The former was also with them on opening night in New Jersey, but then came back for round two in Boston, where Jojo also took the stage. Videos of them singing “Leave (Get Out)” as well as “Beautiful Soul” quickly took over my For You Page and I was left wondering if I should just buy a ticket.

The JONAS20: Greetings From Your Hometown Tour is a celebration of the band’s 20 years in show business. It’s inherently nostalgic, given the fact that it includes all the hits from their catalog, from their earlier stuff as a Disney-branded band, to their solo hits all the way to their current catalog.

And while so many nostalgia-filled things have felt a bit too manufactured and more like cash grabs for me, I think the Jonas Brothers are doing it right. Not only were they part of creating some of those staple anthems for us in our young adulthood, but they were also experiencing that awkward age right along with us, so who better to take us back in time than superstars who are also our peers?

Their first professional tour was with Jesse McCartney back in 2025, so the full-circle moment is important to everyone. Joe Jonas spoke of the significance of having the singer there, telling the crowd, “We were playing in front of malls and anybody that would listen to us,” per Entertainment Weekly. “There was this person who was very kind enough to just allow us on the opening slot, and we quickly became friends.” 

The Click Five, another band with whom the brothers toured in their earlier days, also joined them, as well as Hanson (three brothers who sing, sound familiar?), Ryan Cabrera, All Time Low and more.

Just when you thought they couldn’t climb any higher on Nostalgia Mountain, they brought out Fifth Harmony, a band that is so entrenched in millennial lore that even as a grown woman, I was freaking out when I saw them hit the stage together for the first time in seven years.

Only four members — Lauren Jauregui, Normani, Dinah Jane and Ally Brooke — took the stage. But the reunion was so monumental, even Camila Cabello, estranged from her former bandmates since leaving in 2016, was compelled to leave four red heart emojis underneath their post. It wasn’t a full reunion, but the gesture was the perfect morsel of hope that the five girls might just come back together, and that’s more than enough.

“I saw this in person and almost passed away,” one commenter wrote underneath Fifth Harmony’s video. “I need some time to process this. Nobody talk to me,” wrote musician Anthony Gargiula. Dramatic? Sure. Earned? Absolutely.

Nostalgia-bait has been the theme of the summer. Movies such as I Know What You Did Last Summer and Freakier Friday were some of the season’s biggest hits, and you’re not imagining it: So many songs on the radio interpolate older hits. (We’re looking at you, Scotty McCreery and Latto.) The Jonas Brothers aren’t immune to doing the same — however, where a lot of these reboots have felt a little, well, reheated, they are authentically delivering.

It’s not just about bringing out throwback acts to drive a fan frenzy. It’s also a way to say thank you to the industry peers who helped pave the way for them, while also acknowledging a truly glorious era in pop.

A lot of fans who are buying tickets to Greetings From Your Hometown are already showing up to hear “Burnin’ Up,” “Year 3000,” “Lovebug,” and more, so to get an added surprise act, especially one that means something to you, makes the experience that much sweeter. You’re not only going to see your favorite childhood band, but if you’re lucky, you’ll also catch two or three of them on the same stage in one night. And you only paid for one ticket!

All that’s left is to give the people what they want and bring Miley Cyrus out to sing “7 Things” to achieve true millennial ascendancy.