Moms and dads can relax. The members of the hottest boy band, the Jonas Brothers, all wear purity rings.
Even from the $80 seats at 1st Mariner Arena tonight, you probably won’t be able to see the small symbols of chastity. But there’s no doubt the rings will be on their fingers.
In a recent call from Los Angeles, the three sons of a preacher man, Kevin, Joe and Nick, named their favorite Bible verse (Matthew 5:14, if you’re wondering) before dishing details about coping with hundreds of thousands of frantic fans, filming the Disney Channel original movie “Camp Rock,” which drew 8.9 million viewers June 20, and touring the country this summer to support their upcoming album, “A Little Bit Longer.”
The New Jersey natives hold coveted positions on Billboard’s Hot 100 and Pop 100 charts, and recently scored a priceless Rolling Stone cover.
During tonight’s Baltimore concert, Maryland tweens will shriek till they’re hoarse.
But chances are the coiffed boys won’t hear them.
“We wear customized in-ear pieces that allow us to hear our band and hear the music without hearing any outside noise,” said lead guitarist and eldest Jonas brother, Kevin, 20, during a recent media interview. “If you wear them properly and your volume’s up enough, it almost sounds like there’s not even a person in the audience. … You may see them freaking out, you just can’t hear them. It’s really funny.”
If the brothers’ popularity endures, they’ll owe it to Disney’s mass marketing campaign, devout fans and a mature commitment to their careers.
“People are actually amazed,” Kevin said. “They’ll come on our bus right after a show and they’ll see us go right back into the back lounge of our tour bus and actually sit down with our guitars and just keep writing. … We actually have a tour bus on the road that is 100 percent a studio, and it rolls along with us everywhere we go.
“A lot of people are like, ‘Wow, you guys are at such a great place right now.’ We are continually thinking that there’s a bigger and better place where we’re hoping to be one day,” said front man and middle brother Joe.
There’s room for improvement, but their current status isn’t too shabby.
From June 2007 to June 2008, the young heartthrobs raked in $9 million from touring and $3 million from CD sales, merchandise and TV deals, according to Forbes magazine. This makes the trio the 89th-highest-grossing tween stars.
IF YOU GO
Jonas Brothers
- When: 7 tonight
- Where: 1st Mariner Arena
- 201 W. Baltimore St., Baltimore
- Tickets: $49.50 to $79.50
- Info: 410-347-2020
