Concert Review: Pink Martini at The Rooftop at Pier 17

In the first year that I graduated from college, I worked at a cabaret theater in Manhattan. I had the opportunity to watch dozens of artists perform music from across all sorts of genres and cultural backgrounds from the comfort of my seat behind the soundboard. Even on days when it could feel like a repetitive cycle simply from the nature of the labor involved, I never got used to seeing artists full of elation on the stage, along with audience members excited to support them. While it’s been a long time since I set foot inside that theater, I felt a reminiscence of the highlights from that job when I got the opportunity to catch Pink Martini at The Rooftop at Pier 17 on a beautiful July evening.

Pink Martini is a collective of musicians founded in Portland, Oregon that play all sorts of styles of music from jazz to Latin to pop, sometimes at the same time. Founded by pianist Thomas Lauderdale, the group has been touring near nonstop for three decades with a shuffling roster. The group is currently on their 30th anniversary tour and the final one for vocalist China Forbes as she begins a two-year break from touring to spend more time with her family. 

The show began with Lauderdale introducing the crowd to China Forbes as she walked on and the band began to play their first song. The set included a vast array of tracks from beautiful orchestral arrangements to songs that got the crowd moving out of their chairs and dancing. Other highlights included “Hey Eugene,” a uniquely New York song that took on new significance due to the city-specific nature of the show, “Full Circle” from Forbes’ solo catalog, and show-stopping closer “Brazil.” 

The full roster for Pink Martini at Pier 17 included Forbes on vocals, Lauderdale on the piano, Robert Taylor on trombone, Tom Barber on the trumpet, Miguel Bernal on the congas, Anthony Jones on the drums, Dan Faehnle on the guitar, Phil Baker on the bass, Timothy Mishimoto on percussion, and Nicholas Rosa on violin. The group was not without their special guests, however, as Kim Hastreiter performed on the crash cymbal, and Ari Shapiro from NPR’s All Things Considered delivered a beautiful two-song performance in the middle of the set. 

The entire show felt like a celebration for the band, their fans, friends, and family. While I may not have been as familiar with the group before the show, I felt like I was witnessing something truly special throughout the two hour set. There was so much joy and love communicated from every angle, from the nonstop dancing to the venuewide smiles, as well as Lauderdale’s excited “China Forbes” salutation after multiple songs. These are a group of artists who genuinely love what they do, and that is the most exciting expression of artistry you can find.

Pink Martini is currently on their tour across the United States. You can pick up remaining tickets at the link here, as well as listen to their extensive discography here.