POSTMODERN JUKEBOX carried spectators into the past on Thursday night with their electronic swing covers of popular modern songs. Walking into the Egyptian Room before the show, one would immediately understand the vibe as they were surrounded by hundreds of people wearing their dancing clothes, and even many women dressed up as 1920s flappers, feathers and all.
PMJ took the stage shortly after 8 o’clock, the band members entering first in matching white tuxedos. They started with a cover of Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” with singer Tatum Langley in a beautiful black flapper dress. Halfway through the song, dance artist Jabu Graybeal came out to tap dance.
After the first song was met with thunderous applause and a standing ovation, the band’s MC, Rogelio Douglas Jr., came out to talk to the audience. He complimented the crowd on their thematic outfits and announced that this tour was in celebration of PMJ’s 10 year anniversary of performing. He proclaimed that the night would include “a celebration like no other” and “a trip back in time.”
Postmodern Jukebox went on to perform many modern classics, including Imagine Dragons’ “Radioactive,” The Cure’s “Lovesong,” The Weeknd’s “Die For You,” and Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters.” They had several singers besides opener Tatum Langley: Tia Simone, Tawanda, the MC Rogelio Douglas Jr., and for one song, even the drummer Willie Ray Moore, covering Sound Garden’s “Black Hole Sun” while playing the drums at the same time.
Moore wasn’t the only multitalented musician amongst the group. Touring with PMJ was Gunhild Carling, a Swedish musician who not only claimed to play 35 instruments, but proved some of them, too; during a rendition of Pharrel Williams’ song “Happy,” Carling not only sang but also played the trombone, recorder, bass, and at one point, three trumpets at the same time. The crowd, of course, went absolutely nuts for this.
Another cool thing the band did was include multiple tap dance opportunities for Jabu Graybeal, including a medley of songs from the Super Mario video games and even a medley of songs related to the hit tv show “The Office.” There was a mini stage just for the tap dancer, and it had its own mic so the taps were heard loud and clear. Graybeal was clearly very talented, and received the cheers he deserved for such a performance.
As the show drew to an end, the crowd was given some history of the band, including a brief nod to their origin as a “motown Nickelback cover band” and the fact that they’d now toured in 54 countries across 6 continents. They thanked the fans and gave a speech about live music, how it brings us together, and how it allows us to “catch a glimpse of a brighter tomorrow.”
Overall, the group put on an amazing performance and exceeded all expectations. I’ll admit that I was a little uncertain going in, unsure what to expect from a live performance in this style of music, but Postmodern Jukebox blew me away. At the end of the show, as they finished with Meghan Trainor’s “All About That Bass,” I discovered a small crowd of people in the back of the Egyptian Room, wearing their dancing clothes and swing dancing to the music.
This show felt like a once in a lifetime opportunity to see many multitalented musicians in one place, and I will cherish the memories forever.