Chris Rael CHURCH OF BETTY

Free talk on the culture of the East Village in the 1980s with Penny Arcade, Clayton Patterson & Chris Rael. In conjunction with a Tompkins Square Library exhibit on the same topic.

LOWER EAST SIDE BIOGRAPHY PROJECT presents CHURCH OF BETTY 30th ANNIVERSARY CONCERT on MANHATTAN NEIGHBORHOOD NETWORK. A half-hour program of concert highlights presented on Manhattan public access TV, streaming live to anywhere at www.mnn.org/live/1-community-channel

TACTICAL STREAM at TBG Gallery, 616 E 9th St., East Village. TBG is the gallery of Australian painter Theresa Byrnes. Tactical Stream is a series of shows she has been doing in response to the current oppositional political atmosphere. Her beautiful work and that of other artists are on display and there are performances. Tonight will be the mesmerizing writer/actress Bina Sharif, the great Penny Arcade & your truly playing music. 7 pm sharp, be there! (Art: Theresa Byrnes)

THE JACKSON PINKS at CounterEvolution, 37 West 17th St, 2nd floor. The Pinks is a gaggle of music-making pals who come together to play each other's tunes & covers with great merriment. Life in a Blender's Don Ralph, Susan Hwang & Charlie Nieland of Lusterlit, Henry Tenney of the Highland Shatners, bassist extraordinaire Chris Smylie, Church of Betty's own Marlon Cherry & yours truly. CounterEv is a furniture shop that sometimes converts into a club at night. Fun scene, friendly folks & this is supposed to be the last one at CounterEv. Near Union Square, come on down!   

CHURCH OF BETTY 30th ANNIVERSARY CONCERT at DROM: A fixture in the Downtown art scene since 1988, Chris Rael’s groundbreaking world pop orchestra CHURCH OF BETTY celebrates 30 years with a blowout concert for the ages at Drom. The show will mingle the group’s classic late-90s/early-00s lineup with the current ensemble of New York’s finest: Rael (voice, sitar), Deep Singh (tabla), Jon Feinberg (drums), Joe Quigley (bass), Marlon Cherry (guitar, bass), Rima Fand (violin), Pinky Weitzman (viola), Leah Coloff (cello), Claire de Brunner (bassoon), Katie Scheele (English horn), Chris Cochrane (guitar), Brian Geltner (drums) & Vlada Tomova (voice) will grace the stage in various combinations. Performance legend PENNY ARCADE will host the evening, which will feature a cameo guest appearance by STEW, the Tony-winning star of Broadway’s Passing Strange. Beloved NYC rockers LIFE IN A BLENDER, long-time friends of COB, will kick off the evening in style at 7:30. Join us for a dynamic, ecstatic, unforgettable night of India-flavored orchestral rock n roll, rich pop melodies, hard world grooves & a chorus of soaring voices. COB classics & brand new songs-about-now will blast from the stage with equal abandon. Find out why COB has been called “irresistible” by the New York Times, “brilliant” by Billboard & “musical and cultural fusion of the first order” by the Boston Herald. News of the world getting you down? This cavalcade of dazzling, passionate players will lift you up! Photos: Jasmine Hirst, Bernd Auers, Julia Gorbach, David Barry CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS

JACKSON PINKS with Sweet William, Stanley John Mitchell, Kenny Young & the Eggplants. It's all over, Baby Blue. Don Ralph, Charlie Neiland, Chris Smylie, Susan Hwang, Ben Morrow & yours truly. 

ALAN KAUFMAN at 292 Gallery. Literature, Music, Art. Chris & Rima will accompany poet Alan Kaufman at this much loved gallery in the Lower East Side. 

Seeing in the new year with my good old friends Barry & Amy Brady and their crack band! The American Legion Hall in Silver Spring is a great scene. Southern-style dinner, champagne, excellent music!  

CHURCH OF BETTY TRIO at Jia Jung's JEFF BUCKLEY Tribute Concert at SHAPESHIFTER LAB, Brooklyn. 3 old pals Chrises Rael & Smylie & Ken Meyer (pictured here in their last round-up for a Patti Smith night last year) reunite to celebrate what would have been Jeff's 51st birthday with a cavalcade of other artists. They will play So Real (on sitar) & Strawberry Street (on guitar). Many other fine performers are on this bill; check the link above. Proceeds for the concert will be donated to the Deanna Maran Foundation for Non-Violence. 

