They’ve done The Cure in the style of swing, Celine Dion as doo-wop, and even the Pokémon theme song as a soulful jazz tune. Now, Postmodern Jukebox is bringing their genre-bending abilities to Bruce Springsteen’s 1984 hit “Dancing in the Dark,” performing the song as a 1950s R&B track in the style of Sam Cooke.
Instead of Cooke himself on vocals, though, they recruited Kansas City singer-songwriter Von Smith to take the lead this time around, who brought a very clean and old-school vocal take to the more organic-sounding track, which eschews the synthesizers of the original in favor of piano, drums, and horns. And to put the whipped cream on the milkshake, the performance takes place in a ’50s-style diner, complete with dancers busting out some moves on the counter top.
Postmodern Jukebox makes great YouTube videos, but we bet their throwback covers would also translate excellently to a live environment. Thankfully, the group is going to be touring the U.S. from September to November. Check if they’re going to a venue near you below, and if they are, absolutely grab tickets here.
Postmodern Jukebox 2016 U.S. tour dates
Sept. 29 – Providence, RI; The VETS
Sept. 30 – Albany, NY; Palace Theatre
Oct. 01 – Hartford, CT; The Bushnell
Oct. 03 – Glenside, PA; Keswick Theatre
Oct. 04 – Baltimore, MD; The Lyric
Oct. 05 – Redbank, NJ; Count Basie Theatre
Oct. 06 – Boston, MA; Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre
Oct. 07 – New York, NY; Radio City Music Hall
Oct. 08 – Montreal, QC; Place Des Arts
Oct. 11 – Toronto, ON; Sony Centre for the Performing Arts
Oct. 13 – Washington, DC; DAR Constitution Hall
Oct. 14 – Raleigh, NC; Duke Energy Center
Oct. 15 – Atlanta, GA; Fox Theatre
Oct. 16 – Jacksonville, FL: Florida Theatre
Oct. 18 – Orlando, FL; Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
Oct. 20 – Fort Lauderdale, FL
Oct. 21 – Clearwater, FL; Ruth Eckerd Hall
Oct. 22 – Birmingham, AL; Alabama Theatre
Oct. 23 – New Orleans, LA; Orpheum Theater
Oct. 25 – Nashville, TN; Andrew Jackson Hall
Oct. 26 – Louisville, KY; Louisville Palace Theatre
Oct. 27 – Detroit, MI: Masonic Temple Theatre
Oct. 28 – Indianapolis, IN; Clowes Memorial Hall
Oct. 29 – Rosemont, IL; Rosemont Theatre
Oct. 30 – Milwaukee, WI; Riverside Theater
Nov. 01 – Minneapolis, MN; Northrop Auditorium
Nov. 02 – Kansas City, MO; Arvest Bank Theatre – at The Midland
Nov. 03 – St. Louis, MO; Peabody Opera House
Nov. 05 – Grand Prairie, TX; Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie
Nov. 06 – Austin, TX; Austin City Limits Live at Moody Theater
Nov. 07 – Austin, TX; Austin City Limits Live at Moody Theater
Nov. 08 – San Antonio, TX; Tobin Center for the Performing Arts
Nov. 09 – Houston, TX; Sarofim Hall
Nov. 12 – Broomfield, CO; 1STBANK Center
Nov. 15 – Boise, ID; Morrison Center for the Performing Arts
Nov. 16 – Spokane, WA; Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox
Nov. 17 – Portland, OR; Theater of The Clouds at Moda Center
Nov. 18 – Seattle, WA; Paramount Theatre
Nov. 20 – Sacramento, CA; Community Center Theater
Nov. 22 – Santa Rosa, CA; Luther Burbank Center for the Arts
Nov. 23 – San Jose, CA; Event Center at San Jose State University
Nov. 25 – Los Angeles, CA; Microsoft Theater
Nov. 26 – Las Vegas, NV; The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Nov. 27 – Mesa, AZ; Mesa Arts Center
Image: Postmodern Jukebox