Jonas Brothers see dip in popularity

By Jason Bracelin

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

Dairy products, hairlines, good looks, cold November rain: Nothing lasts forever.

This goes double for those musicians whose fan base is dominated by the forever fickle tween and teen audiences.

And no one is experiencing the full ramifications of this truism quite like the Jonas Brothers these days.

In less than a year, the trio has seen their star begin to diminish substantially, to the point where it seems like a gaping black hole will replace their career prospects before too long.

Last November, the Jonas Brothers packed the MGM Grand Garden arena for two shows in one day. A few months earlier, they had released their third studio album, "Just A Little Bit Longer," to first week sales of more than 500,000 copies. They had a much-hyped concert film and a new Disney TV show, "JONAS," in the works and were one of the biggest attractions in the land.

But in the span of just a few months, all the hot talk surrounding this bunch has begun to cool considerably.

The Jonas Brothers' most recent album, "Lines, Vines and Trying Times," released in June, debuted to less than half the sales of its predecessor.

The group's movie, "The Jonas Brothers: The 3-D Concert Experience," grossed just under $20 million, which, again, is less than half what many industry insiders predicted.

Moreover, the brothers' latest TV venture has struggled to find a substantial audience.

For the group's stop at the Mandalay Events Center on Saturday, tickets still were available for the show the week of the concert, even though it's a smaller venue than the band filled twice in a single day last year.

Of course, it's not all bad for this bunch. They have reportedly sold more than 800,000 tickets for their current tour, and though their album sales numbers have declined, they still are substantial.

But clearly, the writing is on the wall when it comes to the Jonas Brothers' shaky future prospects.

Better ditch those promise rings now, dudes, and live it up while there's still some groupies to be had.

Contact reporter Jason Bracelin at jbracelin@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0476.