CHURCH OF BETTY at the LIBERTY CIRCUS, Theater 80 St. Marks. We will appear with the legendary band FAITH, poet Alan Kaufman and friends when the Circus passes through New York. COB will perform as a half-unplugged chamber ensemble featuring Marlon Cherry on bass, Claire deBrunner on bassoon, Katie Scheele on English horn, Chris Cochrane on guitar, Rima Fand on violin, Brian Gentler on drums & Chris on sitar, guitar Portuguese & 12-string guitar. CLICK HERE FOR TIX

CHURCH OF BETTY with Collapsible Shoulder & Italian Surf Academy at SILENT BARN. COB reunites at the invitation of Chris Cochrane & Collapsible Shoulder. Excited! Show starts at 8; only 8 bucks. Betty will feature Chris Cochrane, Marlon Cherry, Claire de Brunner, Katie Scheele, Rima Fand, Brian Geltner & Chris Rael

FAR AWAY HOME screening at LOWER EAST SIDE FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS, Theater for the New City. Chris's documentary Far Away Home (2008) chronicles his adventures with Penny Arcade discovering long-lost Spanish-American family in the Southwest. Penny shot much of it; Chris assembled it from her travelogue video. Previous viewers have enjoyed the fascinating unfolding story, the film's sweetness and humor, and the window it offers into a corner of America not often seen by urban coastal dwellers. The piece will be shown as part of a day-long film program and will be followed by a talkback with Penny. This event is free; a fun option for those in town on Memorial Day weekend.

CHRIS RAEL performs at LaMaMa remembrance of JOHN VACCARO: On May 6, I'll perform in this tribute to dear friend John Vaccaro, visionary founder of the Play-House of the Ridiculous. John literally changed the world! I'll perform the song I wrote for him years ago, Tripping With Wanda (John was Wanda). Penny Arcade will moderate a panel on John & the Play-House, and Ruby Lynn Reyner will also perform. 4-6 pm on a Saturday afternoon; it's free. If you knew & loved him as we did, please come.

CHURCH OF BETTY at St. MARK's POETRY PROJECT 43rd Annual New Years Day Marathon. Our favorite way to kick off the new year. Chris will be joined by Rima, Claire & Marlon at 11 pm. Other performers this year include Penny Arcade, Justin Vivian Bond, Steve Earle, John Giorno, Thurston Moore, Eileen Myles, Reno, Elliott Sharp, Tammy Faye Starlight & many dozens more. (Photo: Marc Nasdor)

VLADA TOMOVA & CHRIS RAEL at Andrea Clearfield's Main Line Salon, Wynnewood, PA: Chris & Vlada perform again for dear friend Andrea Clearfield's salon series in greater Philly. Joined by Philly violist extraordinaire Elizabeth Jaffe. (Photo: Andrea Clearfield)

CHRIS RAEL VIDEO EXTRAVAGANZA at LE PETIT VERSAILLES: An evening of invigorating free video in this beautiful Lower East Side community art garden. The program unfolds in 3 parts: 

Church of Betty Swirled World - Chris invited several of NYC's finest videographers to make videos of songs from COB's 2015 release Swirled World. The videographers shot the band performing live and in the studio, then shared the footage for their individual songs. The result: 5 utterly distinct videos thematically linked by the shared performance vid. Each song feels like a journey to a completely different place with the same people. Videos by Jasmine Hirst, Steve Zehentner, Joan Grossman, Eric Wallach and Chris Rael (25 min)
Wish You Were Here - A few recent, short travel and music videos by Chris, including Hagia Sofia in Istanbul, the cafe and street musicians of old Havana, and music videos of Balkan chanteuse Vlada Tomova with the great Bulgarian group Balkansky and a haunting, soulful video of contemporary folk duo Dubl Handi, shot in Brooklyn and the Catskills (20 min)
Far Away Home - In 2004, Chris and Penny Arcade explored northeastern New Mexico in search of Chris's family roots. They discovered a whole world of Spanish-American family he'd never known. Chris assembled this piece almost entirely from Penny's home movies of the journey. The outcome is both charming and compelling as the audience experiences the discoveries unfolding along with the protagonists. Screened at the Truth Or Consequences Film Festival, Far Away Home makes its NYC premiere under the stars at the magical garden (45 min)   Please join us!

