Last night was Pink Martini's debut at the Kimmel Center, and they brought down the house. I have never seen a Kimmel crowd so responsive. It was like the scene in In & Out where Kevin Kline's character is desperately trying not to dance to prove he's straight, but can't stop himself from busting a move. Everyone's shoulders were swaying and heads were bobbing - and this was an audience of very mixed ages and backgrounds. A few people in the front jumped up and free styled for multiple songs. And during the encore number, "Brazil," the hall errupted. People were salsa dancing in the isles.
Pink Martini performs more songs in other languages than English, but their tone transcends cultural barriers. Watching them perform is like experiencing a large-scale French cabaret. The musicians in this small orchestra are extremely talented, and many classicaly trained. China Forbes and Thomas M. Lauderdale met and shared musical tastes at Harvard before they decided to form Pink Martini. Lauderdale plays piano and Forbes sings in full diva-style. Among the other musicians there were many amazing solos, but the stand-outs were Gavin Bondy on trumpet, Robert Taylor on trambone, and Nicholas Crosa on violin. It was refreshing to see such talented musicians perform with playfulness instead of angst.
I had several favorite songs from the evening. "Sympathique," a French original, has the delightful chorus "I don't want to work / I don't want to lunch / I only want to forget / and so I smoke." "Hang on Little Tomatoe" was inspired by a vintage Heinz ketchup advertisement. The subject of "Dosvedanya Mio Bombino" is a man who is half Russian and half Italian but cannot settle on which to call home. On their latest album, the title song "Hey Eugene" is a revenge against a guy Forbes met at a party who asked for her number and never called.
Pink Martini's next stop is Long Island University in New York, and they are actually worth the road trip. To learn more about this innovative group visit http://www.pinkmartini.com/.
