On June 22nd, Pink Martini, the cross-genre band formed some thirty years ago in Portland, OR, returned to Meijer Gardens, playing a show that was loose in terms of humor, storytelling, and crowd interaction, but impeccably tight in musicianship.
The evening opened with “U Plavu Zoru,” a beautiful number, both melancholy and yearning. Its lyrics are Croatian (the band takes a cosmopolitan approach to language); pianist and bandleader Thomas Lauderdale co-wrote it with Mario Lalich, his Croatian neighbor.
The song exemplifies what makes Pink Martini as beloved as it is. It’s atmospheric, even haunting, especially in its moments of wordless vocal memory. Jimmie Herrod, one of several vocalists to perform with the band this evening, really shone here. Even if you don’t understand the lyrics, you have a sense of something, or someone, receding into the distance.
“Sympathique (Je Ne Veux Pas Travailler)” stood out as well. Lauderdale told the story: written in French, its lyrics tell of ennui (“I don’t want to work / I don’t want to do lunch / I only want to forget / and on I smoke.” Now those are lyrics the French can embrace! (They did; the song became a hit there).
Lauderdale invited audience members who knew the song to come onstage and sing along, and some twenty of them did. It made quite the spectacle, as the long line of singers danced to the beat and sang into the passed along microphone. This wasn’t the only audience participation; during a later number, the band held a dance contest. Winning first prize (a signed poster) was a little girl who danced like a champ.
NPR fans were treated to the sight of former All Things Considered host Ari Shapiro, dapper and tall, singing, sometimes joined by other vocalists, and sometimes on his own. He made a compelling case for himself, singing with well-controlled passion, and he seemed to be having as much fun as anyone else onstage.
Just as much of a treat was Edna Vasquez, a Mexican-born singer and musician. Vasquez has a lived-in, searing voice and a comfortable stage presence. During one song, she walked out into the audience, moving like a ship through water before making her way back to the stage.
Before playing “Ov Sirun Sirun,” the band asked if anyone of Armenian heritage. Yes, it turned out. The woman took to the stage, where she was serenaded—and fought over—by three male singers. As is typical for the band, it was fun enough that you could miss just how talented the players are. This is warm, welcoming music, here not to impress but delight you. God bless Radiohead, but they’re probably not going to end a concert with a conga line.
If there’s any nit to be picked, it’s that there wasn’t more music. The between-songs patter went on a little long at times. The low-key atmosphere kept the audience comfortable, but it also let a little of the excitement out, the way air leaves a small but discernible leak in a tire. Still, even that complaint is in a way a compliment. Like all the greats, Pink Martini left us wanting more.
Pink Martini
Frederik Meijer Gardens
June 22
https://www.meijergardens.org/calendar/concerts/