CHRIS & VLADA in SOFIA: Performance with Vlada's Bulgarian band in Sofia, Bulgaria. At Casa de Cuba, we will certainly play some Sephardic songs

ACKER AWARDS CEREMONY at Howl! Happening: Chris will receive the Acker Award for outstanding contributions to the avant grade arts community in defiance of convention. He is deeply honored! Many other artists in all disciplines will also be recognized. A wonderful event for the Downtown arts community, come on down! (Art: Clayton Patterson)

CHOKHER BALI, a play by Partha Chatterjee, based on the Rabindranath Tagore novel, at Barnard College. Thurs 3/3 @8pm; Fri 3/4 @8pm; Sat 3/5 @2pm & 8pm. The English language premiere of Chokher Bali [Sand in My Eye], based on the classic novel by Rabindranath Tagore, dramatized and translated by Partha Chatterjee, directed by internationally renowned playwright and director Mahesh Dattani, and dramaturged by Assistant Professor Shayoni Mitra.  A compelling account of marriage and widowhood, and a meditiation on feminine desire and agency, told against the backdrop of the rapidly modernizing bhadralok, or gentlemanly class, of late 19th century Calcutta. MUSIC BY DEEP SINGH, CHRIS RAEL & BILL BUCHEN

CHRIS & VLADA live at the BULGARIAN CONSULATE, HAVANA CUBA: We'll comp anyone from Brooklyn who makes it down ;)  

CHURCH OF BETTY at ST MARKS POETRY PROJECT. Betty is delighted to return to this annual Downtown community event welcoming the new year. This year Chris, Marlon & Rima will perform Paella, their rousing anthem to global community. The event goes all day and long into the night; the trio is scheduled to appear between 6 and 7 pm. This is a fundraiser for St Marks Poetry Project; ticket price to come. (Photo: Vlada Tomova)

Raelian Cabaret resurfaces at The Living Room, featuring your singing MC STEW throughout the night, the great ESZTER BALINT at 8:45 & CHURCH OF BETTY at 10. Also appearing with Stew: the angelic Carol Lipnik, who performed in the Fringe production of Chris's musical ARABY in 2011. This night promises to be the stuff of legend; need we say more? Don't miss it! TICKETS HERE (Art: Chris Rael)

Chris & Vlada at ANDREA CLEARFIELD's SALON, Philadelphia: We are excited to return to this delightful and engaged community of music loving Philadelphians. It's a city rich in art and culture; Andrea's salon is a beacon event there. Tonight Chris and Vlada will be joined by two of Philly's finest bowed string players: violinist Elizabeth Kaderabek and violist Elizabeth Jaffe. Attendance is by invitation only. If you would like to come, please click the web link for more information. (Photo: John Hayes)

Chris will appear in STEW's new show examining composer Richard Wagner at the Kennedy Center. Chris will play sitar, possibly in lederhosen. Have the stomach for that? Then buy tix here

CHURCH OF BETTY at PROSPECT HEIGHTS MUSIC FESTIVAL at the Branded Saloon. Tonight we will be a quartet with Claire de Brunner on bassoon, Chris Cochrane on guitar, Brian Geltner on drums & Chris Rael singing & playing. We'll bring a little Brooklyn Soul. 

HELP NEPAL Benefit Concert for Nepalese Earthquake Victims: Indra Tamang presents Debbie Harry, Penny Arcade & Chris Rael, Felice Rosser & Faith, Tammy Faye Starlight and other stellar performers, including a number of renowned Nepalese artists. The quake struck home for Chris, who spent substantial time in Nepal in the late '80s/early '90s. He is pleased to support this most worthy cause.

