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23 July 2008 San Sebastian, Spain Watch Out for Falling Signs.
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12 June 2007 Portland, OR All the Fun of FundFest 2008!
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10 June 2007 Portland, OR And finally an update...The 80th Academy Awards
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7 September 2007 Portland, OR Home Sweet Home.
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27 July 2007 Portland, OR And the winner is...
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17 July 2007 June Tour - East Coast & Canada The Photo Diary of a Trumpeter
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10 July 2007 Portland, OR Keep it Cool Portland
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5 July 2007 Portland, OR Farewell Pink Martini, Hello Oden!
Yesterday Pink Martini boarded a plane to head down to San Francisco to play two shows with the San Francisco Symphony. While at the airport we bumped into the Portland Trail Blazers' #1 Draft Pick, Greg Oden (yes, the man who the previous blog entry was devoted to). –pink martini world headquarters (aka the office) |
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29 June 2007 Portland, OR ODEN #1 in Rip City!
With yesterday's #1 pick in the NBA Draft the Portland Trailblazers selected Greg Oden of Ohio State. To show our support for the Trailblazers and the city of Portland we at the Pink Martini headquarters headed up to Pioneer Courthouse Square to welcome the newest addition to Rip City. –pink martini world headquarters (aka the office)
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5 June 2007 London, UK Later with Jools Holland
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24 May 2007 Paris, France Feeling RICH in Paris!!Last night, Gilles, from our European record label, Naive, took us for an incredible dinner here in Paris at a new dinner club, called RICH. Foie gras is my favorite food (I know, Gavin, you keep reminding me that I said in an interview that my favorite food is McDonald's french fries, but that was ages ago, okay?), and the foie gras I had last night was among the best I've ever had. I actually had an epiphany with their sorbets and Chablis, yum! The Naive staff is so welcoming, and they really make us feel at home. Oh, and they said last night that our new album debuted in France at number 7, which we're really excited about!!
–Timothy
Percussionist Brian Davis catches up on some European Zzzzz's |
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22 May 2007 London, UK At Home in LondonWe just played a show at the Roundhouse in London, UK. This was a memorable show. First of all, the place was packed. Almost all of the audience was standing room only and was really into it throughout the performance. At some points it seemed like we were back in Portland. The venue was a very interesting structure (a big round building, like the name implies). –Nick |
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15 May 2007 Portland, OR Hey Eugene! #1 on Amazon.comHey Eugene! is out today and currently #1 on Amazon.com for album sales nationwide! We also hope you were able to catch the band on NPR's Morning Edition this morning, if not you can listen here –pink martini world headquarters (aka the office) |
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11 May 2007 Portland, OR Hey Eugene! Is Here
Hey Eugene! is here. We have been hard at work getting ready for the release of Hey Eugene! which hits stores this Tuesday, May 15. –pink martini world headquarters (aka the office) |
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15 April 2007 Fort Worth, Texas Tickled PinkOur first show of the weekend in Forth Worth went very well and we debuted our new song "everywhere" with orchestra. After the show at the CD signing a couple told us they were going to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in June and wanted to play "everywhere" at the party. They felt it captured just how they feel about each other. Luckily, our new CD is coming out in time for their celebration. Thomas and I were tickled, not surprisingly, pink.
–China
The weather in Ft. Worth this week is on the verge of ideal, and, like the last time we were here, everybody is SO nice. Going to check out the museum district tomorrow; I've heard there are some world-class museums here! –Timothy |
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21 November 2006 Tokyo, Japan Pink Martini to Mohshimasu
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18 November 2006 Hong Kong Cartier GalaCartier flew Pink Martini to Hong Kong to perform at its annual gala. There were professional ballroom dancers, diamond studded models and enough servers to staff a cruise line. Some of our photos:
China looking stunning in the sapphire blue light.
The obligatory red carpet photo.
Ballroom dancers take the floor for Dancing with the Stars: Hong Kong.
Toast: the after concert photo.
A server lineup photo courtesy of Pink Martini manager John Brodie. More than all the diamonds and jewels, we want one of those hats. –pink martini world headquarters (aka the office) |
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17 October 2006 Portland, Oregon In the studio with March Fourth Marching BandPink Martini invited Portland's favorite circus-style marching band, March Fourth Marching Band, to record on the song "Dosvedanya Mio Bombino." March Fourth had just finished a performance, so all thirty members were dressed up in their rehashed, recycled vintage band uniforms with fishnets and faux-fur accents, top hats and fidoras galore. Before recording, the drum corp practiced in the lobby while the horns learned their part in the bathroom. Then everyone sang on the chorus. We're sure it's the wildest session Kung Fu Bakery (the recording studio) has ever seen.
