Runs San Diego ComicCon, WonderCon and Alternative Press Expo in San Francisco. Includes information on events, exhibits, guests and archives of past events. In 1. 99. 4 in his hometown of Portland, Oregon, Thomas Lauderdale was working in politics, thinking that one day he would run for mayor. Like other eager politicians in training, he went to every political fundraiser under the sun but was dismayed to find the music at these events underwhelming, lackluster, loud and un neighborly. RFkMZj5OpI/0.jpg' alt='Pink Grand Festival 2008 S' title='Pink Grand Festival 2008 S' />Drawing inspiration from music from all over the world crossing genres of classical, jazz and old fashioned pop and hoping to appeal to conservatives and liberals alike, he founded the little orchestra Pink Martini in 1. One year later, Lauderdale called China Forbes, a Harvard classmate who was living in New York City, and asked her to join Pink Martini. G_Gcr/640x360-PBn.jpg' alt='Pink Grand Festival 2008 S' title='Pink Grand Festival 2008 S' />They began to write songs together. Their first song Sympathique became an overnight sensation in France, was nominated for Song of the Year at Frances Victoires de la Musique Awards, and to this day remains a mantra Je ne veux pas travailler or I dont want to work for striking French workers. Says Lauderdale, Were very much an American band, but we spend a lot of time abroad and therefore have the incredible diplomatic opportunity to represent a broader, more inclusive America the America which remains the most heterogeneously populated country in the world composed of people of every country, every language, every religion. Featuring a dozen musicians, Pink Martini performs its multilingual repertoire on concert stages and with symphony orchestras throughout Europe, Asia, Greece, Turkey, the Middle East, Northern Africa, Australia, New Zealand, South America and North America. Pink Martini made its European debut at the Cannes Film Festival in 1. Oregon Symphony in 1. Norman Leyden. Since then, the band has gone on to play with more than 5. Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, the Boston Pops, the National Symphony at the Kennedy Center, the San Francisco Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Sydney Symphony at the Sydney Opera House, and the BBC Concert Orchestra at Royal Albert Hall in London. Other appearances include the grand opening of the Los Angeles Philharmonics Frank Gehry designed Walt Disney Concert Hall, with return sold out engagements for New Years Eve 2. Carnegie Hall the opening party of the remodeled Museum of Modern Art in New York City the Governors Ball at the 8. Annual Academy Awards in 2. Sydney Festival in Australia multiple sold out appearances, and a festival opening, at the Montreal Jazz Festival, two sold out concerts at Paris legendary LOlympia Theatre in 2. Paris fashion house Lanvins 1. Alber Elbaz in 2. Ia1Rqp6HXg/maxresdefault.jpg' alt='Pink Grand Festival 2008 S' title='Pink Grand Festival 2008 S' />In its twentieth year, Pink Martini was inducted into both the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame and the Oregon Music Hall of Fame. Pink Martinis debut album Sympathique was released independently in 1. Heinz Records named after Lauderdales dog, and quickly became an international phenomenon, garnering the group nominations for Song of the Year and Best New Artist in Frances Victoires de la Musique Awards in 2. Pink Martini released Hang On Little Tomato in 2. Hey Eugene in 2. Splendor In The Grass in 2. Crime File Management Project In Vb.Net. Pink Grand Festival 2008 S' title='Pink Grand Festival 2008 S' />In November 2. Joy To The Worlda festive, multi denominational holiday album featuring songs from around the globe. Joy To The World received glowing reviews and was carried in Starbucks stores during the 2. All five albums have gone gold in France, Canada, Greece and Turkey. In Fall 2. 01. 1 the band released two albums A Retrospective, a collection of the bands most beloved songs spanning their 1. Japanese singer Saori Yuki. Pink Grand Festival 2008 S' title='Pink Grand Festival 2008 S' />Japan, reaching 2 on the Japanese charts, with the Japan Times raving the love and respect Saori Yuki and Pink Martini have for the pop tradition shines through on every track. The release of 1. Japanese artist hit the American Billboard charts since Kyu Sakamoto released Sukiyaki in 1. Pink Martini albums have sold over 3 million copies worldwide. The band has collaborated and performed with numerous artists, including Jimmy Scott, Carol Channing, Jane Powell, Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright, Henri Salvador, Chavela Vargas, New York performer Joey Arias, puppeteer Basil Twist, Georges Moustaki, Michael Feinstein, filmmaker Gus Van Sant, Courtney Taylor Taylor of The Dandy Warhols, clarinetist and conductor Norman Leyden, Japanese legend Hiroshi Wada, Italian actress and songwriter Alba Clemente, DJ Johnny Dynell and Chi Chi Valenti, Faith Prince, Mamie Van Doren, the original cast of Sesame Street, the Bonita Vista High School Marching Band of Chula Vista, California, the Portland Youth Philharmonic, and the Pacific Youth Choir of Portland, Oregon. Singer Storm Large began performing with Pink Martini in March 2. In 1994 in his hometown of Portland, Oregon, Thomas Lauderdale was working in politics, thinking that one day he would run for mayor. Like other eager politiciansin. China Forbes took a leave of absence to undergo surgery on her vocal cords. Forbes made full recovery and now both she and Large continue performing with Pink Martini. Pink Martini has an illustrious roster of regular guest artists NPRs Ari Shapiro, host of All Things Considered Cantor Ida Rae Cahana who was cantor at the Central Synagogue in NYC for five years koto player Masumi Timson harpist Maureen Love and Kim Hastreiter the publishereditor in chief of Paper magazine. Aria Soho Pc Admin Manager. In January 2. 01. Thomas Lauderdale began work on Pink Martinis seventh studio album when he recorded the Charlie Chaplin song Smile with the legendary Phyllis Diller. The album, titled Get Happy, was released in September 2. The bands beloved vocalist China Forbes anchors the recording, and she was joined by her co lead singer Storm Large, recording with Pink Martini for the first time, along with a cavalcade of special guests including Rufus Wainwright, Philippe Katerine, Meow Meow, The von Trapps Ari Shapiro. And while still in the studio for Get Happy, Lauderdale simultaneously began work on the bands eighth studio album, Dream a Little Dream, featuring Sofia, Melanie, Amanda and August von Trapp, the actual great grandchildren of Captain and Maria von Trapp, made famous by the movie The. Sound of Music. These siblings have been singing together for 1. Drawn into the magical orbit of Thomas Lauderdale, they now live together in a house in Portland, Oregon and have been frequent guest performers with Pink Martini for the past two years. The album, released in March 2. Sweden to Rwanda to China to Bavaria, and features guest appearances by The Chieftains, Wayne Newton, Jungle Jack Hanna, and Charmian Carr who played Liesl in the original Sound of Music. Pink Martini has just released its ninth studio album, Je dis oui, which features vocals from China Forbes, Storm Large, Ari Shapiro, fashion guru Ikram Goldman, civil rights activist Kathleen Saadat, and Rufus Wainwright. The album is the bands happiest in years it features 1. French, Farsi, Armenian, Portuguese, Arabic, Turkish, Xhosa and English, and affirms the bands 2.