CHURCH OF BETTY & PUGWASH at the LIVING ROOM: Chris Rael, Brian Geltner, Rima Fand, Marlon Cherry, Claire de Brunner, Chris Cochrane & Pinky Weitzman celebrate the release of Swirled World, Church of Betty's first CD in almost 12 years! A thrilling night at the new Living Room featuring Betty in hyperdrive plus the mind-bogglingly great Irish band Pugwash - in Chris's opinion the heirs apparent to the Beatles & XTC. See Chris's blog about Pugwash's recent debut show in New York on this site's Blog page. The show of the year! 7-10 pm, only $15. TICKETS HERE (Photo: Julia Gorbach)

PENNY ARCADE & CHRIS RAEL at ST MARKS POETRY PROJECT New Years Day Marathon. Chris will accompany Penny's performance, channeling Van Morrison. (Video still: Steve Zehentner)

THE LAZARUS ROSE at BROOKLYN PUBLIC LIBRARY: Church of Betty Globestra will perform The Lazarus Rose, its program of contemporary world arrangements of centuries-old Sephardic songs, at the Dweck Center in the Brooklyn Public Library at 7 pm. The lineup will feature Rael on multiple instruments, Vlada Tomova voice, Rima Fand violin, Pinky Weitzman viola, Claire de Brunner bassoon, Marlon Cherry bass & Nacho Arimany percussion. Everybody sings.  Free to the public! (Photo: Julia Gorbach) 

STEW & THE NEGRO PROBLEM at LINCOLN CENTER: Chris rides again with Stew and his gang of musically deft merry pranksters at Lincoln Center Out of Doors. TNP will double-bill with Camille A. Brown and Dancers. (Photo: Lisa Philp)

BALKAN TALES in the Bulgarian Spring Project at the Europa Roots Festival, a spectacular private event in San Diego. Chris will play bass with Vlada Tomova's Balkan Tales, also featuring Kyle Sanna on guitar, Emilia Simeonov on violin & Brad Dutz on percussion.

THE LAST WALTZ LIVE at the HIGHLINE BALLROOM: This charity-raising event recreates The Band's famous The Last Waltz concert, immortalized in the Scorsese film. A host of New York-based performers will sing the songs from the original concert, which were done by Dylan, Clapton, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, etc. Chris has been invited to perform Neil Young's Helpless. Also appearing will be singers from the Zen Tricksters, Hot Tuna, and New Riders of the Purple Sage. This event raises money for Music in Common. Looking forward!

CHURCH OF BETTY at BARBES, Raelian Cabaret with VLADA TOMOVA's BULGARIAN VOICES TRIO and SOOZEE HWANG & the RELASTICS. Tonight Church of Betty will consist of Rael, Marlon Cherry (bass), Susan Hwang (accordion), Claire de Brunner (bassoon), Maria Jeffers (cello), Pinky Weitzman (viola), Gregor Kitzis (violin) & Adam Maalouf (world hand percussion).  Vlada @7, Soozee @7:30, Betty @8:15 (Photo: Vlada Tomova)

THE NEW STEW REVIEW at 54 BELOW, the supper club in the cellar of Studio 54. Chris is in for another round with Stew of Passing Strange & his very fun band. Click "54 Below" above for tix

VLADA TOMOVA & CHRIS RAEL at MONTAUK LIBRARY: Vlada & Chris will perform at the Montauk Public Library in memory of Mr. George Hadjipopov, aka "Bulgarian George" of Montauk. (Photo: Leela Rupa)

CHURCH OF BETTY GLOBESTRA at the NEW YORK SEPHARDIC MUSIC FESTIVAL: The Globestra officially launches its new CD The Lazarus Rose at the Knitting Factory for the New York Sephardic Music Festival. We are billing with a great & compelling group: Rashanim, with Jon Madof guitar, Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz bass, Mathias Künzli drums & percussion. Click here for tickets

CHURCH OF BETTY at the LIVING ROOM: Betty returns for one last furious half-hour commemorating the swan song weekend of the Ludlow Street location of the Living Room, our beloved haunt & musical home for 15 years. Chris will be joined by a flood of special guests including Marlon Cherry, Brian Geltner, Chris Cochrane, Kenny Siegal, Gwen Snyder & Pinky Weitzman. Betty at 11:15, bookended by Pinky's Not Waving But Drowning at 10:30 & Gwen's Blueberry at midnight. (Photo: Rick Jungers)

CHRIS RAEL & VLADA TOMOVA at NORTH END STUDIOS, Burlington, VT. A duet performance featuring Indian flavors, Sephardic Jewish songs, Balkan folk, and original compositions mashing up all of the above. (Photo: Leela Rupa)

