Share your reactions to Pink Martini
The great American treasure, Duke Ellington, once suggested that there were only two kinds of music – good and bad. I have very eclectic tastes and I’ve always been drawn to artists who transcend the narrowly defined confines of genre to create music that is engaging, eye-opening, mind-expanding, and supremely well-played. Imagine, if you will, Béla Bartók and Celia Cruz rendezvousing with Sergio Leone, Art Tatum, Herb Alpert, and Edith Piaf en route to Tom Waits’ house to compose the soundtrack for a long-lost Fellini film. The resulting musical stew – melding jazz, world-beat, classical, Latin, art song, pop, film music elements, and more – might give you some approximation of the globe-trotting sound of Pink Martini.
The brilliant ensemble from “the other Portland” put on what I expect may well be the PCA Great Performance of the year last evening in Merrill Auditorium. Bandleader Thomas Lauderdale is a masterful pianist, skillful arranger, and film geek extraordinaire, mining a deep vein of American and European film music dating back to the 1930s and the heyday of Carmen Miranda to stir Pink Martini’s volatile musical mix. Lead singer China Forbes delivers sultry, oh-so-tasty vocals in a veritable United Nations of languages with a delightful theatricality that is alternately charming and compelling, and never campy or mannered. Pink Martini violinist Nicholas Corosa, guitarist Dan Faehnle, and trumpet master Gavin Bondy also wowed me and my fellow concert-goers.
I left Merrill last evening wearing such a broad smile that my face is still sore this morning. Pink Martini was that intoxicating.
Rami El-Zein says:
Too bad they canceled their concert in Lebanon, so Im following them to Cyprus hopefully end of July
My favorite band of all times
Jacksonville says:
Keep on going and the chances are you will stumble on something, perhaps when you are least expecting it. I have never heard of anyone stumbling on something sitting down.
Nan says:
Now, if we could just get Pink Martini to Burlington, youknow, the other Burlington! :)
Deb Doiron says:
Our son Johnathan, who lives now in the other Portland called a few months back to suggest to my husband and I that we get tickets to see Pink Martini at Merrill Auditorium. What a great idea! We both had a terrific evening and would love to see them again!
Tera says:
Yes! Pink Martini was absolutely amazing. Please bring them back as soon as possible. I’d never seen them live and was astonished at their musical talent, and delighted by their whimsical performance style. One of the most delightful shows I’ve seen at the Merrill, yet!
Richard Gregoire says:
Wow, the show was even more exciting and entertaining than any I have seen in a while. I did not want to snooze, as I so often do at some shows - I was engaged by the music and the performers (of course China was the main draw for my eyes) my ears and heart enjoyed the whole ensemble. China smoldered while the band fanned the musical flames. Thank-you for the opportunity to see true adult entertainment. Please ask them back and my wife and I will be back in heaven..
Vanessa Johnson says:
Yes, yes, yes to all of the above!! Bring them back as often as possible (maybe in the summer so they can see Portland at its best!) Outstanding performance, outstanding group!
Beverley Healy says:
I met Pink Martini in Bend, Oregon within a few months of their debut. A fan since, and an album collector of their magic, imagine seeing the full symphonic orchestral wonder of them at the Merrill ! As a graduate of this Portland high school on the same stage eons ago, and having lived in the other Portland more than half my life, I can only exclaim “What goes around comes around.” Thank you, and please make it an annual date.
Connie says:
Please bring Pink Martini back to “our” Portland next year! I have never seen a Merrill crowd so excited and happy in my life. I’m still singing and dancing to the music and the interchange between the band members and the audience filled me with the warmth I need to make it through to spring.
Rev Tim Jensen says:
Prior to moving here to the East Coast, I lived in Portland Oregon for 14 years, and have also been a fan of the band almost from the very beginning. First saw them perform at a wedding I officiated at in Portland’s toney Dunthorpe neighborhood, and have seen them many, many times since (including at the “Taste of Beaverton” performance mentioned by Tony D, shortly after China Forbes joined the band permanently, replacing the sultry and charismatic Miss Khilmoney Downs). Was also at the CD debut concert for “Sympathique? at the other Portland’s Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall (affectionately known as “the Schnitz"), but have always thought of them first as a touring band...and only wish I could have seen them perform in Europe!
I thought Friday’s show was excellent; even down a horn player they showed a lot of energy, and my seats at Merrill (second row center balcony) were excellent, especially since I’m far more accustomed to seeing the band from much closer up. It gave me much pleasure to see so many people taking such delight in a band I’ve loved for a long, long time...and I certainly hope you will bring them back to Maine as often as you can.
Donna says:
Outstanding show!!! What an amazing display of musical talents from all of them!! Being Pink Martini fans for several years now we decided to take our 6 year old son (also a fan) and his friend and they could not get enough.
Lisa W. says:
Wow! What great comments-I agree with everything! We bought tickets for friends for Hanukkah (and for my husband for Christmas) based solely on the PCA description. Our friend is from Venezuela so the Latin reference seemed right for her. We drove down from Waterville, had dinner at David’s, then thoroughly enjoyed one of the best shows at one of my favorite venues ever. Have them back again - we’ll be there! Thanks!
Lynda Benak says:
No less than fantastic; exciting, romantic, inspiring, and fun!! One of the finest performances I have ever been too.
jennifer says:
love ‘em, love ‘em, love ‘em. such a fan-atic i also saw them in boston on saturday. have seem them four times live and i cant cant get enough.
