Postmodern Jukebox adds a retro twist to Christmas

Imagine “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” set to a 1990s hip-hop beat.

It’s the sort of dynamic mash-up that you can expect at Postmodern Jukebox’s Christmas show, coming to the Peace Center on Nov. 26.

“We have a lot of fun with these Christmas songs,” says bassist and band leader Adam Kubota. “It’s a very entertaining show.”

Audiences can expect familiar Christmas tunes repackaged in vintage styles ranging from swing to doo-wop, ragtime, Motown, classic rock and hip hop.

It’s the sort of thing that Postmodern Jukebox — PMJ, for short — has been doing with pop songs since the group was founded by Scott Bradlee in 2009. Bradlee has described the band as “pop music in a time machine.”

“A Very Postmodern Christmas” spotlights 11 performers, including horns, a rhythm section and four vocalists.

The band rose to fame on the strength of its dozens of YouTube videos, which have amassed more than one billion views. PMJ’s cover of Radiohead’s “Creep” is nearing 70 million views.

PMJ really is a collective rather than a band, with the lineup often changing.

“Every time you come out to a PMJ show, it’s going to be a different group of people,” said Kubota, who’s been with the group since 2014. “It keeps it fresh.”

Vocalists and sisters Emily and Juliette Goglia currently act as emcees.

“They’re great singers and funny entertainers,” Kubota said, speaking by phone while driving through Vermont after a recent performance in New Hampshire.

Another retro aspect of PMJ: The band always includes a tap dancer — for this tour, Demi Remick.

“She adds a whole other dimension to the show, and the show is all about variety, showcasing classic performance styles, whether tap dancing, jazz improvisation or vaudevillian-style entertainment,” Kubota said.

Paul Hyde, a longtime Upstate journalist, writes about the arts for the Greenville Journal. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter: @PaulHyde7.