I can’t remember if my first taste of Postmodern Jukebox was “All About That Bass” or “Dream On” but I remember catching them on YouTube and thinking, “Oh! That’s pretty cool!” and always made it a point to check them out whenever I saw them come up in my digital feeds.
The opportunity to catch the PMJ 10th Anniversary Tour came on their stop in New Buffalo, Michigan at the Silver Creek Event Center at Four Winds Casino.
When the house lights came down a few minutes after 9pm, what happened for the next 100 minutes or so became a mix of torch songs, tap dancing, and jaw-dropping artistry. From the costumes to the musical arrangements, masterful vocals and mindblowing musicianship, this was, without a doubt, my favorite live music event of the year. (And, just for perspective, my concert docket for this year included Marilyn Manson, Five Finger Death Punch, Third Eye Blind, and the incomparable Carlos Santana.)
I opted to go phone free for the opener, which was an amazing arrangement of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” with Rogelio Douglas, Jr. on vocals. He introduced himself as the emcee for the evening and after he encouraged us to use the hashtag #PMJtour in our posts of the show, we took off on a journey I will never forget. Let’s get to some video clips. Enjoy sampling most of the performances in the video below!
Later in the evening, after all the musicians got their solos in as well, bassist and musical director Adam Kubata shared some remarks as he has been a part of the Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox journey since before they went viral. Here’s what Adam had to share.
According to the PMJ website…
When New York City pianist Scott Bradlee created Postmodern Jukebox out of a basement in Queens in 2011, his goal was simple: to remake the pop hits of today into the classic sounds of the legends of yesterday. Miley Cyrus became The Platters. Bruno Mars became Frank Sinatra. The Spice Girls became The Andrews Sisters. Guns ’n’ Roses became Bessie Smith.
Now, nearly a decade later, Postmodern Jukebox has grown to become a pop culture mainstay in its own right, having played over a thousand shows on six continents worldwide — including acclaimed venues like Radio City Music Hall, Sydney Opera House, and Red Rocks Amphitheater. In the process, PMJ has introduced audience to many of the world’s greatest singers, dancers, and instrumentalist — many of whom have gone on to become stars in their own right.
One part celebration of vintage music and culture, one part “’Saturday Night Live’ for singers”, a Postmodern Jukebox show is an unforgettable trip back in time that makes Pop Music History — in your own hometown.
This particular performance brought top tier displays of vocal, instrumental, tap dancing, costume, hair/makeup, and lighting design including artists and themes like: Dua Lipa, Chappell Roan, The Legend of Zelda, Meghan Trainor, Kings of Leon, The Office, The Spice Girls, and Leonard Cohen.
And in no way to take away from the performances of the amazing vocalists, Rogelio Douglas Jr., Effie Passero, and Tatum Langley, and Tawanda, some of my favorite parts of the evening came from tap dance powerhouse Demi Remick. Additionally, in a wonderful surprise turn of events, drummer Willie Ray Moore, Jr graced us with a vocal performance on the 90s rock favorite “Black Hole Sun” while still playing the drum kit!
And as people began to leave early, I’m assuming, “to beat traffic” or get a jump on what could be a long drive home, I stayed put in my comfortable seat knowing there was more to be had. The second encore of the night brought an interlude of “Freebird” performed by pianist Tony Kieraldo, which led into an absolutely jaw-dropping performance of Radiohead’s “Creep” by the stunning Effie Passero. The interlude and full performance can be seen below.
Here is a full listing of the on-stage talent from the evening:
Female Vocals: Effie Passero, Tatum Langley, Tawanda
Emcee: Rogelio Douglas Jr
Piano: Tony Kieraldo
Bass: Adam Kubata
Drums: Willie Ray Moore, Jr
Woodwinds: Dan Hitchcock
Trombone: JP Floyd
Guitar: Anthony Castagna
Tap/Variety: Demi Remick
Follow Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox on:
Life Is Theatrical Communications 
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