Pink Martini’s second appearance at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park on Monday night musically spanned the globe and delighted fans.
Monday Night Party: Pink Martini, led by singer China Forbes, lit up the Meijer Gardens stage with their world music-splashed performance. (Photo/Anthony Norkus Photography)
By Mary Mattingly
LocalSpins.com
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Better late than never.
Pink Martini pianist Thomas Lauderdale didn’t quite make the starting bell for Monday night’s concert at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park after his flight in Chicago was delayed and he had to drive to the show.
But in the end, his timing was impeccable as he raced onstage at the beginning of “Let’s Never Stop Falling in Love,” immediately launching into a piano solo as if he had been there all along.
“Wow Thomas, your timing is perfect,” singer China Forbes remarked at the end of the song.
“I was driving at 110 miles per hour,” Lauderdale quipped, explaining his tardiness and how he managed to drive from Chicago to Grand Rapids. “It was very safe.”
Lauderdale, Forbes and the eclectic ensemble from Oregon regaled a jam-packed amphitheater. The humidity of the day had finally subsided, eliminating any distraction from the show the audience was about to see. People lounged in fold out chairs, ready to be entertained.
Pink Martini (Photo/Anthony Norkus Photography)
TROTTING OUT AN ECLECTIC MIX OF WORLD MUSIC
The overall atmosphere was one of a relaxed expectation. Pink Martini always puts on a good show and the band’s fans know this. Diehard fans formed two rows on the concrete pit directly in front of the stage so as not to miss a second of the action.
And entertain they did. The band’s set spanned the globe as it played numbers ranging from Latin-hued selections to songs sung in French, and even a song entirely in Croatian. Forbes skillfully moved the band from one song to another, filling in gaps between songs with entertaining banter.
The band also was not afraid to get serious. Never have I heard an audience more attentive than during the beautiful cello solo that opens “U Plavu Zoru,” played by Pansy Chang. You could have heard a pin drop.
Indeed, the audience was thoroughly involved during the performance, riotously applauding at the end of each solo and giving the band a standing ovation at the end of its first set. There were also some dancers among the crowd, with couples swing dancing to original numbers such as “Lilly.” A perfect way to discover some new tunes and spend a summer evening with friends; the crowd had as much fun as the band did.
PINK MARTINI: THE LOCAL SPINS PHOTO GALLERY BY ANTHONY NORKUS (JUNE 24, 2013)
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Email John Sinkevics at jsinkevics@gmail.com.
Copyright 2013, Spins on Music
