If Jonas was just a voice – it would be enough. But add that voice to 1,000,000 watts of charisma and a stage presence second to none and you have a good old fashioned ROCK STAR!!
In 2004 Jonas released his self-titled debut in his home province of Quebec. Through strong radio airplay support and near legendary live performances, he quickly gained a massive following. His picture has graced the covers of magazines and entertainment pages throughout the province while the album Jonas was certified gold, earning him nominations for Quebec's ADISQ Awards as Anglophone Album of the Year and Juno award nominations as Best New Artist and Best Rock Album. His first DVD, Jonas: Live …As We Roll was certified platinum and his second album, 2006's Suite Life, landed him his second ADISQ nomination for Anglophone Album of the Year. In February of 2007 Jonas fulfilled a lifelong dream by headlining Montreal's Bell Centre. All of this would be an incredible story for any artist but is all the more remarkable for a Quebec born star singing in English and recording on an independent label.
Jonas' passion as a performer was evident as an 8 year old singing with his elementary school choir. His friends had started teasing him while his mother wanted to make sure that they weren't going to intimidate him. The impetuous youngster was unfazed and merely said "Mom, they just don't get it."
As a teenager, Jonas' musical drive was encouraged by both parents. When Rubberman, one of the two bands he played in, started getting live offers, his always supportive mother helped her fourteen year old son iron his fake ID so that he could play in the clubs. In the meantime, his father insisted on a musical education rooted in the Blues and convinced his son to join him in jamming with some local blues cats. In was on the Blues scene where Jonas met Corey Diabo who became his guitar player, his co-writer and all around partner in crime. Regardless of the musical style one thing always remained constant with Jonas – he commanded every stage he ever played on from the moment he walked into the spotlight!
When Jonas finally emerged as a rock artist it quickly became evident that club stages were going to be too small for him and his music. Before long he had graduated to playing theatres and won a coveted slot opening up for Van Halen. It was on these huge concert stages that Jonas' prowling stage persona was finally able to fully blossom.
For his debut Jonas worked with producer John Webster (The Cult, Aerosmith, Mötley Crüe) as well as noted songwriter and producer Desmond Child (Aerosmith, Bon Jovi). Child brought to the project the song "When The Rain Stops" which he originally wrote with Steven Tyler and Joe Perry for Aerosmith. The album spawned the rock radio hits "Daddy," "Like A River" and an outstanding cover of the Stevie Nicks classic "Edge Of Seventeen" and is closing in on platinum sales in Quebec alone!
To support the album's release, Jonas and his band toured relentlessly, literally assaulting audiences throughout Quebec and earning a well-deserved reputation as a great live act. Youtube is littered with fan footage of some of the band's most memorable performances. Throughout it all, women threw themselves at the mercy of the music, while their boyfriends raised a beer in a reverent rock and roll salute.
2006 turned out to be crazier than any other year in Jonas' career. He and his bandmates worked at a breakneck pace. They returned to the studio with producer John Webster to work on what would become his sophomore release, Suite Life. In between recording sessions the group kept a number of commitments for live dates throughout the summer playing to combined audiences in excess of 470,000. In the midst of it all, Jonas and his band headed to Los Angeles for a showcase at The Key Club on Sunset Strip. The next day Jonas was asked to audition for the hit TV show Rockstar: Supernova. But, after much soul searching, he turned down the offer in order to concentrate ..ing Suite Life and following his ultimate dream.
Given everything that had happened in his career to this point, it was no wonder that there was a lot of anticipation for the release of Suite Life in the Fall of 2006. The album's first single, "SuperSexMe" had already become a concert staple and fan favourite during his summer tour and the second single, "Bows & Arrows," topped the charts in the province.
On February 23, 2007, moments before going on stage at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Jonas signed the worldwide record deal he had always hoped to get. His first release through Warner Music Canada will be the album Promised Land, a compilation of the best tracks from his first two records. The album's first single is the highly charged rocker "Here She Comes" which is accompanied by a video showcasing some of Jonas' most exciting performances including his Bell Center performance.
Throughout 2008, Jonas and his band will be touring English Canada, electrifying concert stages across the country. At the same time, Jonas and Corey have already started writing for their next Warner release tentatively schedule for release next summer.
Picture credits: Yannick Beauvalet
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Salut Jonas! Have a verrrry good day! J'aime ton énergie sur scène et ton calme de tous les jours. Je t'ai vu au Bourbon Street North. J'ai adoré! Attention à toi! Geneviève xxxxx
Merci pour l'ajout! J'ai bien hâte de vous voir au show de Montréal, encore 2 semaines à attendre! Je te souhaite une belle fin de semaine! Claudine xx
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The United Steel Workers Of Montreal &The Burning Hell-EUROPEAN TOUR 2008! Oct 10 Berlin, Germany@CAFÉ ZAPATA Oct 12&13 Nancy Jazz Pulsation Festival Oct 14 Lyon, France@Le Sirius Oct 16 Valence, France@Mistral Palace Oct 18 Amsterdam NL@De Nieuwe Anita Oct 19Utrecht, NL@dBs(Matinee) Oct.21 Liege,Belguim@TheShamRock Oct.23Groningen,NL.@Vera Oct 25 Berlin, Germany@Bassy More dates being added every day USWM. CA
Picture credits: Yannick Beauvalet