Thomas conducts members of the drum corp.
Everyone listens to the take. –pink martini world headquarters (aka the office) |
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5 July 2006 Portland, Oregon Pink Martini now on iTunes!In honor of Independence day, Pink Martini is celebrating its independence from hard-to-open CD packaging, pretty though it may be, by making our music available on iTunes. So please, visit www.itunes.com and download to your heart's content. –pink martini world headquarters (aka the office) |
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27 June 2006 Portland, Oregon
Pink Martini Live: Discover the World concert program airs throughout the US to raise money for public broadcastingEver thought it would be romantic to have Pink Martini perform in your living room, but you simply don't have enough spots at the table to feed all those hungry musicians after the concert? We're trying for the next best: Pink Martini on your television.
Since its beginning, Pink Martini has been a supporter of public broadcasting as a valuable source for news, culture and entertainment. The DVD will continue to be available to members at the stations that aired the program even after the air date. If you like Pink Martini, and you like public broadcasting, we encourage you to support your local station and bring Pink Martini into your living room. –pink martini world headquarters (aka the office) |
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20 May 2006 Tampa, Florida Don't forget the sunscreenSometimes the Pacific Northwest can get a little dreary in the Spring rain – a veritable puddle, really – which is why Pink Martini loves the opportunity to perform in locations like, oh, Florida, particularly when the band receives the honor of performing with the Florida Orchestra. Witness a happy band in the sun.
Charlie titled this photo "Thuglife." Are you intimidated?
When tour managers go batty... –the soggy people left behind |
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21 April 2006 Portland, Oregon
First Annual FundFest a smashing success!From April 18-21, Pink Martini played four concerts at the historic Crystal Ballroom in Portland, OR and donated 100% of the net proceeds to four local nonprofit organizations selected by the band. Hoping to raise $80,000, we called it the First Annual FundFest. We wants to thank everyone who came to the Crystal Ballroom in support. The event was a smashing success! We raised $84,324 in net proceeds to be divided into $21,081 for each of the four nonprofit beneficiaries: The ALS Association of Oregon and Southwest Washington, Children’s Cancer Association, Oregon Public Broadcasting and REACH Community Development. In fine Portland fashion, all four organizations worked together in partnership with Pink Martini to create a fun-filled, four-night, music extravaganza. Big thanks to the folks at the Crystal Ballroom for their hard work; to our sponsors: Wells Fargo, Willamette Week, The Portland Mercury and New Deal Distillery; to each night’s special guest: MarchFourth Marching Band (did anyone see them dancing to Pink Martini’s set? Hilarious!), Amelia, Corrina Repp and Foghorn Stringband; and to all 4,453 FundFest-goers who came to the concerts in support. We couldn’t have done it without all of you! See you next year for the Second Annual FundFest! –the band |
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25 March 2006 London, England SKETCH-y EXPERIENCE IN LONDONlast night I had the most memorable experience of the tour (besides the shows, of course). i finally made it to this restaurant i’d been hearing about, called Sketch, in West Central London, that i couldn’t get into last time here because, apparently, you have to know Someone to get "invited." (obviously, i didn’t know this Mister Someone back in November). anyway, i think it is actually four restaurants in one, with this crazy bar that is shaped like a space ship. anyone who is into progressive restaurant design like i am is crazy if they don’t at least see this place. of course, i was poking around in all the different rooms. the maitre d’ walked me up the stairs to the main dining room, but as i started to step in the room (my face beaming), he put his hand in front of me and said, "I can’t let you go in. It’s private." I was mortified, but the sea breem ceviche and mojito I’d just had was enough for me to return again and again. After my Sketch-y experience, I walked through SOHO to check out Ben Watt, from Everything But the Girl, spin records at The End, something I have always wanted to do but the timing was never right. I was in heaven! –Timothy |
