Adriana Calcanhotto @ I-Drive NASCAR

When I heard Brazilian star Adriana Calcanhotto would be performing at I-Drive NASCAR, I thought I had misread the email. So I reread it – three times.

My eyes did not deceive me and in fact, there was to be an entire event for Focus Brasil at I-Drive NASCAR. In addition to an indoor track, an arcade and an all-around atmosphere of a Chuck-E-Cheese for adults, the venue had space they rented out to conferences like Focus Brasil. This isn’t an advertisement for NASCAR though so I digress.

The room the show took place in was relatively small and laid out in a cabaret arrangement with maybe a dozen tables for attendees and a stage for Adriana in front. This created a very intimate environment compared to the 1,000+ seat theaters she played before and after this special show. Pair this with a room full of Brazilians that seemed to know every word and weren’t afraid to get up and dance (and even join her on stage at one point), and you’ve got a performance that somehow felt like a home show 4,000 miles from Rio de Janeiro.

I’m grateful to Adriana for the incredible performance as well as for taking the time to meet with us.

~ Kevin Schoeppler