Meet North Hollywood’s own Dani Armstrong who is now touring with Postmodern Jukebox. You’re going to want to catch her at The Greek on August 12. You’ll see why below.
The NoHo motto: “NoHo is only as great as its people.”
The NoHo Arts District dot com team likes to highlight local folks who do incredible things and who are just incredibly talented. Meet Dani Armstrong. We had the chance to see her take the stage and, well, steal it really, at a touring show of Postmodern Jukebox. When we found out she was a North Hollywood resident, we had to share this gem with our readers.
What’s your background?
I grew up just outside of Detroit, Michigan, which was an amazing music scene. My parents actually met playing in a band together so my brother and I were always around music. I think I sang with their band for the first time when I was four years old. Both my brother and I got the music gene and sang and played growing up. After high school I moved to California to pursue music professionally. Since then I have been a lead singer in two major shows in Las Vegas, sang at the Primetime Emmy’s Governor’s Ball, The Oscars Governor’s Ball, NFL Super Bowl VIP Party, and VH1 Top 20 Countdown, to name a few.
How were you chosen for Postmodern Jukebox?
You live in LA and you hear fairytales about being discovered in line at the coffee shop or boarding a plane at LAX but as you live here longer you realize those chances are one in a million. Well turns out I got my one in a million chance! I was asked to sing a song with Justin Hopkins who was leading a band at The Dave Koz Lounge in Beverly Hills. I sang my one song as I had so many times with so many bands and went home. The next morning I received an email from the manager of Postmodern Jukebox. He was in the audience for my one song I sang and tracked me down. The rest was history!
Which songs have you performed with them? Do you have any favorites?
I have been super performing with “PMJ” as they are called for about a year now. I would say the songs I am most well known for are “Toxic” and “Chandelier”. Both were recorded by other PMJ stars Melinda Doolittle and Puddles Pity Party for the YouTube channel but when it came time to tour these songs were selected for me to perform and I couldn’t have been happier, or had bigger shoes to fill! We just released a new video where I sing Weezers hit “Say It Ain’t So”. I am super excited about this song and loved the arrangement that creator of PMJ Scott Bradlee did. He is beyond brilliant.
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Where have you toured with Postmodern Jukebox?
I have been on 3 tours so far with Postmodern Jukebox and about to go on my fourth! There are too many favorite places to mention but Poznan Poland, Vienna Austria, New Orleans LA, and Detroit Michigan stick out as a few magical moments. This next tour will be epic as we are playing the famous Greek Theater here in LA August 12th.
How did you choose your latest solo song for Postmodern Jukebox?
Scott Bradlee, creator of Postmodern Jukebox is a bit of a 90s kid like me. Haha! We both love Weezer and while sitting at the piano thinking of our next video to record somehow we fell in love with “Say It Ain’t So” and rolled with it. He did a great job at turning what can be considered a tormented song into a torch ballad. It takes the tale of the song and turns it to a female prospective. I guess in short, it shows what daddy issues would have looked like 70 years ago through this style of music.
Any advice to singers thinking about a career in music?
Although training, education, rehearsal are vital to getting anywhere in the music industry, I would say above all GO OUT! Go meet people at jams in town, go to live shows on smaller scales and expand your musical network. I guarantee 9 times out of 10 the work you will get will be from someone you know and not a cattle call audition.
What do you like most about the NoHo Arts District?
I have been super stoked to see the NoHo Arts District thriving. It is a place that artists can go to sing, paint, watch an indie film, and taste locally sourced gourmet food. NoHo Arts District is giving any area of LA a run for their money.
Tell us more about you band?
When I am not on tour with Postmodern Jukebox I am the owner and lead singer for a 90s tribute band called “Jack Dani 90’s Rock Review.” Now I know people think it should be revue lol but we take 90s grunge and alternative and put female lead vocals to it. So we are changing it up! We started when a venue in the South Bay needed a band for one night. I called a few friends and when I had to come up with a band name I paused for a second then thought, “Heck everyone calls me Jack Dani because I drink Jack Daniels so let’s roll with that!” We have been together since 2012 and are still having a blast each time we play watching the crowd sing along to all their favorite rock hits from the 1990s.
Is there something you’d like to share?
I am launching a Patreon page where music lovers, family, friends, and fans come together with myself and fund the creation of videos! These videos of me singing will be professionally produced and published to my Patreon fans only, so it’s like being getting a VIP Concert just for them!
https://www.instagram.com/jackdanisings/
https://www.patreon.com/DaniArmstrong
https://www.facebook.com/DaniArmstrongMusic/
https://www.youtube.com/user/MsDaniArmstrong
https://twitter.com/_DaniArmstrong
More about Dani
Dani has been seen singing, dancing and performing all over the world. She has had tremendous successes singing for such events as The Primetime Emmy’s Governor’s Ball, The Oscars Governor’s Ball, NFL Super Bowl VIP Party, and VH1 Top 20 Countdown, to name a few. Originally from Detroit, Michigan, she was born to parents who are both musicians and it was clear from a young age Dani was going to go places. When you hear her sing you will know why she is a force to be reckoned with.
In 2015 alone, Dani reached millions of viewers when a video of her singing at a rehearsal for Live It Up Productions “Top Rock” production went viral. She has since been asked to sing at some of the most elite events in Hollywood and around the country. Most recently is her connection with the sensation Postmodern Jukebox. While singing at the world famous Spaghettini & the Dave Koz Lounge in Beverly Hills, Dani was seen by the band’s manager and was soon connected with plans to sing for the group.
Dani has been featured as the Lead singer in hit Las Vegas stage productions such as “Fantasy” and “Show In The Sky.” She is a singer and dancer for some of the industry’s top live corporate entertainment companies. Dani is also very proud of her six tours to Iraq and Afghanistan to sing for the men and women of the Armed Forces.
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