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23 March 2006 Neuchatel, Switzerland SUGAR HIGHTonight was one of those manic nights induced by the catering smorgasbord. It is easy to get bored on the road and food becomes the entertainment. Everyone is grumbling about all the bread and cheese, but tonight it was all about the sugar for me and I was bouncing off the walls. If only there had been a video camera to capture my comic monologue which erupted at the dinner table, but alas, the cameras are never there when something funny or interesting is happening. Now I am listening to Sarah Vaughan, Shirley Bassey, Cat Power and all my favorite singers as I type away on my laptop, dreaming of Monday when we get to go HOME! We are in Neuchatel, Switzerland, and tomorrow we head for London. The tour has been a great success, and everyone is in good spirits, though exhausted. We don’t have our bus anymore, so the challenge is: how do I consolidate all of my bags and things back into an acceptable FAA approved package? Only two more shows, and I don’t know if I will have a chance to write again before we leave. So a big thanks to Ralf, our bus driver, for shepherding us safely and smoothly around Europe. And thank you to Pete Plympton, Gilles Gagnepain, Christophe Comte, and Charlie Bradshaw, the fantastic production team! Green tea, skim milk and flowers in every dressing room. Reverb in my monitor at all the right moments. Keys to lock up my valuables. Big brothers I never had... This is devolving into a high school yearbook page, but I just want to say that you guys are the best. And, of course, Thomas makes everything possible...and he is so cute! –China |
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19 March 2006 Paris, France the glamourous lifeOh, the glamourous life! It’s 4:50 am here in Paris, and I’ve decided to just stay up tonight and work a little. The band had a sold out show here in Paris on Friday and a day off here today. We have a 7 to 8 hour drive to the next city, Queven, France for a concert. Normally, we would drive overnight with this much of a distance (500 kms). But instead of leaving at 1 or 2 am to drive overnight, we decided everyone would rather have a full night off in Paris and then get up at the crack of dawn. The trade-off is that I had to set lobby call for 6 am and a bus departure for 6:15 am. This means that I have to be packed, ready to go, get up early enough to make a few wake up calls between 5:15 and 5:30 am and make sure everyone is ready and on the bus in time. It’s too risky to leave any later with all of the variables involved in travel. I think a lot of people have this idea that being in a band or working with one is so glamorous, and sometimes it can be. However, it’s really hard work and the hours can be much longer than many regular gigs (not to mention the fact that we have to be away from home and our loved ones). Good thing we have the bunks to sleep in! It could be much worse. We could be crammed in a van, driving ourselves around, playing in tiny clubs for 150 Euros a night and have no catering. There was a time for most of us when that was the case (see "paying your dues"). Regardless, I have plenty of work to do for the rest of this tour and the next mini-tour we’re doing the first week of April. Once the bus is rolling I’ll have plenty of time to catch up on my sleep before we arrive in Queven to do it all over again. –Charlie |
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18 March 2006 Paris, France in gratitude
The life of Pink Martini continues to constantly amuse and amaze: last night’s sold out show at the Rex Theater in Paris was sublime, the after show cookies deluxe, a climb thru the medieval village in the mountains above Monaco (near Nice - a recent two concert stay) awe-inspiring --- and the music constantly elevating. To watch what has transpired over all these years is true entertainment at it’s finest. Huge thanks to all those ( fans !) that make this possible! Now --- while I would love to sit here and write the best of the gossip, the behind the scene actions described, and more exciting words you may well desire .... it is a day off in sunny Paris, and to the streets I must return. lovelove, –Brian |
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17 March 2006 Paris, France MERCI À NINA RICCIAfter a fantastic show in Milan with the most lively crowd of the tour, we headed for Paris. The minute we arrived, I rushed over to Nina Ricci for another Cinderella moment. Designer Lars Nilsson and the whole team at Nina Ricci have been so generous and helpful over the years, and I was able to find another gorgeous gown to be unveiled in London this weekend. In the meantime, I wore my beautiful platinum satin gown at the Paris show and felt exquisitely glamorous on the stage of Le Grand Rex, designed by the architect of Radio City Music Hall. Many of our old friends were there, and Pete said it was the best show he has ever seen from Pink Martini! A real homecoming with our French fans. After the show we all rushed down to the dressing room to devour the macarons de Ladurée which were a gift from Les Visiteurs du Soir (our booking agency). Then we headed back up to the lobby to sign our albums and meet the public who were all happy and welcoming. Thomas invited special guest Gilles Paire (Naive Records) to help us sign, as well as Claude’s six-year old son, Gwendal. By the end of the night, thanks to the macarons, I turned into a pumpkin and rolled back to the hotel to sleep it off, dreaming of a beautiful concert in Paris...
