A BAND OF ASTRONAUTS—BANDELLA Returns To The Palms This Summer

Not very many people have played guitar in outer space. Bandella, a folk group performing July 6 at The Palms Playhouse has not one, but two such guitarists. They return to The Palms for their first California performance since selling out the venue in 2017.

Chris Hadfield performed a version of David Bowie's "Space Oddity" on the International Space Station (his performance has over 42 million views on YouTube). UC Davis professor and ex-NASA astronaut Steve Robinson played his guitar on the Space Shuttle while weightless, performing for his crew-mates.

And then there's Cady Coleman, who performed a flute duet with Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson-from outer space.

Bandella, a popular band from Houston TX, has been performing for over 14 years. They'll return to The Palms with three astronauts, plus the spouse of an astronaut on lead vocals.

With acoustic guitars, jazz-influenced flute, inspired vocals, occasional banjo, stand-up bass and piano, these aerospace musicians entertain with a mixture of folk originals, re-imagined '70s/'80s folk/rock standards, bluegrass, and jazz.

Bandella performs on Saturday, July 6, 2019, 8 pm at The Palms Playhouse, 13 Main Street, Winters CA 95694, (530) 795-1825. Tickets are $20 + handling fees (students, $12 with ID); free street parking is nearby. Food, wine and beer are now available at The Palms; for more information, go to http://www.palmsplayhouse.com .

"Bandella was formed in a basement bar in Star City, Russia in 2003," notes Hadfield (Hadfield, Robinson, and Coleman all trained with the Russian Space Program, in conjunction with NASA). "We've played all over-- Kansas City, Star City, Canada, even linked from Earth while band members were out in orbit. And, of course, Bandella's played all over Houston." The band will reprise their California performance in Massachusetts later in July 2019.

For over 40 years, The Palms Playhouse has hosted national touring bands, regional stars and just plain great music in an intimate setting. The atmosphere is casual. The venue moved from Davis to Winters in 2002; new owners Andrew Fridae and Nora Carey assumed management of the club in November 2016.