Postmodern Jukebox set to bring vintage sounds, style and swing to Paramount Theater

Post Modern Jukebox set to bring vintage sounds, style and swing to Paramount Theater

By: Kevin Vickery 

On Thursday, October 30th Scott Bradlee’s Post Modern Jukebox will showcase their high energy set of revamped rock and pop hits in downtown Anderson for the first night of the Fall leg of their North American tour entitled, “Magic, Moonlight & Mistletoe”.

Post Modern Jukebox (or PMJ) started in 2011 as the brain child of New York based pianist, Scott Bradlee. He and some of his other musician friends would gather in his basement to rework popular modern music into vintage genres, particularly early 20th century forms such as jazz and swing. They began filming these weekly performances and releasing the videos on YouTube. 

Their earliest recordings of these old fashioned style remakes of songs like Macklemore’s, “Thrift Shop” and Miley Cyrus’, “We Can’t Stop” went viral and the rest is history. This unique way of blending new songs with old style has been so successful for PMJ that they’ve become a global touring act amassing 6.2 million YouTube subscribers with over 1.9 billion views. The band features a rotating line up of over 70 musicians and  has performed on six continents.

I’ve always enjoyed when a cover song is reinvented in a new way rather than just duplicated as the original. I believe that allows the artist to give the song new life by expressing their own creativity and style through their interpretation and not simply copying someone else’s work.

That is exactly what Scott Bradlee and PMJ have done. Search YouTube and you will find their song titles to be things like, “Timber – Vintage 1950s Doo Wop Pitbull/Ke$ha Cover”, “Blurred Lines – Vintage Bluegrass Barn Dance Robin Thicke Cover”, and “Gangsta’s Paradise – Vintage 1920’s Al Capone Style Coolio Cover”.  Not only do Bradlee and PMJ perfectly execute the sound of these various time periods and genres, they also replicate the look through their clothing and costumes.

This unique blend of, style, sound, and musicianship is what PMJ will bring to Paramount Theatre. While Bradlee himself is not part of the touring production, his role is that of a director and producer of the tour who does make it out to play live with the band occasionally when his schedule permits.  In his absence he frequently leaves the troop in the capable hands of band member and bassist Adam Kubota who’s been with PMJ since the beginning. Adam is currently band-leading the European tour, and will be joining the US Fall Tour after he returns.  According to Scott, “Adam has done more PMJ shows than anyone else by far!  We call him the “Cal Ripken, Jr.” of PMJ!

The concert which gives the feeling of a cross between a Las Vegas show and a Broadway performance will feature a musical troupe of world-class singers, dancers and instrumentalists.  These artists will perform a variety show-styled evening of PMJ’s popular genre-twisting covers of pop hits, with a few holiday classics sprinkled in.  Audiences can expect to hear familiar hits from Guns ‘n’ Roses, Def Leppard, the Spice Girls Beyoncé, Radiohead, Michael Jackson and Chappell Roan all done in the throwback styles of yesteryear.

I was able to ask Scott Bradlee a few questions and get his thoughts about his inspiration for PMJ and the live show experience.  On where it all started he said, “I’ve always been an “Old Soul” when it comes to music, and when I was in high school, I used to take current pop songs and play them as jazz and ragtime songs on the piano, as kind of a fun party trick. It took me another decade or so before I had any thought of building a concert act around that sort of thing – so I suppose I have my early YouTube subscribers to thank for that!”

When I asked him how he’s able to find so many high-caliber musicians to work with on his collaborations he told me, “I find that talented artists tend to know other talented artists, and are quite generous with recommending them to us! Having so many incredible talents around makes our tours artistically rewarding experiences for everyone.  Besides great musicianship and technical ability, I also look for authenticity – i.e. is this an artist that has forged their own unique sound and style?”

PMJ has reworked so many great, popular songs into these retro style versions that I was curious as to what it takes for a song to make the cut.  Scott said, “I like to take songs that are familiar to lots of people – but even more importantly, I look for songs that remind me of records from the distant past.  Usually, I’m looking to highlight some historical parallels to the lyrics of the song, using cultural references from earlier eras. It helps if I already like the song to begin with, but it’s not necessary. He added that some of his favorites are, The Spice Girls’, “Say You’ll Be There” featuring Tawanda, Kyndle Wylde and Tatum Langley done in the 1940s style of The Andrews Sisters, Def Leppard’s, “Pour Some Sugar On Me” featuring Kyndle Wylde in a 1960’s era Soul style and My Chemical Romance’s, “The Ghost Of You” featuring Effie Passero arranged in a dramatic WWII-era sound.

The live show is considered to be an immersive experience so patrons are encouraged to dress in their vintage best, for the full effect.  On that Scott added, “A PMJ show is an experience for everyone! You can show up knowing nothing about PMJ or “vintage” records and you’ll still recognize the songs, since they’re some of the biggest hits from the last 40 years.- Each tour is unique, so you can come back again and again and hear different songs and see different performers.

He added, “It’s also family-friendly, and suitable for all generations. – It’s been my mission to make entertainment that can cross all sorts of generational gaps!  We are so looking forward to seeing everyone this Fall! For the full “time traveling” effect, show up dressed in your vintage best! – but it’s also OK to just wear something comfortable and people-watch all the folks that dressed up!

Scott also tells me that we can expect the next PMJ record soon saying, “I think early 2026 is a safe bet! We have a bunch of new songs in the works, too.”

I saw PMJ last time they made it through our area back in May of last year and my personal favorite performances of the night were when vocalist Tia Simone belted out a 1960’s soul version of Metallica’s, “Nothing Else Matters” and when drummer, Willy Ray Moore Jr. sang a soulful jazz ballad version of Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun”.

That show at The Egyptian Room of Old National Center in Indianapolis was absolutely fantastic and I’m sure seeing them a little closer to home at a venue as cool as Paramount Theater in Anderson will be just as great and equally entertaining.

If you’re unfamiliar with Paramount Theater, it sits at 1124 Meridian Street in downtown Anderson. The theater has a rich history since its opening in 1929 and has a beautiful interior appearance that was designed as what is known as an “atmospheric theater” and made to resemble a Spanish Courtyard at night. It has gone through serious renovation throughout the years to keep it alive and thriving and it has most certainly been well worth the effort. 

Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of working many events there in various capacities including performing there a few times. It’s a super-cool venue and the Post Modern Jukebox show is bound to be a great experience for all those in attendance.

For more information about events at the Paramount Theater you can check out their facebook page or their official website at:  andersonparamount.org

For more information about Scott Bradlee’s Post Modern Jukebox, you can find them on YouTube, all social media outlets, using the hashtag #pmjtour or on their official website at postmodernjukebox.com