–China |
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14 & 15 March 2006 Nice, France Theatre National de Nice
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15 March 2006 Nice, France a toutes les filles de France
China and Thomas diligently write their blog entries after breakfast. Well, China does...Thomas’ entries must have gotten lost somewhere. Perhaps he’s writing love letters... |
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14 March 2006 Aix en Provence, France MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTEthis hotel in aix en provence definitely has an advantage in the sauna department (see charlie’s miserable "non-24 hour fitness" experience). we are staying in the hotel Aquarella, where they have devoted massive square footage to the pursuit of health and physical fitness. there are three pools, a room for lounging and listening to soothing bossa nova while gazing at the blue-lit aquarium, and a cavernous bath house full of treatment rooms. i haven’t been exercising due to my new year’s eve samba injury (long story) so i didn’t have much interest in the cardio machines, but there was this one called Huber, which is rumored to work out the entire body in a few movements and as few minutes. pete was laughing as i tried to navigate the french instructions. it was so easy! (nothing happened). then we hit the sauna, steam room and jacuzzi with brian, and the three of us sweated our hearts out. i did feel rejuvenated and wished i had joined the throngs of vacationers in the solarium, waiting for their massages and pedicures. instead, i lugged my laundry bag to a sketchy laundromat and stood awkwardly as two drunk vagrants camped out by the soap dispenser, smoking under the "no smoking" sign and applying ointment to their cracked and filthy feet. not quite the spa experience one seeks in aix en provence. but my laundry is clean. i hope. –China
Bassist Phil Baker demonstrates how to look at ease in a sketchy laundrette in Nice |
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14 March 2006 Aix en Provence, France LE PUBLIC ETAIT SUPER(THE AUDIENCE WAS GREAT!!)on viens de jouer a la pasino a aix-en-provence, et le public etait super!! tout le monde chantaient avec nous, et il y avait une petite fille mignone qui etait au bord du scene a la fin du spectacle. je n’oublierai jamais la joie pur dans son visage. hier, je me suis promene’ vers le musee granet et j’etais tout a fait content car il faisait parfaitment beau avec du soleil. j’aime tellement aix avec ses rues courbes typique et cafes et petits magazins. ce que je trouve interessant c’est qu’une ville telle que ca peut soutenir tant de restaurants, en meme temps c’est une soulagement d’avoir tant de choix. Free translation: We just played at The Pasino in Aix-en-Provence and the audience was great! Everyone sang along and there was this cute little girl at the edge of the stage towards the end of the show. I’ll never forget the pure look of joy on her sweet face. Yesterday, I walked towards the Granet Museum, and was absolutely content, because it was perfectly beautiful with plenty of sun. I love the town of Aix, with its typical crooked streets and little cafes and shops. It’s interesting to me that such a small town can sustain so many restaurants, but at the same time, its a relief to finally have food options. –Timothy
Percussionist Martin Zarzar puts on a private show backstage. |
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12 March 2006 Aix en Provence, France TO LIVE AND DIE IN AIX EN PROVENCEtoday pete (sound engineer), thomas (pianist), claude (cellist) and i ventured out into the sunny, glorious and windy streets of Aix en Provence. we were punchy after an overnight bus ride from Nevers. i was wearing preposterous sunglasses my mother gave me (enormous, round, blue--see photo below from 6 March) and thomas wondered if my kooky mood was because of them. maybe it was the wind. a cutting wind that sent us home early in a taxi only to find we were mere blocks from the hotel. the taxi driver was unimpressed and over-charged us as punishment. earlier at lunch, in a tented terrace of a restaurant, the wind was so violent it almost took the roof off and us with it. we ate our mediocre food in rapid bursts with terror in our eyes. the waitress assured us it was normal, but we caught her looking hesitantly at the fiery heaters, which were dangerously close to the canvas of the tent as the wind wretched it from its girders. the minute i was finished, i ran out as pete lapped up the red wine sauce he ordered as a side dish (pete loves sauce), and thomas and claude followed soon after. we were relieved that we didn’t perish in that tent. claude said she wanted to live in aix en provence, not die there! –China
hang on little tom tom, hang on to the vine |
