Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox Transforms Modern Hits into Retro Classics at the Southern Theatre March 1

Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox, the time-twisting musical collective known for putting “pop music in a time machine,” is set to make the ‘20s roar again with The Grand Reopening Tour, performing some of modern music’s biggest hits in the classic styles of bygone eras. Bradlee’s generation-spanning arrangements are brought to life by an ensemble of multi-talented singers and musicians, making for one of the most thrilling live music experiences of this or any other time period.

CAPA presents Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox: The Grand Reopening Tour at the Southern Theatre (21 E. Main St.) on Tuesday, March 1, at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $39-$89 and can be purchased in-person at the CBUSArts Ticket Center (39 E. State St.), online at www.capa.com, or by phone at (614) 469-0939.

Over the past decade, Postmodern Jukebox (PMJ) has grown from a viral phenomenon into a worldwide juggernaut, amassing more than five million subscribers on their YouTube channel and growing from Bradlee’s tiny apartment in Astoria, Queens, to a Los Angeles studio befitting the bandleader’s increasingly ambitious vision. Most recently, PMJ reimagined the beloved theme from “Friends” via the evolution of music styles throughout the 20th century, beginning in the Hot Jazz 1920s and climaxing in the ‘90s with a guest appearance by original “I’ll Be There For You” performers, The Rembrandts.

Meanwhile, Concord Records has released two essentials compilations featuring PMJ classics from American Idol alum Haley Reinhart’s torch song rendition of Radiohead’s “Creep” to actor-comedian Wayne Brady’s Cab Calloway-inspired version of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” In 2018, Bradlee told his incredible story in his memoir, Outside the Jukebox: How I Turned My Vintage Music Obsession into My Dream Gig.

Since embarking on a touring career in 2014, PMJ has performed on bigger and bigger stages as they’ve traversed the globe, including memorable shows at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. As 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.”

For a band so deeply rooted in Jazz Age aesthetics – though their time warps have touched on virtually every major trend in popular music from doo-wop to Motown to hair metal – the coming of another twenties was obviously a symbolic milestone. Ironically, the original Roaring 20s was itself ushered in by a worldwide flu pandemic.