DeKALB – Pop singer and actor Jesse McCartney delivered an entertaining and high energy performance at the Egyptian Theatre Thursday night.

McCartney is known for his role as JR Chandler on the daytime soap opera “All My Children,” his many appearances on shows and films, especially on Disney Channel, as well as being in the boy band Dream Street. 

The singer has continued to release music as a solo artist ever since Dream Street broke up in 2002. His most well-known songs include “Leavin’,” “Beautiful Soul” and “Better with You.” McCartney released his most recent album “New Stage” on Oct. 8.

Opening act Casey Baer set the tone for the night with a personal and energetic performance. Baer sang a mix of her original songs as well as covers by artists such as Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo. Baer took the time to tell a story that connected each song together and kept the audience engaged.

The crowd went wild with anticipation for McCartney to take over the stage. McCartney started off the show with his song “She’s No You,” a song off the singer’s 2004 album “Beautiful Soul.”

“This is like our teenage dream come true,” said Rebecca Kalas, who is getting her master’s in vision rehabilitation therapy at NIU. “He just keeps coming out with great music, and I just think he’s a stand-up guy.”

McCartney played a variety of his songs, including “Selfless,” “Party For Two,” “Kiss The World Goodbye,” “Friends,” “Yours,” “Wasted,” and ended the set with his hit song “Beautiful Soul.” 

A few songs into the set, McCartney slowed things down with acoustic hits “Because You Live” and “Just So You Know.”

Brother and sister Mohamed Zakee and Umahani Mohammadi, both residents of Naperville, are big Jesse McCartney fans and have previously seen McCartney perform in Chicago.

“We’ve liked him since we were very little, so we grew up with him and it’s just nostalgic,” Mohammadi said. 

Mohammadi remembers listening to and seeing McCartney on MTV, Disney Channel and 103.5 KISS FM in Chicago.

“Before we really even spoke English we used to listen to him all the time,” Zakee said.

McCartney interacted with the crowd constantly, which kept the audience much more interested and curious about what would come next. Throughout the set, McCartney told stories about when he first rose to fame at a young age to how certain songs of his came to be.

“He’s a very genuine sweet guy,” said Jasmine Johns, a senior social work major at Aurora University. “His music, I don’t know, it’s just catchy, I like it.”

McCartney catered to both new and longtime fans by performing songs from when he first started his musical career to songs featured on his latest album. The audience was energetic throughout the whole night, cheering and singing along to McCartney’s hits.