The Future is Vintage! Metropol’s Postmodern Jukebox review
by Deputy Editor | July 13, 2026 2:56 pm
Metropol’s Nancye Pitt was transported back to a New York jazz club as she sat in the audience of Postmodern Jukebox’s ‘The Future is Vintage 2026 Tour’ at the Isaac Theatre Royal. Here’s her review.
Last year I enjoyed a jazz club in New York, and the atmosphere last night felt just as great. What a treat. Postmodern Jukebox takes songs you’ve heard a hundred times and makes them sound brand new by dressing them up in vintage clothes — think a 1940s big-band swing arrangement of a modern pop hit, or a smoky torch-song version of a song you didn’t know could be smoky.
At least 30% of the audience were decked out in vintage clothes; there were quite a few fabulous vintage fur and velvet coats which added to the vibe (amongst my own fur ensemble). The Isaac Theatre Royal is exactly the kind of grand, old-world room this show deserves — all sweeping balconies and heritage charm, the perfect backdrop for a band that makes a living dressing modern pop in vintage.
It’s not the first time Scott Bradlee has bought Postmodern Jukebox to NZ. The last time was 2019, and his rotating cast of singers, dancers, and instrumentalists take today’s chart-toppers, movie themes, and video game soundtracks and present them reimagined and fresh through decades of musical history. It’s the kind of act that somehow works for everyone in the room at once: older audiences fall for the nostalgia, and younger fans get a fresh, virtuosic spin on the songs they already know. Scott Bradlee’s role is at the keyboard, quietly anchoring the performance while letting the ensemble shine. Scott also very cleverly plays the background on his Double Bass for a classy “All About That Bass” number which I think was last put out by Meghan Trainor and is still a catchy number.
Postmodern Jukebox puts a fresh spin on familiar songs, and that’s exactly why they’re so much fun. Taking modern pop hits and reimagining them through vintage genres — 1920s jazz, doo-wop, Motown, swing — the arrangements are clever rather than gimmicky, and the musicianship backing them up is genuinely excellent. After more than a decade of touring, the vintage concept still engages the audience, with exceptional soloists.
The vocalists and musicians bring their own flair to the arrangements, and the energy of the show carries you from one surprising reinvention to the next. It’s clever without ever feeling like a novelty act — the musicianship is the real deal. For an avid tap-dancing fan, the dancer is fast, slick and a personal highlight.
Scott Bradlee’s introduction at the start of the evening includes a reminder almost like a mission statement, amid all the talk of AI-generated music taking over, Postmodern Jukebox is making the case — loudly, joyfully, and with real musicians on stage — for human creativity built on the timeless genres of the past. And they did it very well.
Source URL: https://metropol.co.nz/the-future-is-vintage-postmodern-jukebox-review/