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11 March 2006 Cebazat, France Not So 24 Hour FitnessToday we’re doing a day drive in the bus, as the next city is only 180 kms away (about 2.5 hours). We had a great show last night here in Cebazat, France and are driving to Nevers, France at 11:00 am for a show tonight. I got up early today because I saw a sign in the hotel lobby for a sauna and gym. It’s hard to make time to work out on the road when you’re a Tour Manager with everything there is to do. On our last tour in February in the U.S. & Canada I was working out with Timothy (vocals and percussion) and asked him how the facilities in France would be. He assured me that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to find anything decent at most hotels. I woke up around 8:00 AM, went to the lobby and followed the sign that said "Sauna." But I couldnÿýt find it on any floor; there were no more signs. So, back to the lobby I asked the girl at the front desk, and she told me that she would have to give me a key to the gym and turn on the sauna. The girl handed me a hotel room key labeled "sauna" and suggested I get some breakfast while she fired it up. After my light breakfast, I went to the lobby again to make sure everything was good. My new friend from reception told me the sauna was ready, and I could go to the gym: fourth floor, end of the hall, last door on the left. When I arrived, I realized it was a regular hotel room door but missing any numbers and sans any sort of sign at all. I inserted my key and opened the door. I couldn’t believe what I saw. I started laughing really hard and remembered what Timothy had said back in Dayton, Ohio. Here are some pictures of the "gym" at the Hotel Relais Kennedy just outside of Cebazat, France.
I decided to 86 the work out and just hit the sauna. I’ve never seen a sauna so small or a gym that was essentially a stripped hotel room with almost nothing inside! It’s a good thing I’m not claustrophobic! I’m a long way from home and very far away from anything like 24 Hour Fitness. In the end, the sauna worked out to be pretty good, and now I have some great pictures to share with my friends. –Charlie |
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11 March 2006 Cebazat, France AN ENORMOUS (@$%&^#)?We are on our three week tour of Europe and getting increasingly confused from all the travel. For instance, last night in Cebazat, France, I sang "dansez-vous" as usual, and after, our French cellist, Claude, told me to be careful when i pronounce "coeur" which means "heart". Apparently, if you veer toward the "u" vowel, it comes dangerously close to the word "cul" which means "ass". So instead of saying "I have an enormous heart," I said "I have an enormous ass," which is not what I meant to say, but perhaps what I fear is true. Things are going well, although we don’t have much internet access over here so the blog is a bit vacant. Hello to all our friends and fans who check in on us, and we can’t wait to see you all again! –China |
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10 March 2006 Interstate, France Le Truck Stop
Sound engineer Pete Plympton and vocalist Timothy Nishimoto at a French truck stop. |
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9 March 2006 Lons le Saulnier, France the beautiful historic theatres of France
Sound check in Lons Le Saunier, France, 9 March, 2006 (Derek, Pete, three Frenchmen, Martin and China at Theatre De Lons Le Saunier) –Photo and caption: trumpeteer Gavin Bondy
The facade and ceiling of Theatre De Lons Le Saunier |
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9 March 2006 Portland, OR Hang on Little Tomato Goes Gold in Canada!Today, the fine folk at Audiogram, the label that carries Pink Martini’s albums in Canada, informed us that Hang on Little Tomato has been certified Gold in Canada, meaning that it has sold 50,000 copies! This on top of having gone Gold in France, Greece and Turkey. Yay Canada!
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8 March 2006 Oyonnax, France Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Lauderdale
Bandleader Thomas Lauderdale talks on a commandeered cell phone. Most people don’t believe it, but he doesn’t own one himself. He says the last great American invention was the Polaroid Land Camera 250 in the late 60s. |
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6 March 2006 on the ground in europe aboard the pink martini paddywagonWhat’s it like to be a band on the road? Pink Martini is traveling and performing almost every day three weeks straight for the March tour of Europe. The traveling Pink Martini menagerie includes twelve band members, a tour manager, a sound engineer, a technical director, a backliner and a bus driver. Seventeen people total. And when they travel over night (often), they all sleep on this bus. It’s a nice bus--an 18 bunker with two levels, even. But still, don’t forget the earplugs.
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6 March 2006 in the air Portland to Europe, a photo journeyBarely six days after coming home from their East Coast tour in February, Pink Martini is off to Europe for three weeks. This time through, the ensemble is mostly performing in France with concerts also in Italy, Switzerland and England. We’ll do our best to keep you up to date with life on the road. But first, travel by air:
The fashionable Ms. Forbes preflight at Portland International airport.
