Mesa, AZ, — Some concerts are good; a few are great…and others are a complete experience you never forget. Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox, or PMJ for short, falls easily into that last category.
Celebrating 10 years and 1055 shows, PMJ played at the Mesa Art Center on August 8, 2024, and what a celebration of success it was. Mesa Art Center is the perfect venue for PMJ; walking in, the experience was immediate. The elegant PMJ art deco stage setting complemented the tri-level auditorium, and many fans were dressed for the occasion. The fashions ranged from the 20s flappers to the 50s saddle shoe-big skirts-Big Bopper to imaginative creations you’d expect to see at a cosplay event.
The 2024 PMJ cast brought the house down throughout the evening, and standing ovations were plentiful. The primary vocal stars of the evening were Tatum Langley, Sara Palooza, Effie Passero, Tawanda, and emcee Rogelio Douglas Jr. All were energetic, each with their unique personalities shining brilliantly without overshadowing each other. The set list is smartly coordinated to both keep the audience emotionally engaged every minute and allow each singer time to change and get ready for their next set.
Langley started the evening with Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance,” immediately displaying her big theatre energy and strong vocal skills. The show’s surprises began as renowned dancer Enrique Rosario joined Langley and accompanied her with his lightning-fast tap dancing. (Lady Gaga and tap dancing? Whuddathunkit?) Langley stepped aside mid-song and let Rosario take the spotlight, and the crowd loved it. Rosario continued to make appearances throughout the show and delighted the audience with his stepping each time.
Langley finished dramatically, and Rogelio Douglas Jr took the stage as emcee. Those not familiar with PMJ shows might have been fooled that Douglas was there solely to provide humor and keep the audience engaged, which he does quite handily, but soon Douglas showed just how beautiful and powerful his singing voice is. Douglas’s first song was “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons. I confess I’m not a huge fan of this particular song by Imagine Dragons, but if Douglas sings it, I’m all in. Douglas’s rendition transitioned from powerful gospel intonations to mid-song beatboxing and back to singing. He did it so smoothly, so masterfully, and the audience couldn’t get enough. Douglas received the first standing ovation of the night, and he deserved it.
The second song of the set brought Sara “Palooza” Niemitz to the stage to sing the iconic 70s “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor. Niemitz’s energy is edgier, like she’s bursting to give the audience more, and she keeps the audience on the edge of their seats, waiting to see where she is taking them in the song. She sang multiple songs in the set, and each time she kept the audience in hungry anticipation.
PMJ songbird Tawanda took the stage next, and before she appeared, she was described as “Jessica Rabbit meets Sade.” Stepping out in a red sequined dress, Tawanda drew collective breath from the audience, and then she knocked them out serenading them with “Lovesong” by The Cure. Done in a sexy, cool jazz style that you wouldn’t associate with The Cure, her jazzy vocalizations and impressive vocal range truly kept the audience spellbound.
The night was a musical journey, with many obvious crowd favorites based on the standing ovations. Effie Passero stood out with several phenomenal performances, including her fan-favorite renditions of “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen and the set closer, “Creep” by Radiohead.
One of the really big show stoppers was drummer Will Ray Moore, Jr singing “Blackhole Sun” by Soundgarden. The composition of this modern classic rock song combined with Moore’s powerful singing and his bombastic drumming caused the audience to erupt in ovations.
Later in the set, Douglas sang “Use Somebody” by Kings of Leon, and again, the strong R&B and gospel overtures in this version are a solid example of what PMJ does best: taking a well-known song back to the drawing board and turning it into something new, fresh, and worthy of loving all over again.
There are only a few bands on my concert list that I say “yeah, I’ll see them again,” and PMJ is on that shortlist. PMJ is continuing the 2024 tour, and if they are coming to your town, I highly recommend you get your tickets.
PMJ Phoenix Show cast members: Adam Kubota, Bassist/Band leader * Rogelio Douglas, Jr, Emcee/Vocals * Tony Kieraldo, Piano * Anthony Castagna, Guitar * Dan Hitchcock, Sax/Clarinet * JP Floyd, Trombone * Willie Ray Moore Jr, Drums/vocals * Tatum Langley, Vocals * Sara “Palooza” Niemitz, Vocals * Effie Passero, Vocals * Tawanda, Vocals * Enrique Rosario, Dancer
