Have you
ever thought how Justin Bieber’s “Sorry” would have sounded if it came out in
the 60’s or if Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect” could make a 1950’s prom even more
romantic?
The
once-popular phrase may be “everything old is new again,” but for Scott
Bradlee, it might read everything new is old again.
Instead
of just doing covers, music arranger and pianist Scott Bradlee formed an
ensemble band of throwbox minstrels called Post Modern Jukebox (PMJ) that takes
modern pop hits and plays them in ragtime, vintage jazz and other retro musical
styles.
“Today's
hits, yesterday” was the inspiration behind Post Modern Jukebox’s unique retro-reworkings of modern pop and
rock hits. The multi-talented collective reimagines contemporary pop, rock and
R&B hits in the style of various yesteryears, from swing to doo-wop,
ragtime to Motown – or, as Bradlee himself puts it, “pop music in a time
machine.”
It’s an
idea Bradlee had as far back as high school.
“When I
was in high school, I was getting into really like early jazz, stuff like
ragtime and New Orleans music and things like that,” Bradlee said. “You can
imagine that most of my peers weren’t really into that kind of music. They
didn’t play a whole lot of ragtime at school dances back then. So I wanted to
be able to share this with my friends, and one thing I wound up doing since I
had pretty good ears—I taught myself a lot by ear—I would just kind of pick out
pop songs that they liked and turned them into ragtime or jazz and stuff.”
PMJ had
its humble beginnings in the cramped basement of Bradlee’s apartment in Queens,
New York, where he shot videos with a small group of college friends.
The
group’s big break came after doing a jazzy cover of Macklemore & Ryan
Lewis’ ‘Thrift Shop’ which became viral, reaching over a million views in its
first week and climbing to #8 on Billboard magazine’s Jazz Albums chart.
Bradlee and crew then followed it up with Miley Cyrus’ ‘We Can’t Stop’ and true
enough there was simply no stopping PMJ as it found its way out of Bradlee’s
basement apartment and into bigger, more elaborate venues and mainstream
consciousness.
Post
Modern Jukebox’s choice of material ranges from the ‘80s hard rock of Guns N’
Roses to the most current hits of today and they are performed by a rotating
cast of musicians, including numerous American Idol alumni, wearing the same
fashion pieces as their version’s particular era or genre.
To date,
they have amassed over a billion views on their YouTube channel, and they have
covered artists ranging from Lady Gaga to Radiohead, Taylor Swift
to Maroon 5 and many others, giving their hits a vintage makeover
like jazz, swing and ragtime.
“I take
pride in putting together the right powers and personalities to create a unique
and amazing experience for our fans,” Bradlee says in an interview. “We want
them to escape reality and join us for the most sensational 1920s party this side
of The Great Gatsby. We want them to experience what it was like to be at the
New Years' Eve show that Sinatra would have hosted in the 1940s. We want them
to feel the excitement of hearing the greats of Motown live and up close. Our
goal is to give our audiences their favorite show again and again and still
have it feel like the very first time.”
The
Houston Press proclaimed, “Scott Bradlee’s project has turned into a worldwide
phenomenon in quite a small amount of time, having sold out shows in more than
60 countries around the world – and rightly so.”
And as
any Post Modern Jukebox fan can tell you, the experience is never the same
twice, with new songs, new sounds, and new members added to the ever-growing
family each time around.
Finally, Pinoy enthusiasts can now experience Pop Music in a Time
Machine as Midas Productions presents Post
Modern Jukebox Live in Manila at the Kia Theatre on Friday, 14th
September 2018.
Tickets go on
sale beginning Friday, June 15, 2018 at 10 am onwards.
Ticket Prices:
VIP Gold Package: P9,600
VIP: P4,500
Orchestra: P3,500
Loge: P4,000
Balcony: P2,500
VIP GOLD PACKAGE DETAILS
Package name: Postmodern Jukebox Gold VIP Package
Package price: P9,600.00
Ticket limit per order: 4
Package offsale: 5 days prior to show date
Each GOLD package includes:
- 1 Premium Seat Location in the First 2 Rows
- Post Show Meet & Greet and Photo Opportunity with members of
Postmodern Jukebox
- 1 Exclusive Postmodern Jukebox Limited Edition Tour Print
- 1 Commemorative VIP Laminate (Your pass to access the Meet &
Greet)
VIP SILVER PACKAGE DETAILS
Package name: Postmodern Jukebox Silver VIP Package
Package price: P6,645.00
Ticket limit per order: 4
Package offsale: 5 days prior to show date
Each SILVER package includes:
- 1 Premium Seat Location in the First 3 Rows
- 1 Exclusive Postmodern Jukebox Limited Edition Tour Print
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