Chilling out with Pink Martini
Considering the title of Pink Martini’s latest album, «Hang on Little Tomato,» a refreshing set for these hot summer days would be appropriate. Pink Martini, the exceptionally popular band from Oregon, is back again for just one show in Athens, at the Vrachon Theater in Vyronas tomorrow night. Kathimerini spoke with the act’s lead, Thomas M. Lauderdale, to find out more about this 10-member band that consistently puts out excellent feel-good music and had Sharon Stone dancing non-stop at the Cannes festival. What brings you to Greece on this occasion? Things worked out with the schedule; we organized our tour’s itinerary and, the truth is, we like to travel and see how people react when we perform… We enjoy becoming one with the audience. We like it very much, for example, when the people sing along with us or dance to our music. If the audience didn’t react, I think that would irritate us tremendously. It has been said that your band approaches music like archaeology. Are their similarities between archaeology and music? It sounds weird, but we all like to collect old-fashioned records and discover traditional sounds. In that sense, yes, we are something like musical archaeologists. We bring together all the things we find on trips around the world. Isn’t there ever any friction between the lot of you? We’re like a big family; we have a very good time together, and each time we get together, it feels like we’ve been invited to a big dinner. No, there’s no bickering. Not even when you all record in the studio, or are touring on the same bus? Don’t those situations bring out the good and the bad – the best and worst reviews written about Pink Martini. We haven’t had any bad reviews. We’re very happy about that, both in terms of how critics and fans have responded. Does the band have a favorite cocktail, besides the martini, of course? When we go to bars, we ask for the most colorful cocktail, to justify the fact that we’re American. What kind of an audience listens to Pink Martini? Children listen to our music. My grandparents listen to our music. My dog listens to our music.
