Casey Abrams has two good reasons you should head along and see Postmodern Jukebox when they tour Australia in September.
“The first reason is [the show] is doing great because everyone knows the music – it's all these pop songs you may not even like, but we're going to do the songs you hate and we're going to make you like them just because we're doing it in the style of jazz,” Casey says.
“Then the second thing is that this is all real music – we're not putting in fake strings, we're not doing fake anything.
“Even when you go to a live show, there's no DJ, there's no person in the back putting Auto-Tune on; we're all singing, we're all playing and making up our own music on the spot, which doesn't really happen a lot.
“When you come to the show, you're actually getting a real taste of real jazz; that's the way we want it and that's what makes it fun for musicians too.”
Casey, who broke out on season ten of 'American Idol', has become part of the Postmodern Jukebox cast, lending his sublime musical skills as both an upright bassist and jazz vocalist to the ensemble's vintage renditions of contemporary songs.
For Casey, he says the authenticity and spontaneous quality of what PMJ do as well as the music they play is what attracts him most. “I'm lucky enough I get to sing in front of everyone, but there's musicians behind me onstage that have to play the music and they don't want to get bored; I've been in that position,” he says.
“We're playing alongside one another, you don't know if we're going to take a solo or not, you don't know what bassline you're going to do – that's where the fun comes, and that interaction onstage.
"We're not props, we're actually playing music and that's the best part. If you're bored then the audience is bored, and we're never bored.”
Casey has already visited Australia twice – once with Dave Cross and the other with PMJ – and says he's hoping the upcoming tour makes it three-for-three in terms of enjoying his time here.
“First of all we love the accent, but secondly the personality and just the overall happiness in Australia doesn't really compare to a lot of places, so we're stoked,” he enthuses.
As for what audiences can expect at their shows? “Oh man, in the same spirit of jazz we have no clue,” Casey laughs.
“We'll probably rehearse in Australia and we'll probably start getting the set list together in the next month. It depends. Aubrey Logan is coming, Hannah Gill is coming.
“All I can tell you is that I know there's going to be some saxophones, some trombones, some drums, some bass and piano, a tap dancer and five great singers, and I'm going to host it – I'm going to be the MC.
"Other than that, I don't know what songs we're doing and you never know what you're going to get.”
Postmodern Jukebox 2019 Tour Dates
Wed 18 Sep - Darwin Entertainment CentreFri 20 Sep - Astor Theatre (Perth)
Sat 21 Sep - Adelaide Entertainment Centre
Sun 22 Sep - Palais Theatre (Melbourne)
Mon 23 Sep - Ulumbarra Theatre (Bendigo)
Wed 25 Sep - Odeon Theatre (Hobart)
Fri 27 Sep - Cairns Performing Arts Centre
Sat 28 Sep - Townsville Entertainment Centre
Sun 29 Sep - Empire Theatre (Toowoomba)
Mon 30 Sep - QPAC (Brisbane)
Wed 2 Oct - The Star (Gold Coast)
Thu 3 Oct - Panthers Penrith (Sydney)
Fri 4 Oct - Civic Theatre (Newcastle)
Sat 5 Oct - ANU (Canberra)
Mon 7 Oct - Sydney Opera House
Wed 9 Oct - Anita's Theatre (Wollongong)
