NJ&TA concert turned into a dream come true

I just found this story and I thought it really hit home with a lot of our feelings. She’s been writing Jonas Brothers reviews for a few years now! Impressive!

In Jan. 11, I received the best news of my life.

I received an e-mail congratulating me on winning a celebrity meet-and-greet contest. I was hyperventilating.

After four years of waiting, my dream of meeting Nick Jonas finally came true.

To this day, I distinctly remember the first time I saw and heard Nick sing with the Jonas Brothers.

The band was on the brink of making it big in the entertainment world when I discovered it. A freshman in high school, I was sitting in my bedroom watching the Disney Channel when their music video for “S.O.S.” aired.

I soon rushed to Best Buy to purchase the group’s album “It’s About Time,” and found it was out of stock. I made several trips before I found a copy. Turns out, it was just a few weeks later that Columbia Records stopped selling and producing this particular Jonas Brothers album. The band had a new record deal with Hollywood Records.

From the moment I purchased “It’s About Time,” I wanted to follow the Jonas Brothers on their musical career path.

In February 2008, I attended my first Jonas Brothers concert at the Peoria Civic Center.

Then, I joined their official fan club, went to one of their concerts on each of their tours and continued to follow them closely.

As the Jonas Brothers were gaining in popularity and rocketing toward success, they never failed to amaze me. Not only was their music fantastic pop rock, but they were real, genuine rock stars. Their presence on stage, and the way they graciously greeted fans, made me love them even more.

Watching these three boys evolve from struggling musicians to a music phenomenon for teenage girls was an adventure to watch.

These three brothers had not only gained popularity quickly for their music, but also for their clean-cut and gentlemanly attitudes.

It was like a breath of fresh air. To be able to watch Nick, Joe and Kevin live positive lives and still make it in the industry is what makes them so likeable.

Each brother has his own set of fans. I have been a “Nick Chick” from the beginning. While I love Kevin and Joe, Nick Jonas was the one I gravitated toward. Just like me, Nick was young, shy and serious. And even though Nick is a year younger than me, he seems to be very mature for his age.

He is also very passionate when he talks. He may not talk much, but when he does, it matters.

When I found out Nick was working on a solo project and touring, I was ecstatic.

However, when I saw he was coming to my favorite St. Louis venue, The Pageant, I had a feeling that night would be perfect and maybe, just maybe, I might finally get to meet him.

I entered numerous meet-and-greet contests over the past few years, as it was my absolute dream to meet Nick Jonas. And then, about a month before the concert, I entered the official Team Jonas Fan Club meet-and-greet for Nick’s St. Louis concert.

When the day of the concert finally arrived, Jan. 19, I stood in line to meet him. Winners were required to bring the e-mail stating we’d won and a driver’s license. While I was a basket of nerves, I was never more prepared for anything in my life.

Now, after a four-year wait, he was just inches away from me.

As I approached him, I introduced myself and he immediately gave me a giant bear hug. I brought Nick the first Jonas Brothers concert review I had written for my school newspaper. He stared at it in what seemed to be amazement and complimented me several times. He also told me he remembered that particular concert and how much fun it was. Meet-and-greet winners also got to have a picture taken with Nick.

Even though the meet-and-greet lasted only a couple of minutes, I will remember it forever. Nick Jonas was exactly how I expected him to be. In those few minutes, the fans were his main focus and he never hurried anyone along.

This experience reinforced the reasons why Nick is my favorite celebrity. That night will be with me forever because that’s just “Who I Am,” a Nick Jonas fan.

Jenna Cusumano is a senior at Sacred Heart-Griffin.