Bass player Phil Baker receives his itinerary.
Pianist Thomas Lauderdale disembarks in Frankfurt, Germany. Willkommen Herr Lauderdale. (Not sure who the fellow with all the bags is, but he appears to be exceeding the baggage limit). |
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26 February 2006 Portland, OR HomecomingPink Martini returned home to Portland today. Six short days to unpack, do laundry, see family, do taxes, pack, and check in two hours early for the next European tour. |
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25 February 2006 Dayton, OH A birthday I will NEVER forget!"You guys! What are you doing here? I don’t believe it!" words spoken by Pete Plympton, Pink Martini’s sound engineer when I poked my head around the corner of the booth where he was working at the Dayton, Ohio February 24, 2005 performance. He quickly amended his exclamation to "Well yes, of course I believe it. Good to see you!" I’d hazard that my husband, Charles, and I, while perhaps not the most passionate Pink Martini fans, are possibly the most traveled. We like the music, we like the individuals and we love the synergy which erupts like new found spring every time they perform. We have seen the band play in dozens of venues from Portland to L.A. to Nashville, even to Koeln, Germany. So, as Pete said, he was not surprised to see us. But why Dayton, Ohio, of all places? We explained it was my birthday the next night, and we had purchased tickets for the February 25 concert with the Dayton Symphony. What better way to celebrate one’s birthday, than with a Pink Martini concert, where ever it may be? At which point we were immediately invited to a post concert dinner at a local restaurant. We spent the next couple of hours snacking, chatting with the people around us and becoming acquainted with band members in this delightfully informal context. The band had graciously offered to transport us, so we joined them in a large limousine for the drive back to our hotel. Everyone appeared in great spirits, and there was a fair amount of banter back and forth. "Wait!" Thomas was sitting next to me. "What time is it? Is it after midnight??" When assured it was well after midnight, he continued "It’s Rebecca’s birthday! Let’s all sing ’happy birthday’!" at which point the whole vehicle erupted into song, and I spent the next few minutes suffering the exquisite mortification that a moth must feel when being put on display by being impaled by a specimen needle. After which I stammered how nice it was to be serenaded by a car full of musicians, to which one of the brass players replied "yeah, and percussionists, also!" Shortly thereafter, Charles and I were deposited in front of the hotel and turned to wave and watch the limousine move off into the darkness. What an evening! And what a beginning of my birthday! The only thing which could top being serenaded by the Pink Martini would be to actually perform with them! The next day ended with a spectacular Pink Martini concert. China, with indefatigable effort, transcended an untimely virus to perform with brilliant charm. The Dayton Symphony was electric, the band was energized and Thomas was.... well.... Thomas, full of non-sequiturs and spontaneity. The big moment for Charles and myself was to be invited to join the Band for the last encore, Brazil.... It was a blast, and certainly a birthday I will NEVER forget! –Rebecca Mikesell and Charles Fuller, Eugene, Oregon |
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23 February 2006 Dayton, OH BOSTON, YOU’RE MY HOMElast night we played at the somerville theatre where my aunt wendy was the film projectionist when i was little. she used to do wonderful, subversive things like removing one frame from the trailer for "the adventures of buckaroo bonzai" when i was in love with the character "perfect tommy" and blowing up his image into a huge poster for me at christmas. it was a one-of-a-kind, teenager’s dream! my grandmother drove down from vermont with aunt wendy to see us in her old stomping grounds. before the show, thomas and i ducked into an indian restaurant in davis square and ran into some of my cousins and old friends from elementary school. it was the place to be. now i am in my remotely located marriott hotel room in dayton, ohio, where i was greeted by a mysterious black sludge in my bathroom sink. They gave me a complimentary breakfast coupon for two and free internet for the night, so i guess it pays to complain. i am happy we have the night off and i can watch the olympic women’s figure skating finals. i’m rooting for sasha cohen, who reportedly skated to our song "u plavu zoru" in the trials. hopefully one day someone will skate to the ultimate 60’s ice rink song: "the gardens of sampson and beasley"... –China |
