Dan's Papers - June 22, 2007 -

Last Friday night, the 12-piece music ensemble Pink Martini gave a captivating performance to a sold out crowd at Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center. It was the group's first time playing in the intimate theater but hopefully it won't be the last, as the evening was as fun, refreshing and intoxicating as the band's name suggests.

The show kicked off under dimmed lights with a charming version of Maurice Ravel's classic orchestral number "Bolero." Founder and artistic director Thomas Lauderdale sat modestly with his back to the audience as his fingers danced over the ivory keys of a Steinway, occasionally exchanging admiring glances with the other band members. Then, enter stage right lead singer China Forbes in a black cocktail dress, sparkly earrings that caught the light and lips painted red, launching us into a whirlwind of language, style and genres. The show included crowd clap along favorites such as "Anna (El Negro Zumbon)" and "Donde Esta Yolanda" and several songs from their newly released album "Hey Eugene!." Forbes shared a detailed account of each song, turning the performance into what seemed like a series of small acts. She explained that the title track from Hey Eugene! was written after a guy that she met at a party never called (the ladies in the audience let out a collective sigh of understanding) or that "Taya Tan" is a song Lauderdale discovered while in downtown Portland, Oregon and the lyrics translate into "wanting to be the guitar that your lover is playing." The amusing Dosvedanya Mio Bambino was co-written by Forbes and her sister, a comedy writer, about a gentleman she met at another party who was half-Italian, half-Russian, struggling to find himself.

Throughout the night Forbes showed off her sensuous, almost Cabaret-like voice, and at times the audience felt as if the theater was a jazz lounge, but before we got too comfortable, the band would take us back with a saucy number such as "City of Night" or a beautiful, relaxing song like "Cante e Dance," which was written by bass player Phil Baker.

The night ended with an encore of "Brazil." The lyrics "when stars were entertaining June, we stood beneath an amber moon" seemed so fitting, as the enthusiastic crowd got to their feet and danced in the rows and aisles, followed by a standing ovation. The night was elegant yet inviting and flashy yet unpretentious, leaving the audience with an optimistic jump in their step as they poured onto the lively Main Street of Westhampton Beach.

Pink Martini is known for reinventing "lost" songs, but Lauderdale and Forbes have co-written much of the music themselves. The two met while attending Harvard, Lauderdale studying history and literature, Forbes studying painting, English literature and theatre. Pink Martini was founded in 1994, beginning with four members, eventually growing to the current twelve. The group made its European debut at the Cannes Film Festival in 1998, also performing with the Oregon Symphony that year. The band has since become an international phenomenon.

In the week before their show at WHBPAC, Pink Martini performed at Virgin Megastore in Union Square, Carnegie Hall and on the David Letterman Show. Their songs have appeared in television shows including "The Sopranos" and "The West Wing," and in movies including Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Nurse Betty and Josie and the Pussycats. Pink Martini's debut album "Sympathique" was independently released in 1997, garnering nominations for Song of the Year and Best New Artist at France's Victoires de la Musique Awards. Seven years later, their follow-up album "Hang on Little Tomato" (the title was derived from a 1964 Hunt's Ketchup advertisement in Life Magazine) climbed to #1 on Amazon.com's bestseller list, and their latest album "Hey Eugene!" was released in May and is now available in stores.

Visit www.danshamptons.com for a short interview with lead singer China Forbes. For more information on Pink Martini visit www.pinkmartini.com. For a schedule of upcoming shows at WHBPAC visit www.whbpac.org.