In 2009, Scott Bradley was an unknown pianist who was posting videos of himself playing all sorts of tunes on YouTube. One particular video, a ragtime medley of ’80s pop hits, went viral after it caught the attention of British author Neil Gaiman, who tweeted it to his millions of followers.
This led Bradlee to gain his own fanbase online. He kept posting more videos—amazingly reinvented versions of hits from Miley Cyrus, Meghan Trainor, Lorde, Guns N’ Roses, Radiohead, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, anything you can imagine, including the latest from Taylor Swift—featuring a rotating group of musicians that Bradlee formed and called Postmodern Jukebox (PMJ).
PMJ has likewise recorded six albums, all of which landed in the Top 5 of Billboard’s Jazz Albums chart.
The group is currently on tour in different parts of the world, with dates extending till May 2016.
What’s great is that PMJ is performing in Manila on Sept. 18 at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Curiously, Filipinos of different ages including kids are PMJ fans.
Find out why on the YouTube channel Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox.
Postmodern Jukebox performs Sept. 18 at Smart Araneta Coliseum; tel. 911-5555; visit ticketnet.com.ph
Centerplay at COD
Nightlife in City of Dreams (COD) doesn’t mean playing at the casino all the time. There are a number of interesting restaurants on the upper level, not to mention two clubs, Chaos and Pangaea, and the respective dining outlets of COD’s three hotels, Crown, Nobu and Hyatt.
And then there’s Centerplay, COD’s bar in the middle of the ground floor by the main entrance, where a circular stage features live musical performances. On a Tuesday night we had a sneak peak of a new all-female vocal group, The Dream Sirens, discovered and developed by COD itself.
Composed of Anaya Gonida, Cris Pastor, Kyra Tenorio and Jade Ventura, the group sang a medley of tunes from “Cabaret,” “Chicago,” Barbra Streisand, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, including a few Pinoy pop classics.
The vocal quartet exuded confidence and a strong stage presence; two members, Tenorio and Ventura, stood out with their distinct phrasing and soulful delivery.
It would make a lot of difference if a live band would accompany The Dream Sirens. Singing over prerecorded tracks could be less spontaneous and tricky, like when a member went off-key during one number.
At the bar we had a couple of glasses of Weihenstephaner Weissbier, a German pale lager which had a nice aftertaste.
Also that night, COD’s “master bartender and mixologist” Sam Jeveons presented a sample of his specially crafted cocktails. We liked the Treacle, or Zacapar rum with maple syrup, bitters, apple (P580).
Centerplay, G/F, City of Dreams, Aseana Ave. cor. Entertainment City, Parañaque; tel. 8008080
The Brewery at The Palace
There’s a new trend in town: bars brewing their own beers. Last week we mentioned The Brewery at The Palace, newly opened in the complex that also houses Valkyrie and The Palace Pool Club in Uptown, BGC.
The Brewery is quite spacious with a ground floor and an upper floor. It serves four types of draft beer: pilsner, India pale ale, wheat beer and brown ale.
The brown ale was bitter on first taste; on our second mug its malty flavor awakened the senses.
Piped-in music that night was reggae and new wave, but there are live gigs on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
The Brewery at The Palace, 9th Ave. cor. 36th St., Bonifacio Global City, Taguig; tel. 0917-6383339, 0917-8139429
