Joe Jonas, Jay Sean House of Blues September 26, 2011

The best part of Monday night's Joe Jonas show at House of Blues was looking down at our phone and seeing one of Nancy Grace's nipples. Nah, homegirl wasn't sexting Aftermath, she had a wardrobe malfunction/ratings booster during Dancing With the Stars. The 51-year old wailing banshee was all we had to hold on to during Jay Sean's opening slot.

Hold on, we just got a hold of ourselves. We were at a Joe Jonas show on a Monday evening? Yes, we were. It seemed like a lark, and plus, you never know, there could have been a huge crowd. But there wasn't. The floor directly in front of the stage was full and the balcony seemed inhabited, but as far as HOB shows go, it was easy going.

We could even sit on top of the back bar, with no fuss.

We posited during the show that it actually must be a bitch to venture out solo from a megahit group like Joe has from his family band, the Jonas Brothers, especially in such a rancid music business. Even if you really believe in what you are doing, and it's been vetted by a label, and the Twitter following is there, it doesn't guarantee success, or even a packed house.

Just a few years after the brothers' sold-out RodeoHouston appearance, to boot.

What surprised us about Jonas' set was how un-Jonas it was, and - Jesus - generic too. At least the JoBros had a dumb (OK, we liked it) power-pop thing going on that could translate into a rockier side project.

Joe's solo act, though, was stolen from Justin Timberlake's 2002 playbook. But, aha, that stuff sells infinitely better than any indie-electro turn Jonas could make, and you could start a club campaign to re-introduce him to club DJs. We get that.