Portland’s own Pink Martini reel in 2008 this New Year’s Eve with two back-to-back concerts at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. Fresh off the release of their third album “Hey Eugene!”, which was released May 14th to the same critical acclaim the group has amassed since it’s debut “Sympathique”.

Join them for an evening of music spanning influences from Lounge to Cuban jazz and so much more as the ball drops us into 2008.

ABOUT PINK MARTINI --------- Originally brought together to play political functions in Portland, Oregon, Pink Martini made its European debut at the Cannes Film Festival. Leading up to 2003, they toured several countries, including France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Switzerland, Monaco, Greece, Turkey, Taiwan, Lebanon and the United States, performing either by themselves or accompanied by various orchestras.

Pink Martini's debut album, Sympathique, was released on Pink Martini's own label, Heinz Records (named after Lauderdale's dog) in 1997. Over 1.3 million copies of the record have been sold worldwide.

In October 2004, the band released their second album, Hang on Little Tomato. The album cover featured a man holding up a happy child on a blue background. Their CD release concert sold out so quickly that the band announced a second show night. In the transition from their first to their second album, guest-singer Pepe Raphael left to concentrate on his other band Pepe and the Bottle Blondes. Lead singer China Forbes continued to write songs with Lauderdale which helped the band go in a more original direction. Their third album, Hey Eugene, was released this past May.

“Pink Martini is like a romantic Hollywood musical of the 1940s or 50s – but with a global perspective which is modern,” says founder and artistic director Thomas M. Lauderdale. “We bring melodies and rhythms from different parts of the world together to create something which is new and beautiful.” Read more at www.pinkmartini.com.