Robert Randolph & the Family Band

Pedal-steel-guitar sensation Robert Randolph owes much of his rapid rise over the past several years to a simple if seldom-stated fact: In the minds of many music fans, hot chops more than compensate for a lack of originality. Randolph, who appears at the Fillmore with the Motet, developed his pedal-steel...

By Michael Roberts

February 9, 2006

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Pedal-steel-guitar sensation Robert Randolph owes much of his rapid rise over the past several years to a simple if seldom-stated fact: In the minds of many music fans, hot chops more than compensate for a lack of originality. Randolph, who appears at the Fillmore with the Motet, developed his pedal-steel skills while performing at a church near his New Jersey home, and by 2000, when the commercial music industry discovered him at a Sacred Steel convention in Florida, he was already capable of producing runs so scorching that it's a wonder he didn't wear work gloves for his own protection. Shortly thereafter, he put together the Family Band, and their two discs together -- 2002's Live at the Wetlands and Unclassified, a 2003 studio offering -- are jammed with his vivid playing. Granted, tunes such as Unclassified's "Soul Refreshing" are standard genre pieces; they serve primarily as launching pads for Randolph's solos and fills rather than offering fresh takes on familiar styles. But in a concert setting, such caveats are sure to be drowned out by the sound of screaming steel.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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