From regular Joes (1, anyway) to the megahot Jonas Brothers

A year ago, the Jonas Brothers were just another boy band with black ringlets and matching outfits. But now the pop rock trio is a powerhouse.

The Jonas Brothers recently signed a two-year, worldwide touring deal with Live Nation, reportedly in the multimillions, according to Billboard. That puts them in a league with pop princess Hannah Montana, and icons like Bruce Springsteen, Celine Dion and Van Halen — almost unheard of for an emerging act.

Next Tuesday, the New Jersey natives come to Washington for their third concert since last October, on their first headlining tour. It'll likely be sold out like the previous two shows — dates have been selling out in minutes.

"A year ago we were in a van," said Joe Jonas, during a recent teleconference. Now they have their own bus and are packing arenas.

A Jonas Brothers concert is like going back to the boy bands of old — New Kids on the Block and 'N Sync. Girls in their tweens and teens scream so loudly, you can hardly hear the music. And the band's admirers are very devoted. Homemade T-shirts and posters declare their love, and one fan at their October Seattle Center appearance even threatened to fight headliner Miley Cyrus for Nick Jonas after hearing rumors of romance. Moms, too, joined the throng — jumping in front of the band's bus.

To break it down for the uninitiated: Nick may be the youngest at 15, but he's "definitely the boss," said Kevin, at a Northgate Mall appearance last fall. Kevin is the oldest at 20, and a "ball of energy," said Joe. And Joe is in the middle at 18, and the "goofball of the group, not afraid to joke around and have a good time," said Kevin. In fact, he's fallen onstage twice at two award shows (American Music Awards and the CosmoGIRL! Born to Lead Awards) and recently got stitches in his head after horsing around backstage at an Atlantic City concert.

In person, the brothers are extremely polite, definitely more cordial than typical rock stars. They are gracious and say a lot of thank-yous. They seem genuinely enthusiastic about meeting fans, and hold up a squeaky clean image, perfect for their pint-size fans and their parents. The brothers attribute this to a strong family base and their faith.

"We try to be the people that our parents raised us to be," said Kevin.

Up next is a third album, set to come out in July. It will be produced by John Fields, who worked on their last album, which debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart and went platinum. Fields also has worked with the likes of Jimmy Eat World, Switchfoot and Backstreet Boys.

What is interesting is that the Jonas Brothers pen and perform their own material, atypical of pop stars. Also, their musical tastes don't necessarily reflect their age or their audience — Elvis Costello, Prince and the Beatles. In fact, during this tour, they will be covering '80s new wave band a-ha's "Take on Me."

In the works are a Disney Channel movie "Camp Rock" and their own Disney show, called "Junior Operatives Networking As Spies," or "J.O.N.A.S."

But they try not to let the fame get to their heads. Each of their tour crew members wears this slogan on their shirts — "Remember the dream."

And they keep this motto they grew up with in mind: "Live at the bottom even if you're at the top," said Joe.

Marian Liu: 206-464-3825 or mliu@seattletimes.com