If it can be said that Christmas culture has a heavy reliance on kitsch, it makes perfect sense that Portland’s proudly kitsch-fueled Pink Martini is a suitable holiday-themed party favor supplier. That much was clear when the band returned to the Arlington Theatre, one of many visits hosted by UCSB Arts & Lectures, amidst its 30th anniversary year.
The “little big band” that could, founded and led into an unexpectedly fabulous globe-trotting career by pianist-leader Thomas Lauderdale and vocalist China Forbes, has by now established its unique game plan. The plan, which has lured a cross-generational fan base, is to take ear-friendly journeys through songs from quirky nooks of musical culture around the world and tapping an original songbook going back to the early career-launching hits “Hey Eugene!” and “Sympathique,” which became a sensation and a semblance of an anthem in France
One strong impulse in the Pink catalogue is an affinity for Latin-themed material. This show, for instance, opened with a pocket-sized take on Ravel’s “Boléro” and closed with the standard extended “Brazil,” replete with crowd conga line slithering through the Arlington’s aisles. From the holiday song menu on this night, they served up “We Three Kings” and “Little Drummer Boy,” also with a strong Latin tinge.