It began with a pianist playing ragtime versions of 1980s hits in his New York basement and grew swiftly into a viral phenomenon, writes Amina Ali. Almost two billion YouTube views later, Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox are heading to Leicester.
Guided by the slogan “today’s hits, yesterday,’ the American group have been covering modern classics in a retro jazzy style since 2011. Not content with millions of followers on social media, Bradlee decided to take the orchestra on the road and the Postmodern Jukebox stage show was born.
Since then, they’ve played more than 1,000 shows in North America, Europe and Australia, winning rave reviews along the way and the acclaim of world-renowned artists.
Tunes that have had a Postmodern Jukebox vintage makeover range from Meghan Trainor’s All About That Bass and Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance to Creep by Radiohead and Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill. Musical styles switch from soul to jazz, doo-wop to bluegrass.
Bradlee describes it as “pop music in a time machine.”
Bradlee said: “If we’ve learned anything from 10 years of touring the world, it’s that great music has the ability to transcend time and space in a way that is best described as ‘magic.’
“In fact, all of us likely have a song or two that instantly transports us to another place. Our ‘Moonlight and Magic’ World Tour is meant to celebrate this phenomenon through breathtaking live performances that will be remembered long after the curtain falls.”
The tour will kick off in the Royal Albert Hall in London on April 23 before visiting cities up and down the country.
The group will reach De Montfort Hall on May 1, and promise a show that will appeal across generations.
Tickets range from £37 to £71. Tickets can be purchased on the De Montfort Hall website.
