Remezcla Tries: Jonas Brothers Concert at the Yaamava’ Theater
Photo by Becky Herrington Klunk.
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I didn’t have a close relationship with my sister during our childhood. Being the eldest daughter of a widowed immigrant mother, the difference in responsibilities and expectations inadvertently drove a wedge between us. As kids, I mostly saw her as a nuisance — someone who always wanted what I was playing with and would not tell our mom I didn’t make her cry when the chancla was at bay. But once we were both teenagers, our relationship went from me evading her in the school playground to spending hours together watching videos on my laptop. What changed? A newfound shared love for the Jonas Brothers. Our relationship went from not being able to stand my sister for more than a few exchanged words to traveling two hours north from our hometown to see our first JoBros show on the day of my high school graduation. All these years later, not only do I not regret that decision, but it has become our thing: going to their shows together. So when we missed their “Five Albums. One Night. The World Tour” because she was either out of town or didn’t want to fly to Mexico with me, I feared we’d return to being enemies. Lucky for her, the Yaamava’ Theater at the Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San Manuel announced a show on Nov. 10, and I was gracious enough to take her with me.
The Yaamava’ Theater’s calendar is packed with shows by global stars. From U.S. acts like John Legend to Taiwanese singer Terry Lin, there’s something for everyone. Especially Latines and fans of música en español. Among the talent from our communities who have upcoming shows at the Yaamava’ Theater are Pepe Aguilar on Dec. 6, Emmanuel on Dec. 12, Juanes on Dec. 16 to 17, Banda Machos on Feb. 6, and Banda MS de Sergio Lizárraga on Mar. 1, just to name a few.
First Impressions
Driving up to the Yaamava’ Resort & Casino in San Bernardino County was a bit confusing. Google Maps directed us — and many other fans — to the reservation’s entrance and not the casino. With just a street name to look for, my sister and I eventually found the line to get into the parking lot, which was free, by the way, something that’s becoming rare in Southern California. But entering the actual casino floor was overwhelming. With only Las Vegas casinos as reference, this casino was packed to the brim in pale comparison. Though it was Veteran’s Day weekend, the Public Relations Specialist assured us it was usually packed like this and not just because it was a holiday.
Getting to the Yaamava’ Theater once inside the casino was also a mission, given I didn’t find the signage particularly helpful. But once inside, things ran smoothly. As our guides prefaced us, there truly wasn’t a bad seat in the house, which runs up to a 3,000-seat capacity. The venue, like the casino, is 21 and up.
The Best Part
The best part of the night at the Yaamava’ Theater was that it felt like a more intimate show. Though my sister and I had seen the Jonas Brothers closer than we did that night, it felt like a show for hardcore fans who traveled for this in particular. It was also funny to see random casino patrons file into the theater, not knowing what was going on but staying and enjoying the show. As I usually do before concerts, I had looked up the setlist, thinking we’d get the same one from the “Five Albums. One Night. The World Tour.” It was a nice surprise to see they weren’t following that list, instead surprising me and my sister with deep cuts from their earlier albums and the bangers from the latest ones. They even performed a cover of One Direction’s “Night Changes,” which recently went viral after the sudden death of member Liam Payne. Fans audibly gasped once Joe started singing it, causing the crowd to follow suit.
Right before the pandemic started, my sister and I saw the Jonas Brothers at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, a one-off show to mark their return as a band. The concert at the Yaamava’ Theater felt similar. We didn’t get the flair of an arena show from “Five Albums. One Night. The World Tour,” but it was refreshing to see them off-script and more interactive with the crowd than usual.
The Not-So-Best Part
Like many venues around the world, it’s easy to get into the Yaamava’ Theater, but getting out is another story. Getting in is seamless – the security line wasn’t that long and staff directed people to the elevators that take you to your section. But upon departure, it gets messy. People crowd the elevators to get out of the theatre, and the staircases, at least at this show, were closed. Though there’s an operator inside the elevator, there’s no staff outside keeping orderly lines, resulting in people randomly stampeding when the door opens. Anticipating the traffic, my sister and I left before the last song ended, but we were still held up by the lack of lines when getting into the elevators.
Final Thoughts
One of my favorite concert experiences ever was when I saw the Backstreet Boys in Las Vegas around 2018. My friends and I traveled from different places in the country, got hotel rooms and a table at the concert, and were quite literally serenaded by the members. Though the Yaamava’ Theater didn’t offer tables and bottle service, I got the sense that I could’ve had a similar experience if I didn’t have to leave for Miami the next day for the Latin Grammys. It’s a destination show. You can travel from different places in California and make it a weekend by staying at the casino, cutting back the commute time and securing the pre-game. But driving from San Diego to Yaamava’ Resort & Casino and back was only two two-hour drives, so that was also not a bad drive. It got me thinking about those Juanes shows and whether I should make it work…
Our lives have changed a lot since my sister first showed me the music video for “S.O.S” in 2007. She is now pregnant and due in May, and lately, work trips are the only type of traveling I can fit into my schedule. Who knows when my sister and I will be able to go to a Jonas Brothers show again, keeping our tradition alive, but at least the memory of their show at the Yaamava’ Theater will keep us going for a while.