CHRIS RAEL EXPERIENCE at the BELL HOUSE: Chris will perform with Chris Cochrane & Brian Geltner at this Jan Kotik tribute concert organized by Babe the Blue Ox, a great band from the '90s that also worked with Jan, the original Church of Betty drummer. The incredible lineup includes Beekeeper, Ida, Life in a Blender, M Shanghai String Band, Morning Glories, Sportsman's Paradise & VPN. This will also be the release show for Babe's new album Guilty, their first in 15 years. Chris & co. play at 11 sharp, but come at 7 & enjoy the bliss all night long. The Bell House is one of Brooklyn's hottest new music clubs; come find out why. (Art: Sue Havens)

CHURCH OF BETTY GLOBESTRA at JALOPY: The woody-acousticy-worldy Globestra returns for another spin, opening for dear old friends M Shanghai String Band at Jalopy, a magical, quaint old theater/music school in Red Hook, Brooklyn. The Globestra will consist of Rael & Singh, Bulgarian chanteuse Vlada Tomova, flamenco percussion star Nacho Arimany, scorching string players Emi Simeonov (violin), Pinky Weitzman (viola) & Gjilberta Lucaj (cello), bassoonist extraordinaire Claire de Brunner & our Rock of Gibralter, Marlon Cherry, on bass. We'll play a mix of COB-ified Sephardic songs from our upcoming release The Lazarus Rose and some COB chestnuts. M Shanghai is, put simply, a kickass great time you won't want to miss. It's a big night and well worth the excursion to Red Hook - come join us! (Photo: Dean Lance)

CHURCH OF BETTY GLOBESTRA on WNYC: The Globestra will perform in The Greene Space's Battle of the Boroughs, live on WNYC Radio 93.9 FM at 7 pm. We will play Adon Haselichot, a modern pan-global arrangement of a centuries-old Hebrew Sephardic song. Rael: sitar/voice, Deep Singh: tabla, Vlada Tomova: voice, Marlon Cherry: bass/voice, Emilia Simeonov: violin, Pinky Weitzman: viola, Gjilberta Lucaj: cello, Eric Fraser: bansuri flute.

CHURCH OF BETTY at THE LIVING ROOM: Chris presents an evening of unforgettable music on this next-to-last Saturday night ever at The Living Room's current Ludlow Street location: Blueberry at 7, Not Waving But Drowning at 8, LD Beghtol & Co. at 9, Church of Betty at 10, The Ditty Committee at 11, and Clint Michigan at midnight. Church of Betty will play a set of brand new Rael compositions in preparation for the group's 2013 album. Tonight the group consists of Rael on sitar, 12-string & voice, Deep Singh on tabla, Marlon Cherry on guitar, Claire de Brunner on bassoon, Dan Asher on bass, and Brian Geltner on drums. (Artwork: Mason Brown & John Frazier)

CHURCH OF BETTY at DUMBO ARTS FESTIVAL: Church of Betty returns to Dumbo Arts, a scintillating outdoor art orgy for which Betty was one of the first acts when it started many moons ago. Chris Rael, Deep Singh, Claire de Brunner, Rima Fand, Jason Sypher & Brian Geltner will play a half-dozen brand new songs along with some Betty chestnuts, some well known and some obscure & fascinating. It's outside & it's free, what more could you want? The festival main stage is at the foot of the Manhattan Bridge; see this MAP. (Photo: Michael Roeder)

VLADA TOMOVA'S BALKAN TALES at BROOKLYN BOTANIC GARDEN: Chris joins Vlada Tomova's Balkan Tales on sitar, coloring the group's Balkan music with Indian sounds at Brooklyn Botanic Garden. The Botanic Garden's Chile Pepper Festival is a wonderful outdoor NYC event; Church of Betty did it years ago. The Balkan dance scene will be out en force; if you haven't done it before, it's a lot of fun. A beautiful afternoon, don't miss it! (Photo: Leela Rupa)

CHRIS RAEL at HOWL! FESTIVAL: Chris returns to the park where he arrived in NYC in 1986 to perform at this annual celebration of the East Village/Lower East Side's cultural heritage. Church of Betty power trio style at 1:30 pm in the band shell, featuring Marlon Cherry on bass & tabla-miester Deep Singh on drum kit!