Janoskians
The Fillmore
Sept. 23, 2014
- Photo by Jeff Hahne
- Janoskians and one of the dance battle contestants.
Perhaps one Facebook commenter summed it up best when she read The Janoskians were coming to the Fillmore. “What are they going to do?” she asked.
The Janoskians (Just Another Name Of Silly Kids In Another Nation) are a comedy YouTube quintet from Australia that’s known for Jackass-like pranks and boy-band-esque songs. So, what do they do live? I’d say not much.
Members Beau Brooks (21), Daniel Sahyounie (19) and James Yammouni (18) hit the stage first for a short DJ set — they played a bunch of hit songs, got the crowd to sing along and filmed themselves with the audience. The few hundred teenage girls in attendance screamed nonstop.
- Photo by Jeff Hahne
- Janoskians
This tour is called the “Got Cake” Tour. If the humorous lyrics are any indication, The Janoskians, who have a song called “Real Girls Eat Cake,” want girls who eat cake, not worry about having a thigh gap. So, it should be no surprise that the crowd was shouting “We Want Cake” before the Janoskians took the stage. I was, however, taken aback when I saw a teenage girl holding a sign that read, “Eat My Cake.” After all, a lot of these girls were dropped off at the show by a parent.
It was clear from the opening savvy of profanity and profane imagery that these guys aren’t like other “boy bands.” They don’t identify as one. Most of them were rarely singing into their microphones — which may not have been turned on — and attempts at choreographed dance moves were laughable. But maybe that’s the point?
In the grand scheme of five young guys on a stage singing songs, Janoskians — the three previously mentioned along with twins Luke and Jai Brooks — were a refreshing change. That is, if you weren’t looking for anything serious, didn’t mind the endless stream of unfunny videos in the background and didn’t expect them to sing songs live.
But I had to wonder why all of the girls in attendance were drooling over this quintet. Not only did their dancing suck, but their onstage banter tended to ramble. They asked five attendees to participate in a dance contest on stage, though none of them appeared very excited to dance or receive a kiss as the prize.
However, at one point a girl behind me yelled, “That’s my future husband!” while a video of the boys was being shown — that could be expected. But during an opening video that included a fake infomercial, screams rang out loudest when “gold dildos” were advertised and one girl even clearly yelled out “Fuck me!” while the Janoskians “performed” a song.
Performed might be overstating it. It seemed like these guys were just out there to kill time, make a few bucks and have a little fun. They appeared bored with the singing/lip-synching, some segments felt forced, and the videos were little more than time killers.
Is this where things are headed in entertainment? If so, I fear for my daughter’s future. I’d say the guys should stick to making silly videos for YouTube and leave the on-stage, live entertainment to people who are better suited for it.
- Photo by Jeff Hahne
- Janoskians
“Setlist”
DJ Set
Movie
Best Friends
Dorito
Dance Battle
This Freaking Song
Punch Your Mom in the Face
Let It Go
Fan Fiction
Dorito
RGEG
Janoskian Family Screwed
Beau “Best Mom” Speech
Milf Strip
Janoski Knife
That’s What She Said
Take Group Photo
Say Goodnight
Encore
Best Friends
This article appears in Sep 24-30, 2014.
You obviously don’t know much about the boys, and your obviously an older women/man so why the hell would you have the same humour as 15 year old girls and boys. And they are clearly doing good for themselves and they clearly have such a big amazing fan base seeing as this is their second world tour!! I personally went to one of the boys GotCakeTour shows and honestly it was the best night of my life, I wish I could rewind time and do it all again. In my opinion these boys are the best tour I have attended and I have attended big acts tours such as; Nicki Manaj, The Vamps, The Script, Little Mix, Rixton etc. Truely I would say that if you don’t have tickets already and they haven’t been to your country yet, get your tickets now because you won’t regret it!! Also to whoever wrote this article I think you need to keep your opinions on such a matter to yourself as you will get a many young teenage girls arguing back, just like me. Follow my twitter- @pinchofluke
Wow pinchofluke, you have some growing up to do. I did not write this article but I saw the band and I wish I would have read this article before I ended up buying tickets. This band sucks and is very inappropriate for young girls. Any parent should read this before allowing their daughter to attend a concert of them.
I totally agree with you, @pinchofluke. Someone who doesn’t know the Janoskians would probably be confused; however, for their fans, seeing them is nothing short of a dream. I’m seeing them for the first time tomorrow after being a fan for about two and a half years, but I’ve watched many of their concerts on the internet, and they seem like so much fun. They don’t do it for the money and to waste time (as was mentioned). They simply do this for their fans, and they’ve even mentioned that the ticket prices are just enough to cover venue fees, leaving very little for themselves. They don’t do it for that reason, and neither they nor I would want people thinking that. I do understand that their style is not for everyone, but it definitely appeals to many people. –@notsomalik (twitter) and @swagkilla47 (instagram)
I watched the “show” at the Fillmore Theater in San Francisco on 10/27/14 as an adult and with an adult perspective on talent. My background from childhood was in the entertainment industry. I grew up in a family that appreciated music, and owned a high profile jazz club. In my formative years and teens I had live exposure to some of the jazz greats including Sergio Mendez, Cal Tjader, and the sensational Jose Feliciano. These musicians have had lasting careers spanning decades. True talent creates a Legacy. The Zanoskians juvenile antics at the Fillmore was an exhibition of pure moronic behavior. These boys cannot sing, dance, or create a single funny spoof on life. Their message is unclear and clouded in profanity and suggestive body language. These boys make the Three Stooges look like thespians. If they want to be outrageous, perhaps these kids can study some classic off beat humor from the old Monty Python skits. If they want to act and or play music perhaps they can study and apply to Julliard. I swear that I saw tears coming out of the eyes from the famous Posters and Photos of musical giants including Jimi Hendrix, Otis Redding, Muddy Waters, Janis Joplin, and Comic actors like Robin Williams who all grace the walls of The Fillmore Theater.