Remick’s feet keep the beat with Postmodern Jukebox
Guitarists and keyboardists are praised for fast fingers. Demi Remick is a musician who earns acclaim for her fleet feet.
Remick is a rhythmic tap dancer — essentially a percussionist with her feet — with Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox, a loose assemblage of singers and musicians that arranger / composer Bradlee brings together to mix contemporary music with retro sounds. Videos featuring Radiohead’s “Creep” as a torch song or Aerosmith’s “Rag Doll” as 1920s hot jazz are approaching two billion combined views on YouTube, and PMJ’s current tour comes to Packard Music Hall on Monday with Remick’s feet helping to keep the beat.
During a telephone interview last week, Remick said it’s a unique niche, adding both an instrumental and a visual element to the PMJ’s live show.
“We’re musicians as much as anyone on stage, which is why I’m miked that way, and why it’s presented in that way,” she said. “But not all rhythm tap dancers are great performers, but TMJ and Scott definitely prioritize tap dancers who can do both, because it’s fun to watch and great to listen to.”
Remick started dancing at a young age, and tap became her passion after seeing a show when she was 9 years old.
“From there, it was over,” Remick said. “Nine-year-old me was like, ‘That’s it. I’ve got to be a tap dancer.'”
Remick has a bachelor’s degree in dance from SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance and has performed Off Broadway with Company XIV and alongside dancers from American Ballet Theatre and New York City Ballet. She also regularly performs as a burlesque artist and started her own tap dance company. PMJ helped make some of those opportunities possible and continues to feed her creativity.
“PMJ is special because it really highlights the individual, being a stylist, being an expressionist, being yourself,” Remick said. “I think that’s why our audience loves it so much, is because every tap dancer is funny and sexy and a musician, it’s just, it’s kind of everything all in one.”
Remick has worked with Bradlee since 2017, making her the second most experienced performer on the current tour. One of her first PMJ videos was a medley of music from the “Super Mario” video game that has more than 5 million views on YouTube. Her repertoire with PMJ ranges from video soundtracks to holiday favorites.
But the touring artists aren’t limited to performing only the songs they recorded with PMJ. Remick said one of the things she’s been doing this tour is a medley of songs featured on the NBC comedy “The Office,” which was recorded with PMJ’s other full-time tapper, Jabu Graybeal.
“We have some heavy hitters (on this tour), like Effie Passero,” Remick said. “People are starting to recognize her name. Effie is going to tear the house down. And my best friend Tatum Langley is a modern-day Doris Day and she is just bubblegum and also Broadway. She’s going to be a star.
“We have our host, who both sings and hosts. He’ll do his classics. And we have some surprises in there. We have some new tunes and some of the newer arrangements. I’m really proud of this setlist. I think it’s fast paced and exciting.”