It's music that sounds familiar, but it's arranged and played as you've never heard it before.
The group Postmodern Jukebox puts its unique spin on the pop hits of today and reimagines them as the sounds of the 1940s and '50s.
"It's kind of this alternate universe where all the big hits of today, what if they were recorded many years ago during the time of the likes of Benny Goodman, Motown, Elvis, Everly Brothers, and you know all the days when music existed on vinyl records," explained Scott Bradlee, founder and musical director of Postmodern Jukebox.
"That's what we're trying to bring to life. The inspiration is imagining if you were back in the 1940s and you're going to a New Year's Eve party and the Rat Pack's there and all these great performers from yesteryear are all performing, they're just getting up on stage and they're giving these amazing mind-blowing performances," explained Bradlee.
Since starting out of a basement 14 years ago, Postmodern Jukebox has grown into a pop culture mainstay in its own right, performing in venues like Radio City Music Hall and Sydney Opera House.
Now, they're playing Thousand Oaks. On Sunday, September 7, they'll bring their Magic & Moonlight Tour to the Thousand Oaks Performing Arts Center.
"In this particular show, we have everything from the Spice Girls to Def Leppard to The Animals. Something for every generation," said Bradlee.
"We've created this show really for old souls that want to come out and hear the songs of today, but in the styles of yesteryear," said Bradlee. "People can't help but sing along. When the song begins, you're like, 'How do I know all the words to this song, even though it sounds like an old jazz song?'"
Audiences have run with the vintage theme, and many dress up in costume for the concerts.
"I remember even going back to 2014, we did our first tour, and we never even really told our audience to dress up; they just did it naturally. They knew what to do. They'd get dressed up in all different vintage styles, you know, whether it's like a 1920s flapper look or 1940s pin-up," said Bradlee.
"That's actually become just one of my favorite features, and it was just completely unexpected. I'd never realized that people were going to get into it the way that they have."
It’s a unique trip down memory lane — for those of us with short memories!
