Jonas Brothers: First-Rate Show Second Time Around

The Jonas Brothers who rocked Dallas' Superpages.com Center Wednesday night are not the same band that warmed up for Hannah Montana in Fort Worth's Convention Center just eight months ago. That was a fun group, but the show was just OK -- nothing to stand up and scream your lungs out about.

Since then, the Brothers have been busy -- touring, writing music, starring in Disney movie Camp Rock and doing what teenagers do best: growing up.

Their new Burning Up tour is a slicker, more sophisticated and entertaining show. Mixing well-known hits with tunes from the CD they'll release in August, the kids rolled through more than an hour and a half of music that kicked off with a group of cellists and violinists (all female) playing pretty, rich notes that segued into the JoBros' teen-independence anthem, That's Just the Way We Roll.

Dressed in trademark skinny suits and vests (and with several costume changes), Kevin, Joe and Nick took the standing crowd through hard-rocking numbers (with flames and lasers lighting up the stage) and occasional ballads.

Some of what happened was expected: Nick flipped. Joe was in constant motion, jumping on a grand piano and skidding down the part of the stage that was built out into the audience. For the big screen, there were lots of close-ups of all three brothers looking, well, dreamy as they played guitars and drums.

But there also were some great surprises, as when the guys soaked the audience with foam.

A particularly poignant moment came about nine or 10 songs in, when a video came on with Nick talking about what it's been like since he was diagnosed with diabetes 2 1/2 years ago. A white grand piano came up through the floor of the stage and Nick began playing and singing A Little Bit Longer, explaining that he made a commitment to himself that he wouldn't let diabetes slow him down -- "and it hasn't slowed me down." The crowd erupted.

Throw in Taylor Swift in the VIP section and a warm-up set by Disney's Camp Rock star Demi Lovato, it was pretty much a perfect night for the kids in the sold-out audience.