Tony Dobaj says:
I grew up in the “other” Portland, and so I’ve been a huge fan for many years. I haven’t seen them perform in a decade (last time was at a free concert in Beaverton OR when my 11 year old was just an infant), and they’ve just gotten more musical, more polished, and more talented. I’m so pleased that they’re producing again after the long dry spell between “Sympathique” and “Hang on Little Tomato”. The two hours just absolutely flew by, BRAVO!!
Andrew Shuttleworth says:
Thanks for your comments, everyone. If you haven’t seen it, Stephanie Bouchard’s review is in today’s Sunday Telegram.
TomBrudzinski says:
After years of listening to their music on CD/IPOD, I had high expectations. These were significantly exceeded by the live listening experience and their stage presence and banter obviously engaged the whole audience. They appeared to appreciate the audience as much as it enjoyed them and I hope that this results in them returning to original (American) Portland soon and often.
Lillian Kerr Haversat says:
While the performance was memorable, a wonderful thing happened to my husband and I after the show. As we were leaving, one of the performers left the bus to help my husband who was having trouble maneuvering the ice, etc. He walked us to our car, saw to it that my husband was well settled, and then left. It was a fantastic way to end the evening, and his actions made it one event that we will never forget.
mj says:
Pink Martini had a great repertoire, they recovered from the lack of a trombone with grace. I was impressed by their professionalism & don’t forget what a bargain the Merrill is , Pink Martini is playing in Boston this weekend for far more than we paid at our darling auditoriumhere in Portland.
lawrence furbish says:
What a fabulous show. I’ve been a fan of the group since I heard an interview on Public Radio several years ago. I have two of their CD’s (and need to get the third.) It was so great to see them live. We couldn’t stay last night, but did they really come out to sign autographs? Please have them back again.
peter, c says:
Guess what ! After last night’s PM’s performance, I hit amazon .com when I got home and ordered their music via two CD’s. Unreal show and skyhigh talent. What more can you ask for !! We’re super PM fans forever . PD
Lani Wharton says:
We have been Pink Martini fans for a few years, so we were delighted to see that they were coming to Portland. We enjoyed every minute of the pieces we knew and fell in love with them, all over again, when they played the pieces from their new album. The only thing that could possibly have made our night more perfect would have been a live rendition of “Hang on Little Tomato”.
Thanks for having the good taste to invite them to the Merrill. Lani and Sam Wharton
Andrew Shuttleworth says:
Hi, Doreen. I loved that duet, too – it was Fritz Kreisler’s “Praeludium and Allegro.” Nick Corosa performed it with a long, slow build to it; I’ve never heard it sound so cool.
doreen says:
Does anyone know tha name of the duet with piano and violin that was played so beautifully last night?
Carmie says:
Aw, do we really have to wait a whole year to see them again? Last night was a treat - Thank you so much for inviting such a great talent to the Merrill!
Stephanie says:
Great show. Glad to see people loosen up and participate in the conga line at the Merrill. Very up beat performance and would love to see them again - with the complete horn section.
Madeline says:
Move over Parrotheads.....martiniheads have arrived. Please, make it an annual event. With an evening like that, can spring be far behind?
Rose Ellen says:
Terrific, uplifting and wonderful foot tapping music!
Incredible singer and musicians!
Patti says:
First time we ever heard them. We are now “fans”. We went solely based on the Portland Press Herald GO section of the paper. Please have them back! What a great way to spend a Friday night at the Merrill....loved it!
Greg Arsenault says:
33 years and nearly a thousand live shows later, you start to think you’ve seen it all. Then comes Pink Martini. That each musician is a virtuoso in his or her own right is beyond question. I wouldn’t dare to guess now many octaves China Forbes can reach, but she hits the lows, the highs and everything in between beautifully. The rhythm section was astounding, and Gavin Bondy on trumpet stole the show each time he put instrument to lips. But what truly elevates a night with Pink Martini above the average concert is the song selection, and thus band leader Thomas Lauderdale. Italian, Latin, Portugeuese (not to mention the Forbes sisters’ single-song, multi-cultural adventure); it makes you feel as if you’ve traveled the world without leaving the building. Sensual and satisfying, Pink Martini is as exciting and refreshing a concert experience as you’ll find in 2008… and beyond.
Doreen Morrow says:
I haven’t stopped talking about what a fabulous night of entertainment we had last night. I have been a fan for many years having been turned on to them by someone who heard them on NPR years ago. They were fabulous in person, I could barely stay in my seat. I’d love to see and hear them again and again...bring them back next year!!!
Frank says:
One of our daughters lives in “the other Portland” and has been raving about Pink Martini for years. Now we know why. Fabulous performance!
brian brinegar says:
what an amazing show!
Bandleader Thomas Lauderdale and Singer China Forbes were so much fun to listen to in between songs. Their stories were such a nice complement to the music. All the musicians were absolutely fantastic.
I met Thomas outside after the show and let him know what an amazing evening we had! he was very gracious and thanked us for the kind welcome to Portland.
I found myself still singing their songs as I was walking back to my car…
a great night!
Peter Morrissette says:
There were 14 in our group, and we all loved the show. Most of us drove over from Vermont just to see Pink Martini. We agree with Cheryl - Please have them back next year.
Keith O'Leary says:
Outstanding!
Cheryl says:
We loved the show. I would definitely go again and invite some friends. Please have Pink Martini back next year. Thank you.