Fun with Pink Martini

The Pink Martini concert was fabulous. What a performance!
A mix of music, some foreign (French, Spanish, Italian, Portugese, Arabic), some upbeat, some mellow. I went on Wednesday and the the Arlene Schnitzer Hall was SOLD OUT! It was really like a sardine can in there, it was so packed. The seats were comfy though and the seats my friend received for comp. tickets were at Row V, in the middle, so about 20 rows back from the stage.

This is definitely an entertaining group. The singer China Forbes has such a clear crystal voice, and a great range. It's a pleasure to listen to her. The pianist, Thomas Lauderdale is a hoot. He explained the background of each song and introduced the various musicians. PM's main band had 2 trombonists, 1 guy on bass, 2 guys on drums, a guitar player, as well as Thomas and China. At various times the guys in the band would switch off and play other instruments.

In addition, a small group of members from the Oregon Symphony Orchestra were on stage - 2-4 violins, 2 cellists, 2 violas, a harpist, proving additonal musical accompaniment. It was amazing to watch.

Just before the break, Pink Martini was joined by the David York Ensemble (of which my friend Pam is one of the soprano singers!) and they sang back up on a couple of songs, followed by a choir-only performance of a song called Water Night. Pink Martini also had another special guest the March Fourth Marching Band. This band crowded on stage and played several songs, along with a hula-hoop-artist, and several guys on stilts who ran up and down the aisles. What fun!

The band had just released their new CD "Hey Eugene", which China had a backup singer for. The back up singer was pretty spectacular, but it was hard to hear her name over the roar of clapping.

They sang several songs from their new CD, as well as older ones. I liked how the songs showcased each musician's talent. It was a very interesting and enjoyable performance.