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Photo: Church of Betty, by Sibylle Jud |
Deep Sing (tabla) and Church of Betty's Chris Rael (sitar)
The answer could be intimidation;
Indo-pop sextet Church
of Betty is scary good at it. The band has spent the last two decades finding inventive
ways for sitars and guitars to get along famously, and not just in slapdash
fashion. Front man Chris Rael (on sitar, above) spent years in Varanasi, India
learning the ins and outs of Hindustani music before returning to the US to
form his band. The result was instant success: gigs on the National Mall and at
Celebrate Brooklyn, stints at Town Hall and the Public Theater. They were also
a staple at the original Knitting Factory on Houston Street , a one-time Shangri-La for
bands like Church
of Betty whose sound defies
categories.
Today, Church of Betty—named a BAMcafé Live All-Star—sounds better than ever. The naan has soaked up the gravy, leaving the listener less conscious that they’re hearing two musics combined into one rather than just, well, Church of Betty. Lucky for us all, they’re playing a free show this Friday, December 9 at BAMcafé Live. Don’t miss out. (And try some Brooklyn BAMboozle Ale while you’re here.)
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