Greetings From Rehearsals in London!
Taking a break from the usual this week to bring you some photos from our Postmodern Jukebox Grand Reopening Tour
Hey folks- I’m in London this week, rehearsing with our Postmodern Jukebox cast for the UK & Europe leg of our Grand Reopening World Tour. In place of my usual Musings fare, I figured I’d take today to share some words about the show, as well as some amazing photos from our current North America tour, taken by Matt Akana. Hope you don’t mind the change of pace today, and enjoy these great images! -SB
Is there any feeling better than reuniting with old friends and loved ones?
Back in 2014, the first full Postmodern Jukebox tour across the United States was named the Great Impression Tour. It was an aspirational name, to fit an aspirational time. We were a new, up-and-coming act that had just received glowing write-ups in industry magazines like Billboard and Pollstar, and this tour was meant to solidify our status as a buzz-worthy act in demand. The concept of our act was simple: an alternate-universe variety show of modern-day pop hits, all reimagined as “Golden Oldies” from the days of vinyl, performed by some of the world’s best voices and most exciting musical talents. Our goal back then was simply to impress — and impress, we did. It was an exciting time of viral YouTube videos, meetings with industry bigwigs, and lots and lots of end-of-show selfies.
It’s 2022 now, and we’re back on the road for our Grand Reopening World Tour — although, perhaps the Grand Reunion World Tour would be a better description of where our collective heart is at. It’s been seven years since the Great Impression Tour, and we’re no longer the shiny, brand new act that the industry press is hyping up. And that’s ok, because we now have something far more valuable: a proven track record of consistently awesome shows around the world — with consistently awesome fans, to match. This time around, our tour isn’t for “clout,” as the kids say. It’s a trip to visit all of our fans and friends worldwide that we’ve missed so dearly over the past two years.
There are actually two reunions happening at each show on this tour: one between our cast and crew members, and one between the PMJ collective and the audience. Both have been quite moving to me. In rehearsals, even the tasks that I’ve done a thousand times before — working through the ending harmonies on a song or watching our cast and creative team go over microphone transitions — took on a new, special significance to me. I would imagine that it’s a bit like the feeling a parent gets when their kids are finally back home from college; after a year or more apart, even the mundane moments are ones to be savored.
Even more special, however, is the reunion between our collective cast members and our fans — both new and longtime — in each city. Our current North American tour cast (currently coming through New England, as we speak) has been absolutely incredible both on stage and off, and in return, our audiences have been providing them with memories that they will cherish all their lives. It’s a pretty special exchange, indeed. Night after night, these talented performers get to experience the incredible thrill of taking the stage to thunderous applause, knowing that an entire audience is rooting for them and celebrating their countless years of dedication to mastering their craft.
I remember that feeling well, from my first time on stage in front of a packed house in Toronto, ON. Six months earlier, I was playing the piano to occassional polite applause in the corner of a restaurant; now, a crowd of hundreds were cheering me on to do the exact same thing. Nothing had changed, yet everything had changed. Our cast on the road knows this dreamlike feeling well; to this day, there is a tangible sense of joy backstage when the lights come down and our show is about to begin. A sense of purpose.
That sense of purpose is not illusory, either. Societally, live music has always performed a vital function throughout history. As the emcee reminds us at the conclusion of each Postmodern Jukebox show:
Live music has the amazing ability to unite people from all walks of life and remind us of our common humanity — our struggles, our triumphs, and everything in between. It’s been that way since the beginning of time. When the going gets tough, music is a salve that helps heals our wounds, and allows us to catch a glimpse of a better tomorrow.
When folks ask how they can support our mission at Postmodern Jukebox, I am quick to let them know that they are already doing so, simply by virtue of appreciating great music and great talent. I don’t believe that we need to do anything outlandish to keep the classic genres of music we play alive or relevant; they remain both these things, to this very day. Billie Holiday is continuing to inspire new generations of vocalists with her saxophone-inspired, “behind-the-beat” phrasing. Jackie Wilson is continuing to inspire entertainers with his thrilling vocals and show-stopping dance steps. Johnny Cash is continuing to inspire songwriters with his tales of hard times and redemption. The classics need no publicist; their legacy will endure far beyond the limits of our imagination.
Similarly, I don’t believe that our show — or a show by any of the talented artists that appear on our stages, for that matter — needs much in the way of hype. In an age where spectacle is ubiquitous, we tour with only a minimalist set and lighting — and intentionally so. The sheer power of a singer’s ringing high notes; or the kinetic energy expended by a tap dancer with almost superhuman ability; or the protolanguage that emerges when a horn soloist tells a story without words that somehow resonates, nonetheless — these moments create a stir within us far beyond what can be achieved with any level of computer-generated imagery or fiber-optic display. They move us so because they are both impossibly superhuman and emphatically human, at the same time.
I do hope you get the opportunity to see the tour we’ve put together — whether in North America, UK / Europe, or Australia / New Zealand. Working on Postmodern Jukebox continues to energize me even after 7 years (or 12 years, if you count from the very first PMJ video that I produced from my Astoria, Queens basement apartment), and there’s no question that this is the creative work that I am meant to do with my life. My wish for any artist is that they, too, find a creative project that provides them with as much joy and purpose as Postmodern Jukebox has done for me, for it is at that perfect, dreamlike intersection of these feelings that true fulfillment may be found — if only for an instant.
-SB
P.s. We have nearly 100 Postmodern Jukebox tour dates worldwide in 2022, with more dates being added soon - see the list of cities and get tix at www.postmodernjukebox.com.
