CONCERTS
Woodstock family ‘driven’ to see Jonas Brothers
Weather Channel personality and daughters track band faithfully
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Kristin Dodd loves the Jonas Brothers.
Her creds? She’s traveled 5,500 miles to see the brothers 15 times in 10 months. She screams when they hit the stage. After one concert, Kevin Jonas threw a guitar pick at her, but she missed it and spent 30 minutes hopelessly looking for it on the ground.
KRISTIN DODD / SPECIAL
Mackenzie Dodd, 14, traveled to Indianapolis with her mom and two sisters to meet the Jonas Brothers, Kevin (from left), Nick and Joe. Females in the Dodd family have seen the boy band 15 times so far.
And somehow, she manages not to embarrass her three daughters — too much. Dodd is a Weather Channel meteorologist from Woodstock reliving her teen years a bit thanks to the latest Disney sensation. Her three daughters, Mackenzie ,14, Madison, 13, and Logan, 4, are happy to oblige.
“Without her, we wouldn’t be able to go to these concerts,” said Mackenzie, whose favorite Jonas brother is Nick. “I put up with it when my mom sings and screams louder than we do.”
Kristin said until the Jonas Brothers came along, she hadn’t been to a concert since her kids were born.
“They’re talented, all-around good guys and they make wonderful music,” she said. “I don’t mind my daughters obsessed with clean-cut guys.”
The obsession started innocently enough last October when the family couldn’t snag tickets to the hot Hannah Montana concert with the Jonas Brothers opening.
Instead, they traveled two hours to Perry for the Georgia National Fair and caught the trio there. “We got hooked,” Dodd said.
They caught them again a month later at a Duluth Verizon Wireless store where the girls got to meet the group. Kristin, as a parent, had to stay back. “I was a little disappointed,” she said.
A month later, the Dodds caught the brothers at Star 94’s Jingle Jam at Gwinnett Arena where they snagged second-row seats. By this time, the Dodds began buying multiple tickets, then selling them to buy better seats. Over the months, the gals also raised funds via a garage sale, baby-sitting and, in the case of young Logan, a lemonade stand.
They have since seen the act in Tampa, Orlando, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Charlotte, to name a few. In Charlotte last month, they held up a poster noting their dedication to the band. “Kevin was trying to read it and you could see a light bulb go off,” Dodd said. “He pointed right to us. That was cool!”
For each concert, the Dodds transform their silver Dodge Grand Caravan into a “JoBro” machine, replete with balloons and streamers. Mackenzie, a guitarist herself, opened the hatch before the Charlotte concert and played a preshow jam with a friend.
So where’s the ever tolerant dad in this picture? Mike, owner of a production company, compares their love for the Jonas Brothers to sports fans who follow their teams around the country. “They’re having fun,” he said. “When you’re outnumbered [genderwise] like this, you just have to sit back and smile.”
By showtime, the Dodds (minus Mike) will be in row L at Lakewood Amphitheatre to cheer the guys on once again.
JONAS BROTHERS
Lakewood Amphitheatre
2002 Lakewood Way, Atlanta
August 20
$25 to $75 (sold out)
Ticketmaster, 404-249-6400, www.ticket
master.com