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22 February 2006 Toronto and Montreal, Canada OH CANADA!it was great to be back in toronto after such a long time away. i lived there in 1994 when i was in a canadian stage production of the musical, "once on this island". i lived in a residence hotel for 10 weeks, bought my first electric guitar at a pawn shop, and remember hearing on the radio that kurt cobain was dead. i enjoyed my time exploring toronto and its great vegetarian restaurants. i was happy to find another one the other day called FRESH, which was delicious and had one of those menus that leave you helpless to choose from so many options. pete and i were thrilled to have something healthy, and i was debating whether to tell them they need a better sign out front to attract their audience, because it looked like an extension of the next door SUBWAY shop. however, there were enough people in there that i figured they didn’t need my "expertise". we trundled off in our parkas to explore chinatown, kensington market, and queen street. the crowd at the phoenix that night was adoring and wonderful. and montreal was glorious. i got to brush up on my french in anticipation of our impending european tour... –China |
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17 February 2006 Erie, PA Thanks NPR!tonight we played in erie, pennsylvania. it was a very warm crowd on a very cold day. after the show i was positively giddy at the cd signing because of all the friendly faces. –China The audience tonight was a little subdued, especially after the raucous crowd in Philly, but for me, it was nice. I asked several people in the cd signing line how they’d originally discovered Pink Martini, and a majority of them said they’d heard us on NPR. Isn’t that amazing? I love that. Thanks NPR!! –Timothy To sample Pink Martini’s performances and interviews on NPR, please visit: World Cafÿý, performance |
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17 February 2006 Ernie, PA Who is this Ernie guy?As we were driving in the van back to the hotel between sound check and the show, Gavin (trumpet), who was sitting next to me craning his neck to look at the signs on the buildings, seemed kind of annoyed and asked to no one in particular, "Who is this Ernie guy? He has all these businesses named after him...see! There’s another one!" We were in ERIE, Pennsylvania, and he was reading the signs wrong. –Timothy after the overnight ride from philadelphia, we were admittedly a bit out of it. we all had a good laugh and gavin was relieved that "ernie" didn’t have some crazy monopoly on the town. this is the effect of touring. ahhhh, the innocence of trumpet players... –China |
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16 February 2006 New York, NY BELLAVITAE
i think "bellavitae" means beautiful life, and last night, life was indeed beautiful. we played a sold out show in new york at town hall (Read the New York Times review). the audience was electrified and the band was in great form. then we went to BELLAVITAE, our favorite new york restaurant, where the proprietors, Rolando and Jon, hosted the entire band and many of our friends. we had too much wine, scrumptious food, and stayed out until 3:00 AM (which for me is practically unheard of). it was magical, and very rare for all of pink martini to have a cozy, delicious place to gather after a show. thank you to Rolando and Jon, who are now a part of the pink martini family. we are all a bit groggy today, and some of us are snoring in our bunks on the bus, which is presently hurtling toward philadelphia for another show. it is going to be very busy from here on out, but we are half-way through and having fun! –China |
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16 February 2006 New York, NY the most beautiful sight in AmericaLast night’s show at the famous Town Hall in NYC was one of those shows where afterwards everyone in the band was just beaming because it was so much fun. The owners of the cute Italian restaurant, Bellavitae, hosted a super fun party for us after the show, and even opened a special wine for me after they found out I own a wine bar in Portland. I took a walk through Central Park this morning, which was like a Winter Wonderland after the big snow storm over the weekend. Absolutely one of the most beautiful sights in America, it took my breath away... –Timothy |
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14 February 2006 Binghamton, NY happy valentine’s day and sweet potato friesi awoke to a special valentine slipped under my door from pete, our sound engineer. it was a lovely way to start the day. then pete and i headed out to explore binghamton, and we ducked into the corner coffee shop which turned out to have a full menu of delicious food options. as we were dreaming of a late lunch we noticed on the bar a lone reuben with sweet potato fries that was apparently abandoned by a small fellow, with blond hair and glasses who had "run out to get cigarettes about half and hour ago" according to the guy at the bar. well hungry as we were, we immediately started stealing fries from this poor, neglected plate. the show in binghamton was great. i don’t know if it was because of valentine’s day but the crowd was warm and welcoming. we had a lot of fun, and the binghamton philharmonic was fantastic. it was a nice warm up for our big show tomorrow in new york city at town hall. we are trying not to be nervous, and i am simply excited to play in my old hometown. –China |
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13 February 2006 Portland, OR Foxy
