Excitement was in the air at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, N.J. as pop artists Rachel Crow, Joe Jonas and Sara Bareilles took the stage on June 23 at the Girl Scouts Of America's 100th anniversary event, the B.I.G. (Believe In Girls) Celebration.
Crow, the 14-year-old X Factor finalist who recently signed deals with Columbia Records and Nickelodeon, took the stage first, wowing the crowd with her uncanny vocal talent personable stage presence.
Shortly after Crow's performance, fans began to grow impatient as they waited for perhaps the most sought-after young male of the evening, Joe Jonas.
Elizabeth Mendez, 10, a N.J. Girl Scout, explained her excitement.
"Joe Jonas is my hero. It's so cool that my troop and I get to see him perform here today. I've never seen him live. This is the best day of my life."
Jonas, who is one third of the Grammy-nominated band, The Jonas Brothers, returned back to his home state and commanded the stage to an audience of screaming girls. Signs of 'I Love You' and 'You Saved My Life' were subtle compared to a group of young fans that brought Jonas-dolls to hold up for their idol.
Fans subsequently sang the words to every song, but the decibel level reached a new high as Jonas honored his brothers with covers of their former number one hits, "Burnin' Up" and "When You Look Me In The Eyes."
Giving the over-excited audience little time to relax, Bareilles, judge of NBC's The Sing Off, closed the evening with a set dedicated to female empowerment. Her cover of Beyonce's "Single Ladies" was quite the hit, reminding everyone listening that a man wasn't needed to be happy.
In addition to the well-recognized artists, local bands were given the chance to play the same stage as some of their idols.
Goodbye Friday, an unsigned band from Hopatcong, explains the significance of playing at the famous park among the well-recognized attendees.
"To play outside and to be around these kind of people - it's just amazing," says lead singer Rocco Costanza. "It's such an iconic place. There are no words to describe this whole day."
Outside of the performances, troops could participate in a unified service project aiding the World Wildlife Foundation by planting native flowerbeds and shrubs in an allotted space in the center of the park.
Rock climbing, face painting and of course a cookie tent were also available, making the daylong event suitable for the entire family.
For more information about Girl Scouts of America, please visit http://www.girlscouts.org/.
Alexandra D'Aluisio can be reached at alexandra. daluisio@student.shu.edu.
