Back in March, I went to the American Dream Mall in New Jersey to attend JonasCon. This was my second trip to the Dream, having first gone for a Game Changer Wrestling show. After I first registered and was unable to procure definite floor space for the concerts arranged in the Dreamworks waterpark or the Ice rink, and then also got locked out of even purchasing $200 VIP tickets, I considered completely skipping the event. I decided it was a good excuse to discover what travelling to the mall via bus from Port Authority in Manhattan NYC was like, as I had booked a nearby hotel and driven in from home in Queens NYC with a friend the first time. My biggest selling point from the moment it was announced was the return of All American Rejects for one set (as they were joining Jonas on tour and releasing new music soon). However, the idea of a big immersive event of any kind inside a mall was also exciting. Again, FREE, although with merch to buy if one desired. Some stickers promoted on the website as available caught my attention, but I never found them on location.
Now let me take you back to that day exactly. Getting to the mall was so easy and really inexpensive even if just going on any regular day for a few hours, but especially if you got there super early to spend a day at the fairly expensive but worth it indoor water park or even a whole weekend and enjoying the food and other excitement of the mall. Of course I didn’t have a plan for when I would be leaving but it’d before the last bus out.
Once at the mall it was a madhouse before the mall even opened, hell before the event officially started. I feel really lucky I got there as early as I did, got a lay of the land, and discovered other than the free day at the water park I missed out on, I didn’t need VIP or floor tickets to get a good view of the two other stages and especially the one stage AAR would play at later. Had I gotten there later I may have never figured this out. It was fun walking around and seeing what they put up for Jonascon and what they did a hardcore job with and what they went minimalistic for. The Jonas mini-golf course for instance renamed the holes after songs but still for all all intents and purposes was just Angry Birds Golf with barely a paint job. They did go all out for the mini-stores though and some pop-ups.
They also went big on the mini-museum with instruments, clothing, ephemera and more. That is what I took the most photos of and am happy to share.
One my favorite photos I took with consent from parent and youngster was this young lady coaxed into trying on a Jonas coat and it basically fitting her. Meaning them teen Jonas boys were small small small.
I wanted a FULL experience from JONASCON so I indulged a little and got what was definitely an overpriced but very yummy meal from the “pop-up” menu of the Jonas Brother’s owned Nellie’s Southern Kitchen at Marcus Live! The biscuits, butter and jam were the best part but the chicken and dumplings and banana pudding were both tasty, just not as tasty in value as the price, but adding in the limited availability during the one day event, unless one goes to Vegas and North Carolina made it all worth it.
While at the mall I also enjoyed the mall and bought beef jerky from the Jerky store, cookies from BANG! and some THC and mushroom product that was overpriced cause MALL but I cut a good deal with the clerk and got some freebies and stuff I maybe wouldn’t even know to seek out on my own so the interaction itself was worth it especially since yes… I did get to see Jonas perform and ALL AMERICAN REJECTS. Now yes. I said it was a madhouse… and boy was it.
Still I had a plenty good viewing of AAR and they performed a bevy of the hits. Sadly they didn’t play Sweat or Send Her to Heaven, opting for the classics like Swing, Swing and Dirty Little Secret but it was awesome and I was satisfied and very happy I went. I actually rushed to the bus home after feeling like I might collapse soon having been out since I think around 7 AM? I can’t recall. I just knew I had had enough for the day and nothing would top AAR at that point other than getting to hang out with them or the Jonas Bros or Big Time Rush and that wasn’t going to happen so…
You may have seen many reports or maybe none, I don’t know about people who bought VIP sort of being ripped off or fans upset that the multiple sets played Jonas Brothers had different songs but trying to get from one venue to another while also shopping for merch and checking out the interactions was near impossible. This too would be my experience. I am glad I didn’t get a wristband or pay for VIP, but that is because I know how to make things work for me, YMMV but JONASCon was a fun fun day for me and I’ll always remember it (probably).