Saturday, November 19, 2016

Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox at First Bank Center in Broomfield, CO on 11/12/16

Scott Brandlee's Postmodern Jukebox is a variety show filled with talented people that have been on Broadway, television singing competitions, and motion pictures.  Postmodern Jukebox takes modern hit songs and re-imagines them into old-fashion genres of music.  The audience dresses in bygone styles of attire. Men wear suits, ties, and hats.  Women wear dresses, shawls, and bonnets.  All with the hopes to be transported back in time.

Post Modern Jukebox started as YouTube videos and has grown into a worldwide tour.  If you have some time between your daily doses of cat videos, I provided links to the videos throughout this review.  This is the second time the show has hit the Denver area.  Last year they played the Paramount Theater with a capacity of 1,870.  This year the tour moved it's way up to the First Bank Center with a capacity of 7,500.

Mykal Kilgore - All photos taken by the Rock and Roll
Princess
Mykal Kilgore came out in a shiny suit, silver shoes, and dreadlocks to host the evening's night of music.  He has performed in Motown The Musical, The Book of Mormon (US Tour), and the Broadway Revival of Hair.  Kilgore sung a Jackie Wilson style version of Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On (Yes.  That Titanic song).  It's fun to think of Leonardo DiCaprio vanishing into the ocean while tapping your foot.
Postmodern Jukebox video link

Von Smith, who was on the 8th Season of American Idol, sang Justin Timberlake's Cry Me a River.  He sang it in a dramatic cabaret style with a trombone accompaniment.  Smith also did a vintage take of Guns N' Roses Sweet Child O' Mine (just like Axl Rose always envisioned).  His vocal range was amazing.  Some of those notes still might be bouncing around the venue.
Postmodern Jukebox video link

Von Smith, Mykal Kilgore, and Sara Niemietz
The show was mainly about the ladies.  Sara Niemietz is as beautiful as her voice.  And her voice is pretty amazing.  Niemietz has been performing since she was four years old.  She has appeared on The Grande Ole OpryGlee, and major motion pictures.  Niemietz wowed the crowd with a doo-wop version of Outkast's Hey Ya! with Smith and Kilgore providing the backup vocals and hand gestures.  Niemietz also did a killer jazz version of Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive. 
Postmodern Jukebox video link

Brielle Von Hugel is an American Idol semifinalist from season 11.  The twenty-two year old blonde singer from Staten Island sang a 1960's version of Bruno Mars' Grenade. Von Smith and Mykal Kilgore provided backing vocals.  It's her first tour with the veteran group.  Not that you could tell.
Postmodern Jukebox video link

Ariana Savalas

Ariana Savalas, the youngest daughter of Telly Savalas, might be the star of the show.  She had more costume changes than Cher and more one-liners than a modern Mae West.  Savalas pulled out a "volunteer" from the audience to perform a sultry jazz version of Ginuwines' Pony.  It involved a raincoat, a bolo hat, and very little clothing.  Savalas recreated a scene from the film Magic Mike that used the same song.  I didn't see the movie (since I don't seek out cinema involving male strippers ... not that there is anything wrong with that). Savalas also performed Taylor Swift's Blank Space that featured a scantily clad tap dancer Sarah Reich performing a fan dance (more shows need scantily clad women doing fan dances).
Postmodern Jukebox video link
Brielle Von Hugel is All About the Bass
The talented musicians that backed the vocalists effortlessly switched from jazz, do-woop, and rhythm and blues throughout the night. When Brielle Von Huge sang Megan Trainor's All About the Bass, the band danced along showing the audience how they are "bringing booty back."  Pianist Jesse Elder played a haunting version of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah.  Michael Kilgore encouraged the audience to sing along as a tribute to the recently deceased singer-songwriter.  The style of Cohen's music wasn't changed since he will always be a classic.

The night ended with Von Smith leading the entire crew to a Motown version of Taylor Swift's Shake It Off.  Like most of the songs that evening, I almost didn't recognize it until they sang about "Players gonna Play."
Postmodern Jukebox video link

See you at the next show.  I'll be the one wearing the fedora looking for the fan dancer.












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