When China is on the road, her impossibly cute dog, Foxy, stays at the Pink Martini office for doggy daycare. She’s the delivery men’s favorite. |
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12 February 2006 en route in New York broken down but content
we are on the tour bus and happily on our wireless network. after making it one block, the brand new bus has broken down. but thanks to these computers, we don’t care. thomas is up front playing tracks from our third album which is in the recording process, and pete, martin, brian and i are in the back lounge, which i am calling "my office," but it is also known as "brian’s bedroom." you know, he’s really tall, and doesn’t fit in a standard bunk. martin has offered to "push" the bus to restart it, but in case you’ve never seen martin, i don’t think that’s going to help. he is somewhat tiny. the fridge is packed with all of our leftovers from the grocery store adventure. of course our eyes were bigger than our stomachs. last night we had a great show with the rochester philharmonic orchestra, and met a lot of people who had discovered us two years ago when we first appeared there. it looks like we have some loyal fans in rochester. thomas says it is time to watch "some like it hot", the marilyn monroe movie about an all girl jazz band on the road...hmmm...almost the exact opposite of pink martini. tomorrow is laundry day! –China
Bus driver Dominick Placco and tour manager Charlie Bradshaw |
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9 February 2006 Rochester, NY symphony rehearsal
thomas and i were thrilled to be working with mei-ann chen again, who is a passionate and precise conductor. we had a nice rehearsal today, at which she was able to conduct "malaguena" with the accelerando we have always hoped for at the end. the band didn’t know it was possible for an orchestra to beat them to the finish line. it was fantastic. we were able to fit two rehearsals into one and have the evening off. i won’t tell you that i watched "survivor". no i did not. thomas is leaving my room now in search of those terrible cigarettes...but not before confessing a quote he heard earlier tonight, from tammy faye bakker: "smoking isn’t going to make you go to hell, it just makes you smell like you’ve been there". –China |
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8 February 2006 Rochester, NY produce for a week
(Band photo taken behind Produce Row in Portland, OR) tonight i went to the grocery store in rochester with pete and gavin to get provisions. we have kitchenettes in our rooms so we of course wanted to fill them with food. we got a ride through the falling snow with the bellman to Wegman’s Grocery, about a mile and half from the hotel. while i was filling my basket, thomas called, wondering where we were, and when he heard the word "groceries" his eyes lit up (through the phone) and he high-tailed it on over with another bellman to join us in the aisles. i encountered him lurking and skulking by the cold cereal, and soon found myself giving him nutritional advice. we nixed a few items and added a few and we were on our way. i practically got enough produce for a weeks worth of meals. hopefully the tour bus has a big fridge... –China |
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7 February 2006 Augusta, GA not easy being pretty
tonight i wore my new chloe dress which is chartreuse green silk and gorgeous, and i had it all nice and steamed and got on the bus to go the concert...well when i arrived it was completely wrinkled, beyond belief, like an accordion, and because nicholas (the violinist) overslept and missed the lobby call we were late to the venue so i didn’t have much time. i grabbed nathan, our roadie, and asked him for help, and the next thing i know he’s wheeling in a huge industrial steamer! but the thing was faulty and didn’t seem to work. finally charlie arrived during "bolero" and unclogged the water supply and we got the dress all smoothed out. i put it on and sat down carefully to finish my makeup. when i stood up, it was already full of wrinkles. charlie had to steam the dress while i was wearing it and "bolero" was in its final climax. when thomas introduced me, i walked calmly on stage, wrinkle free! thanks to charlie and nathan, our new crew, who are doing a great job so far. the lesson for the day: maybe this dress is a bit high maintenance for life on the road...good thing i have all of my gorgeous Nina Ricci gowns to get me through! –China |
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6 February 2006 Airport USA one part performance, nine parts waitingPink Martini embarked today on a three week tour of the East Coast and Canada with concerts in Augusta, Rochester, Binghamton, New York City, Philadelphia, Erie, Buffalo, Toronto, Montreal, Boston, Dayton. If live performance is what Pink Martini does best, waiting is likely what it does most.
Dan Faehnle (guitarist), Phil Baker (bass player) and Brian Davis (percussionist)
Martin, where’s Thomas?
our fabulous new roadie, Nathan Ostrander |
Pink Martini and Oregon Public Broadcasting filmed the ensemble's recent New Year's Eve concert at the historic Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in Portland, OR to create the band's first live DVD, 
